Historical
Fiction
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To write historical
fiction, you need to
draw on sources,
facts and
information.
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Tonight’s Agenda
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Any questions?
Lecture about Historical Fiction
Pick an historical fiction to read
Break
Discuss the Realistic Fiction you’ve read
• History is perhaps the most difficult
subject to teach.
• However, educators have learned
that teaching history through
narratives, or stories, is the most
effective way for students to learn
about the past.
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The Problem With History Textbooks:
• They need to cover so much
information, that they can’t do justice
to any event, person or concept.
• The people are missing.
• Since history texts are rooted in facts,
there is no room for anyone’s historical
perspectives.
So what is historical fiction? It is
technically any story set in the past.
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What Makes Good Historical Fiction?
• It must be set in the past.
• Sometimes the focus is not on events in
history, but rather on an imaginary plot
that is accurately set in a particular
period & place from the past.
• Other times, the novel includes
an actual historical event, like
the Revolutionary War
in Johnny Tremain.
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Historical Fiction is judged by
the same criteria as other
fiction; strength of character,
development of plot, writing
style, definition of setting and
handling of theme.
However, some considerations
are peculiar to this genre.
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What historical fiction
must have:
• History should not be
sugarcoated. When
dealing with historical
facts, it is important to
deal plainly with the truth.
• Those who cannot remember the
past are condemned to repeat it.
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• Historical accuracy is required. Because
historical fiction is rooted in the facts of
the past, accuracy in historical fiction is
mandatory. When events are documented,
they must not be altered.
• The story must make the historical
period come to life. To make the historic
period come to life, the author has to
recreate the physical setting, the patterns
of daily living and the spirit of the times.
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• The author usually reveals the history
through the eyes of a young protagonist.
The main character must be a
young person to hold the
interest of a young reader.
They want to read about a
person like themselves.
• The writing styles should avoid giving too
much attention to historical detail. If too
many details are included in the writing, it
can detract from the storytelling.
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Types of Historical Fiction
• All of the events happened before the
life of the author.
• A contemporary novel becomes
historical fiction over time. When a
current novel in written in 1942, it
becomes historical fiction
forty years later.
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• Author chronicles their lives
in a fictional format. The story
can be a fictionalized account
of the time period and events
of their lives, but is often written
years later.
• The protagonist travels back
into history. Time travel can be
employed as a device to have
the character become a part of the
story and history.
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TIMELINE OF
HISTORICAL
NOVELS
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Prehistoric Times
T. A Dyer’s A WAY OF HIS OWN –
tells of a lame boy
from a very primitive
nomadic tribe who is
abandoned by his family
and, together with a girl
stolen from another tribe,
tries to survive a cruel winter.
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Ancient Times
Eloise Jarvis McGraw’s book
MARA, DAUGHTER OF
THE NILE is about the mistreated
slave of a jewel trader.
Elizabeth George Speare’s
BRONZE BOW tells of
Jamin avenging the
death of his parents.
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Tales of Early Britain
EAGLE OF THE NINTH
and
SILVER BRANCH
are both by
Rosemary Sutcliff,
and deal with England
fighting with the Romans.
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Later Middle Ages
Author Karen Cushman
wrote CATHERINE,
CALLED BIRDY,
about the daughter
of a baron finding her
place in the
world.
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The Modern World
THE SHAKESPEARE STEALER is a mystery
by Gary Blackwood set in an
acting troupe.
KITE FIGHTER is set in 1473 Korea
and
SINGLE SHARD is a Newbery Winner
about a 13 year old orphan
by Linda Sue Park.
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Stories of the Western Hemisphere
BIRCHBARK HOUSE, by
Louise Erdich, is a
Native American tale.
LITTLE HOUSE IN
THE BIG WOODS
by Laura Ingalls Wilder is told from
the perspective of the settlers.
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Colonial America
Elizabeth George
Speare
won the Newbery
Award for
THE WITCH OF
BLACKBIRD POND.
It is the story of a young girl
relocated from the Caribbean
to rural Connecticut and is
declared a witch.
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Revolutionary War
JOHNNY TREMAIN
is perhaps
by Esther Forbes, is
perhaps the
best know
children’s novel
dealing with the
Revolutionary War.
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The Growing
Nation
OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA
by Jennifer Holm is
an immigration tale
about a Finnish girl.
PRAIRIE SONGS by Pam Conrad
Gives two viewpoints on
Homesteading.
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Civil War Era
SILENT THUNDER
SHADES OF GRAY
by Andrea Pinkney
shows how the Civil
War effects an 11 yr.
old slave girl.
by Carolyn Reeder
is the tale of a 12
yr. old who loses
his entire
family.
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Industrial Age
BREAD AND ROSES, TOO
by Katherine Paterson
and
COUNTING ON GRACE
by Elizabeth Winthrop
both tell the stories
of labor conflicts in the
early 20th century.
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Immigration
Patricia Reilly Giff
has written
many great books
about this
era of our history,
including
NORY RYAN’S
SONG.
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Great Depression
BUD, NOT BUDDY
is a wonderful coming
of age story and
a Newbery Award
winning book
by Christopher
Paul Curtis.
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World War I
One of the
few children’s
fiction books
about World
War I is
LORD OF THE
NUTCRACKER SET
by Iain Lawrence
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World War II
LILY’S CROSSING
by Patricia Reilly
Giff tells of WWII
in Europe.
SUMMER OF MY
GERMAN SOLDIER
by Bette Greene tells
of WWII from America.
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Post World War II
Two books that deal with more recent history
are:
WEDNESDAY WARS
and
CRACKER
by Gary Schmidt
by Cynthia
Kadohata
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Value of Historical Fiction
• Help children experience the past.
• Encourages children to think as well
as feel.
• By giving children a glimpse into the
past, they may learn how to change
the present world for the better.
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Next Week’s Assignments:
• Make sure you have a public library card
• Make sure all past written assignments are
turned in through Writing Assignment #3.
• Pick an Historical Fiction book and read it.
Write a few paragraphs summarizing it and
rate it’s “engaged reading quotient” on a scale
of 1 to 10. We will share them in class.