Historical Fiction

The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

It's World War II, and London is being blitzed. Children are being sent out into the countryside to live, temporarily, with other families, for their safety. Ada has spent her entire 10-year-old life inside her apartment. She has a clubfoot, which even back then, was fixable. But Ada's cruel and ignorant mother never did anything to help Ada. So she's stuck inside, can't go to school, can't play, can't walk. Her little brother, Jamie, can do all those things. When he comes home one day and tells his sister that all the kids are going on a bus to the country, Ada decides to sneak out and go with him. She literally has to crawl to the bus! Meanwhile, in the country, a woman named Susan doesn't want to take in strange kids. But she has room, and could use help on her farm, so Ada and Jamie end up going home with her. Find out how the war 'saves' their lives, in this heartwarming story.

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park

From the publisher: "a girl determined to fit in and realize her dreams: getting an education, becoming a dressmaker in her father’s shop, and making at least one friend. Acclaimed, award-winning author Linda Sue Park has placed a young half-Asian girl, Hanna, in a small town in America’s heartland, in 1880. Hanna’s adjustment to her new surroundings, which primarily means negotiating the townspeople’s almost unanimous prejudice against Asians, is at the heart of the story. "

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

From the publisher: "Eleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, seven years ago. And even though Delphine must look after her sisters during a summer trip to California to visit Cecile. When they arrive on the West Coast, their mother decides that they will attend a day camp run by the Black Panthers. Unexpectedly, the three sisters learn much about their family, their country, and themselves."

The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts by Avi

From the author's website: "In the seaside town of Melcombe Regis, England, 1724, Oliver Cromwell Pitts wakes to find his father missing and his house flooded by a recent storm. He’s alone in his ruined home with no money and no food. Oliver’s father has left behind a barely legible waterlogged note: he’s gone to London, where Oliver’s sister, Charity, is in trouble. Exploring damage to the town in the storm’s aftermath, Oliver discovers a shipwreck on the beach. Removing anything from a wrecked ship is a hanging offense, but Oliver finds money that could save him, and he can’t resist the temptation to take it. When his crime is discovered, Oliver flees, following the trail of his father and sister. The journey is full of thieves, adventurers, and treachery--and London might be the most dangerous place of all.

There's a sequel, too! Other historical fiction by this award-winning author: Catch You Later, Traitor; The Button War; City of Orphans; Don't You Know There's a War On?; Encounter at Easton; Iron Thunder; The Secret School; The Seer of Shadows; and many others.

Storm Warriors by Elisa Carbone

Have you ever been to the Outer Banks? There’s an island off the coast of North Carolina there called Pea Island, where there was a real Life-Saving Station in the 1890s. The life-saving stations were what came before the Coast Guard. There were brave, strong “surfmen”, who lived at the station, patrolled the shore, and in a deadly storm, rowed out to shipwrecks to save the people on board.

What made this life-saving station so special was that it was manned by an African-American crew. See, this was just after the Civil War, and black men could not serve beside white men, though they did the same work, and faced the same dangers.

Nathan is a twelve-year-old African-American boy, and he faces discrimination, too. His mom passed away, and he and his father were driven out of their home by the Ku Klux Klan. Nathan can’t fight the disease that killed his mother, or the Klan, but when he moves to Pea Island, he finds something he can fight. He and his father are living in a fisherman’s cottage, near the life-saving station on Pea Island. Nathan is awed by the strength and courage of the surfmen – or “storm warriors” – as everyone calls them. One day, Nathan helps the men rescue the crew of a ship, and listens to the tales of storms and rescues between the surfmen and the sailors. All he can think about is one day being a storm warrior himself. Nathan’s father thinks it’s a bad idea – but Nathan doesn’t understand why his father is so angry. He’s got to find a way to make his dream come true.

Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm

From the publisher: "Grown-ups lie. That’s one truth Beans knows for sure. He and his gang know how to spot a whopper a mile away, because they are the savviest bunch of barefoot conchs (that means “locals”) in all of Key West. Not that Beans really minds; it’s 1934, the middle of the Great Depression. With no jobs on the island, and no money anywhere, who can really blame the grown-ups for telling a few tales? Besides, Beans isn’t anyone’s fool. In fact, he has plans. Big plans. And the consequences might surprise even Beans himself. " A companion to Turtle in Paradise. Also by this author: Penny from Heaven.

My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich by Ibi Zoboi

Ebony Grace Norfleet is a Star Trek/Star Wars fangirl, growing up in Alabama in 1984, learning all about space from her grandfather (the first black engineer for NASA). But when Granddaddy gets sick, Ebony Grace (aka E-Grace Starfleet) has to spend the summer with her dad in Harlem, aka "No Joke City". Her mom warns her to stay away from the 'street urchins', but her old friend, Bianca, from the neighborhood, tries to help her make friends, play Double Dutch, etc. But E-Grace misses her Granddaddy terribly, and the safety of her "imagination location".

All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg

Matt Pin – one of the children airlifted from Vietnam in 1975, is trying to be an all-American boy. His adoptive parents take him to Vietnamese school on Saturdays to help him retain his culture, but the colorful, happy celebrations there are not the Vietnam he remembers. Matt left behind his mother, a brother, and a terrible secret. He is sure that his real mother didn’t want him, and that’s why she sent him away. Now he hears his adoptive parents whispering, and he’s sure they, too, will send him away. Matt is bullied by a boy on his baseball team, who harbors racist hatred for Vietnamese people. With the help of Coach Robeson and a vet named Jeff, Matt comes to terms with what happened. Told in verse, or narrative poetry form, it says a lot in few words.

Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood

Winner of a Golden Kite Award, and based on a true story. From the publisher: "With Nazis bombing London every night, it’s time for thirteen-year-old Ken to escape. He suspects his stepmother is glad to see him go, but his dad says he’s one of the lucky ones—one of ninety boys and girls to ship out aboard the SS City of Benares to safety in Canada.

Life aboard the luxury ship is grand—nine-course meals, new friends, and a life far from the bombs, rations, and his stepmum’s glare. And after five days at sea, the ship’s officers announce that they’re out of danger.

They’re wrong.

Late that night, an explosion hurls Ken from his bunk. They’ve been hit. Torpedoed! The Benares is sinking fast. Terrified, Ken scrambles aboard Lifeboat 12 with five other boys. Will they get away? Will they survive?"

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanha Lai

From the publisher: "For all the ten years of her life, Hà has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food . . . and the strength of her very own family."

Inspired by the author's experiences as a child, this book won the Newbery Honor, and the National Book Award.

Paperboy by Vince Vawter

From the publisher: "Little Man throws the meanest fastball in town. But talking is a whole different ball game. He can barely say a word without stuttering—not even his own name. So when he takes over his best friend’s paper route for the month of July, he’s not exactly looking forward to interacting with the customers. But it’s the neighborhood junkman, a bully and thief, who stirs up real trouble in Little Man’s life. "

Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins

From the publisher: "Ten-year-old Naima wants to help her father earn money for the family, but girls don't work outside the home in Bangladesh. When Naima wrecks her father's precious rickshaw, she disguises herself as a boy and goes out to get a job."

Louisiana's Way Home by Kate DiCamillo

Newest treasure by the award-winning author. From the author's website: "When Louisiana Elefante’s granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her that the day of reckoning has arrived and they have to leave home immediately, Louisiana isn’t overly worried. After all, Granny has many middle-of-the-night ideas. But this time, things are different. This time, Granny intends for them never to return. Separated from her best friends, Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana struggles to oppose the winds of fate (and Granny) and find a way home. But as Louisiana’s life becomes entwined with the lives of the people of a small Georgia town—including a surly motel owner, a walrus-like minister, and a mysterious boy with a crow on his shoulder—she starts to worry that she is destined only for good-byes. (Which could be due to the curse on Louisiana's and Granny’s heads. But that is a story for another time.)"

Highway Robbery by Kate Thomson

From the publisher: "The rider sprang off as light as a cat and pulled the reins over the horse's head. Then he marched straight over to me and put them into my hand.

"Hold the mare for me, lad. And when I come back, I'll give you a golden guinea."

A dark stranger leaves his magnificent horse in the care of a boy he's never met. As dusk falls, others offer to pay the boy handsomely for the animal. Then soldiers arrive, demanding to know where the horse's owner has gone.

Could the stranger be the notorious Dick Turpin, known for his daring holdups and amazing exploits? Is the horse the legendary Black Bess? And will the boy ever see the reward he's been promised?

There's mischief in the air, but it isn't entirely clear who's causing it."

90 Miles to Havana

Based on the author's experience in "Operation Pedro Pan", when the U.S. helped 14,000 unaccompanied children escape to the U.S. after the Cuban revolution, and a Pura Belpre Honor Book. From the author's website: "The narrator, Julian, presents a child’s view of the Cuban Revolution and life in the overcrowded camps where children of the Pedro Pan airlift landed. Julian must decide how he is to deal with Caballo, the bully. Will he model his response on the events he witnessed during the Cuban Revolution, or do it the new democratic way, as Dolores the camp cook recommends?"

Anywhere but Paradise by Anne Bustard

From the author's website: "Set in 1960 Hawaii, this is the story of reluctant seventh-grade newcomer Peggy Sue Bennett, who is baffled by local customs, worried about her quarantined cat and targeted by a school bully because she is haole, white. At first, Peggy Sue would rather be anywhere—anywhere but paradise.

But a new friend, hula lessons, the beauty of the islands and more, help Peggy Sue find her way. This is a story about fear and guilt. About hope and home. About aloha, love."

Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney

From the publisher: "In a small upstate New York town during the Great Depression, three children—Hibernia, Willie, and Otis—are about to meet. Hibernia dreams of becoming a famous singer and performing at Harlem’s swanky Savoy Ballroom. Willie is recovering from a tragedy that prevents him from becoming a junior boxing champ. Otis spends every night glued to the radio, listening to the voices that remind him of Daddy and Ma.

Each of them is looking for hope, and they all find it in the thrilling boxing matches of young Joe Louis. They know Joe has a good chance of becoming the country’s next heavyweight champion. What they don’t know is that during this unforgettable year, the three of them will become friends."

Check out other books by this award-winning author, including nonfiction and The Red Pencil, about a young Sudanese refugee.

Bronze and Sunflower Girl by Cao Wenxuan

Winner of the Hans Christian Anderson Award. From the publisher: "Sunflower is an only child, and when her father is sent to the rural Cadre School, she has to go with him. Her father is an established artist from the city and finds his new life of physical labor and endless meetings exhausting. Sunflower is lonely and longs to play with the local children in the village across the river. When her father tragically drowns, Sunflower is taken in by the poorest family in the village, a family with a son named Bronze. Until Sunflower joins his family, Bronze was an only child, too, and hasn’t spoken a word since he was traumatized by a terrible fire. Bronze and Sunflower become inseparable, understanding each other as only the closest friends can. Translated from Mandarin, the story meanders gracefully through the challenges that face the family, creating a timeless story of the trials of poverty and the power of love and loyalty to overcome hardship."

The Ravenmaster's Secret by Elvira Woodruff

Author used to live right here in Somerville, NJ! From the publisher: "11-year-old Forrest lives at the Tower of London prison, where his father tends the Tower ravens and guards inmates. Forrest's only friends are his pet raven, his father's prisoners (who all end up dead), and Ned, the young rat catcher. Soon Forrest's father gets a new prisoner: Maddie, the beautiful daughter of a Scottish spy. Immediately Forrest and Maddie become friends. But when she is slated for execution, Forrest must make some painful choices: Should he commit treason to help her escape, or obey the law and let his innocent friend be hung?"

Check out her other books, too, like Fearless.

The Great Trouble by Deborah Hopkinson

From the publisher: "Eel has troubles of his own: As an orphan and a “mudlark,” he spends his days in the filthy River Thames, searching for bits of things to sell. He’s being hunted by Fisheye Bill Tyler, and a nastier man never walked the streets of London. And he’s got a secret that costs him four precious shillings a week to keep safe. But even for Eel, things aren’t so bad until that fateful August day in 1854—the day the deadly cholera (“blue death”) comes to Broad Street.

Everyone believes that cholera is spread through poisonous air. But one man, Dr. John Snow, has a different theory. As the epidemic surges, it’s up to Eel and his best friend, Florrie, to gather evidence to prove Dr. Snow’s theory—before the entire neighborhood is wiped out."

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages

From the publisher: "It’s 1943, and eleven-year-old Dewey Kerrigan is en route to New Mexico to live with her mathematician father. Soon she arrives at a town that, officially, doesn’t exist. It is called Los Alamos, and it is abuzz with activity, as scientists and mathematicians from all over America and Europe work on the biggest secret of all–“the gadget.” None of them–not J. Robert Oppenheimer, the director of the Manhattan Project; not the mathematicians and scientists; and least of all, Dewey–know how much “the gadget” is about to change their lives. "

The Liberation of Gabriel King by K.L. Going

From the publisher: "Gabriel King was a born chicken. He's afraid of spiders, corpses, loose cows, and just about everything related to the fifth grade. Gabe's best friend, Frita Wilson, thinks Gabe needs some liberating from his fears. Frita knows something about being brave: She's the only black kid in school in a town with an active Ku Klux Klan.

Together Gabe and Frita are going to spend the summer of 1976 facing down the fears on Gabe's list. But it turns out that Frita has her own list, and while she's helping Gabe confront his fears, she's avoiding the thing that scares her the most."

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt

Newbery Honor book. From the publisher: "It only takes a few hours for Turner Buckminster to start hating Phippsburg, Maine. No one in town will let him forget that he's a minister's son, even if he doesn't act like one. But then he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a smart and sassy girl from a poor nearby island community founded by former slaves. Despite his father's — and the town's — disapproval of their friendship, Turner spends time with Lizzie, and it opens up a whole new world to him, filled with the mystery and wonder of Maine's rocky coast.

The two soon discover that the town elders, along with Turner's father, want to force the people to leave Lizzie's island so that Phippsburg can start a lucrative tourist trade there. Turner gets caught up in a spiral of disasters that alter his life — but also lead him to new levels of acceptance and maturity."

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

From the author's website: "A Long Walk to Water is based on the true story of Salva, one of some 3,800 Sudanese "Lost Boys" airlifted to the United States beginning in the mid 1990s.

Before leaving Africa, Salva's life is one of harrowing tragedy. Separated from his family by war and forced to travel on foot through hundreds of miles of hostile territory, he survives starvation, animal attacks, and disease, and ultimately leads a group of about 150 boys to safety in Kenya. Relocated to upstate New York, Salva resourcefully learns English and continues on to college. Eventually he returns to his home region in southern Sudan to establish a foundation that installs deep-water wells in remote villages in dire need of clean water. This poignant story of Salva's life is told side-by-side with the story of Nya, a young girl who lives today in one of those villages."

Don't miss this award-winning author's other historical fiction: A Single Shard, When My Name was Keoko, Seesaw Girl, Kite Fighters, etc.

Lost Boys by Darcey Rosenblatt

Do you know anything about the 1982 war between Iran and Iraq? If not, this historical novel about 12-year-old boy who joins Iran's army will open your eyes. You'll get a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you understood what Reza realized --- that all these young boys were convinced to join up (to be patriotic, to fight their enemy, to go to heaven a hero), got lousy training, no equipment, no guns... because they were expendable. Reza never gives up hope he will find his best friend Ebi, and is encouraged to play forbidden musical instruments by an aid worker who is the boys' teacher, even in this awful place.

The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis

The latest book for young readers by the award-winning author. From the publisher: "Twelve-year-old Charlie is down on his luck: His dad just died, the share crops are dry, and Cap’n Buck–the most fearsome man in Possum Moan, South Carolina–has come to collect a debt. Fearing for his life, Charlie strikes a deal with Cap’n Buck and agrees to track down some thieves. It’s not too bad of a bargain for Charlie…until he comes face-to-face with the fugitives and discovers that they escaped slavery years ago and have been living free in Detroit. Torn between his guilty conscience and his survival instinct, Charlie needs to figure out his next move–and soon. It’s only a matter of time before Cap’n Buck catches on…"

Don't miss his other historical fiction novels: The Madman of Piney Woods, The Watsons go to Birmingham, Elijah of Buxton, and Bud, Not Buddy.

Stealing South by Katherine Ayres

From the publisher: "Will Spencer, a sixteen-year-old worker for the Underground Railroad, takes on an even bigger task by agreeing to steal slaves. Will must try to manage to do what is wrong in order to do what he believes is right. This is a companion to "North by Night: A Story of the Underground Railroad.""

Making Bombs for Hitler by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

From the publisher: "Lida thought she was safe. Her neighbors wearing the yellow star were all taken away, but Lida is not Jewish. She will be fine, won't she? But she cannot escape the horrors of World War II.

Lida's parents are ripped away from her and she is separated from her beloved sister, Larissa. The Nazis take Lida to a brutal work camp, where she and other Ukrainian children are forced into backbreaking labor. Starving and terrified, Lida bonds with her fellow prisoners, but none of them know if they'll live to see tomorrow. When Lida and her friends are assigned to make bombs for the German army, Lida cannot stand the thought of helping the enemy. Then she has an idea. What if she sabotaged the bombs, and the Nazis? Can she do so without getting caught? And if she's freed, will she ever find her sister again?"

Also by this author: The War Below.

The Marvels by Brian Selznick

From the official website: "From the Caldecott Award-winning creator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck comes a breathtaking voyage of the mind and heart. In this masterful reimagining of the form he originated, two stand-alone stories—the first in pictures, the second in prose—together create a beguiling narrative puzzle.

The journey begins on a ship at sea, with a boy named Billy Marvel. He survives a devastating shipwreck and later finds work in a London theatre. There his family flourishes for generations as brilliant actors until young Leontes Marvel abandons the stage and runs away.

A century later, Joseph Jervis, another runaway, seeks refuge with an uncle in London. Stormy Uncle Albert and his strange but beautiful house, with its ships and theater programs, haunting portraits and ghostly presences, lure Joseph on a search for clues about the house, and his own life.

As readers piece together the mystery of how the two narratives connect, they will be swept up in a gripping adventure that is also a moving exploration of our need to belong and to tell stories." Watch the trailer the author created:

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

This Newbery Award winner may remind you a little of Because of Winn-Dixie. Abilene's father has to work a railroad job for the summer, so he sends his daughter to live with an old friend back in his hometown, Manifest, Kansas. She is disappointed in the town, at first, but she gets to know all the quirky inhabitants, including Miss Sadie, the old lady next door. Then she finds a cigar box full of stuff that was her fathers, and finds clues to a secret... there may be a spy in Manifest! She and her two new friends set out to find the spy, and discover all the town's buried secrets. And maybe learn about her father, while she's at it. It has mystery and history all rolled into one.

Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan

Based on a true story that shows you should never underestimate what kids can do. The Germans are occupying Norway. Peter Lundstrom's father (a banker) and uncle (a boat captain) are working with resistance to smuggle money to America, away from the grasping hands of the Nazis. But 9 million in gold bullion bars is a big and heavy load... how can they get it down the mountain to the boat? Enter Peter and the town's kids, and their sleds! They'll sneak it right under the German guards' noses! If they don't get caught... there is one soldier who speaks Norwegian, and may have caught wind of their plan.

Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan

Based on the real life of Charley (Charlotte) Parkhurst, who disguised herself as a boy and became a stagecoach driver (a dangerous job in the mid 1800s), had her own ranch, and was probably the first woman to vote in the state of California (maybe the whole US). She lived a true adventure of a life.

My Brigadista Year by Katherine Paterson

You might not know about this: Cuba's one-year program to become a literate country. Young people agreed to spend one year living in remote villages, teaching illiterate farmers how to read. They faced danger from insurgents who would (and did) murder them if they found them. These young teachers were also supposed to learn from their 'students' (some of whom were grown adults, parents and grandparents). By a master storyteller. Quick read, but inspiring.

The Earth Dragon Awakes by Laurence Yep

From the publisher: "Over the years the earth has moved many times under San Francisco. But it has been thirty-eight years since the last strong earthquake. People have forgotten how bad it can be. But soon they will remember.

Based on actual events of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and told from the alternating perspectives of two young friends, the earth dragon awakes chronicles the thrilling story of the destruction of a city, and the heroes that emerge in its wake."

Other historical fiction by this prolific and award-winning author: The Dragon's Child, Child of the Owl, The Serpent's Children, Dragon's Gate, and more.

The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano by Sonia Manzano

Pura Belpre Honor Book. From the publisher: "It is 1969 in Spanish Harlem, and fourteen-year-old Evelyn Serrano is trying hard to break free from her conservative Puerto Rican surroundings, but when her activist grandmother comes to stay and the neighborhood protests start, things get a lot more complicated — and dangerous."

Be sure to read the author's memoir, Becoming Maria, about growing up in the 60s as a Puerto Rican girl, and her path to becoming an actress, known best for her role as Maria, on Sesame Street.

Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper

Listen to the author talk about how her grandmother inspired this story:

The Unsung Hero of Birdsong USA by Brenda Woods

From the publisher: "On Gabriel’s twelfth birthday, he gets a new bike–and is so excited that he accidentally rides it right into the path of a car. Fortunately, a Black man named Meriwether pushes him out of the way just in time, and fixes his damaged bike. As a thank you, Gabriel gets him a job at his dad’s auto shop. Gabriel’s dad hires him with some hesitation, however, anticipating trouble with the other mechanic, who makes no secret of his racist opinions.

Gabriel and Meriwether become friends, and Gabriel learns that Meriwether drove a tank in the Army’s all-Black 761st Tank Battalion in WWII. Meriwether is proud of his service, but has to keep it a secret because talking about it could be dangerous. Sadly, danger finds Meriwether, anyway, when his family receives a frightening threat. The South being the way it is, there’s no guarantee that the police will help–and Gabriel doesn’t know what will happen if Meriwether feels forced to take the law into his own hands."

The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

If you like books with maps, you'll love this Newbery Honor book. From the publisher: "Boy has always been relegated to the outskirts of his small village. With a hump on his back, a mysterious past, and a tendency to talk to animals, he is often mocked by others in his town—until the arrival of a shadowy pilgrim named Secondus. Impressed with Boy’s climbing and jumping abilities, Secondus engages Boy as his servant, pulling him into an action-packed and suspenseful expedition across Europe to gather seven precious relics of Saint Peter.

Boy quickly realizes this journey is not an innocent one. They are stealing the relics and accumulating dangerous enemies in the process. But Boy is determined to see this pilgrimage through until the end—for what if St. Peter has the power to make him the same as the other boys?"

The Bicycle Spy by Yona Zeldis McDonough

From the publisher: "Marcel loves riding his bicycle, whether he's racing through the streets of his small town in France or making bread deliveries for his parents' bakery. He dreams of someday competing in the Tour de France, the greatest bicycle race. But ever since Germany's occupation of France began two years ago, in 1940, the race has been canceled. Now there are soldiers everywhere, interrupting Marcel's rides with checkpoints and questioning.

Then Marcel learns two big secrets, and he realizes there are worse things about the war than a canceled race. When he later discovers that his friend's entire family is in imminent danger, Marcel knows he can help, but it will involve taking a risky bicycle ride to pass along covert information. And when nothing ends up going according to plan, it's up to him to keep pedaling and think quickly, because his friend, her family, and his own future hang in the balance."

Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar

From the author's website: "When ten-year-old Anjali’s mother announces that she has quit her job to become a Freedom Fighter following Mahatma Gandhi, Anjali must find her place in a rapidly changing world."

The Desperado Who Stole Baseball by John H. Ritter

From the publisher: "The fate of a Wild West gold-mining town rests in the hands of two individuals. One is a twelve-yearold boy with a love and instinct for baseball unmatched by any grown-up. The other is the country's most infamous outlaw, on the run and looking for peace of mind. Together, they pair up to prove that heroes can emerge from anywhere."

Prequel to The Boy Who Saved Baseball.

Dust of Eden by Mariko Nagai

About the Japanese internment camps. From the publisher: "What does a girl do when her home country treats her like an enemy? This memorable and powerful novel in verse, written by award-winning author Mariko Nagai, explores the nature of fear, the value of acceptance, and the beauty of life"

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan

From the publisher: "

Africa is the only home Rachel Sheridan has ever known. But when her missionary parents are struck with influenza, she is left vulnerable to her family’s malicious neighbors. Surrounded by greed and lies, Rachel is entangled in a criminal scheme and sent to England, where she's forced into a life of deception.

Like the lion, she must be patient and strong, awaiting the moment when she can take control of her own fate—and find her way home again at last."

Other historical fiction by this award-winning author: Angel on the Square, The Impossible Journey, Burying the Sun, Chiu Jiu's House, After the Train, and many more.

The Loud Silence of Francine Green by Karen Cushman

From the publisher: "Francine lives down the street from a Hollywood film studio, adores screen dreamboat Montgomery Clift, and sometimes sees her home life as a scene from a movie: Dinner at the Greens. She wishes she were a movie star, brave and glamorous and always ready to say the right thing. In reality, she’s a “pink and freckled” thirteen-year-old, and she doesn’t speak up because she’s afraid she’ll get in trouble. She’s comfortable following her father’s advice: “Don’t get involved.”

That is, until Sophie Bowman transfers into her class at All Saints School for Girls. Fearless, articulate, and passionate, Sophie questions authority and protests injustice. She not only doesn’t care about getting in trouble, she actually seems to be looking for it. And she’s happy to be Francine’s best friend.

The nuns think Sophie is a bad influence on Francine. Francine thinks just the opposite. Because of Sophie, Francine finds herself worrying about things that never bothered her before–the atom bomb, free speech, Communists, the blacklist . . . and deciding, for the first time, that she wants to be heard."

Sees Behind Trees by Michael Dorris

From the publisher: "No matter how hard he tries, Walnut doesn't see as well as others do. So when he and the other boys of his tribe must prove they're ready to be adults by the accuracy of their arrow shooting, Walnut's worried. With practiced use of his other senses, Walnut earns the respect of his people, as well as his adult name: Sees Behind Trees. "

Also by this author: Morning Girl.

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

Hilarious Newbery Honor book by prolific and acclaimed author Rodman Philbrick. From the publisher: "A dramatic, witty Civil War tale from bestselling author Rodman Philbrick. With the lighthearted voice yet serious content of Mark Twain's best fiction, master storyteller Rodman Philbrick takes readers on a colorful journey as young Homer P. Figg, an orphan, sets off to follow his only brother into the thick of the Civil War. Through a series of fascinating events, Homer's older brother has been illegally sold to the Union army. It is up to Homer to find him and save him. Along the way, he encounters many strange but real people of that era who will engage and educate young readers about our nation's past in one of the most decisive moments of American history."

Lunch-Box Dream by Tony Abbott

From the publisher: "It's 1959, and two families set out on summer trips. Bobby tours Civil War battlefields in a plush Chrysler with his mother, brother, and grandmother. Jacob boards a sweltering bus in Atlanta to visit relatives in the country. As both trips veer off course and eventually collide, the bitter injustices of segregation reverberate through the lives of the travelers.

Based on a journey the author took when he was a child, this story bears witness to the crippling ignorance of the era and the continuing struggle to overcome it."

Audacity Jones to the Rescue by Kirby Larson

Historical fiction is not all depressing topics! From the publisher: "Audacity Jones is an eleven-year-old orphan who aches for adventure, a challenge to break up the monotony of her life at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls. Life as a wayward girl isn't so bad; Audie has the best of friends, a clever cat companion, and plenty of books to read. Still, she longs for some excitement, like the characters in the novels she so loves encounter.

So when the mysterious Commodore Crutchfield visits the school and whisks Audie off to Washington, DC, she knows she's in for the journey of a lifetime. But soon, it becomes clear that the Commodore has unsavory plans for Audie — plans that involve the president of the United States and a sinister kidnapping plot. Before she knows it, Audie winds up in the White House kitchens, where she's determined to stop the Commodore dead in his tracks. Can Audie save the day before it's too late?"

Walls by L. M. Elliott

Love World War II stories? Well, things didn't get suddenly all better just because the war ended. For more than forty years, there was a "Cold War" between democracy and communism. Instead of bombs, it was fought with propaganda, espionage, economic sanctions, and the threat of nuclear war. This book tells the story of young people caught up in that "war".

Cousins Drew and Matthias should be enemies. Drew is an American whose Dad has been stationed in West Berlin. Matthias grew up in East Berlin, which is controlled by the East German secret police and the Russian soldiers. Just knowing and spending time with each other could get each in a lot of trouble, as each side could suspect them of being spies. They argue over communism vs. democracy, civil rights, and the space race. But they both love Elvis! Matthias teaches Drew about soccer, and Drew shows Matthias freedoms of the West, like school dances, and books, and trips to the beach with his crush.

The entire book takes place in the one year leading up to the building of the Berlin Wall. Interspersed with the story are real photographs of the time, with captions that explain what was happening there.

The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander

Like all of Kwame's books, this one is in verse -- and his flow is amazing, as always! Kofi is a young man living in the African village of Upper Kwanta in 1860. He loves playing oware with his grandfather, going to school (where they speak only English and read Shakespeare), and swimming in the river Offin. He's got a mad crush on Ama, but so does his bully of a cousin, who is vying for Ama's affections.

Their village has an annual wrestling match between their best fighters, and Kofi's brother Kwasi is chosen to represent Upper Kwanta. A terrible tragedy occurs -- it was an accident, but Kwasi must pay the price. And so does Kofi, who is stolen away in the night and taken to a 'castle' on the coast, where he goes through the Door of No Return.

Kofi's wise Nana Mosi told him, "until the lions tell their side of the story, the tale of the hunt will always celebrate the hunter". Kwame is telling the lions' story, based on the real-life history of the Asante ("ashanti") people of what is now modern-day Ghana. It is the first of a planned trilogy. A must-read!

Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

This funny story will make you want to google toilets in Iran! From the publisher: "At the front of a middle school classroom in Oklahoma, a boy named Khosrou (whom everyone calls “Daniel”) stands, trying to tell a story. His story. But no one believes a word he says. To them he is a dark-skinned, hairy-armed boy with a big butt whose lunch smells funny; who makes things up and talks about poop too much.

But Khosrou’s stories, stretching back years, and decades, and centuries, are beautiful, and terrifying, from the moment his family fled Iran in the middle of the night with the secret police moments behind them, back to the sad, cement refugee camps of Italy…and further back to the fields near the river Aras, where rain-soaked flowers bled red like the yolk of sunset burst over everything, and further back still to the jasmine-scented city of Isfahan.

We bounce between a school bus of kids armed with paper clip missiles and spitballs to the heroines and heroes of Khosrou’s family’s past, who ate pastries that made people weep and cry “Akh, Tamar!” and touched carpets woven with precious gems. Like Scheherazade in a hostile classroom, Daniel weaves a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth. And it is (a true story).

It is Daniel’s."

Refugee by Alan Gratz

Alternates between three compelling stories of refugees. Josef is a Jewish boy in 1939 aboard the St. Louis, a boat that left Germany bound for Cuba, trying to escape the Nazis. Isabel's family is fleeing the dictator Castro's Cuba in 1994, desperately trying to cross the sea to get to Miami in a makeshift boat with their neighbors. Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015 trekking across Europe with his family after his home, and his country, are ripped apart by war.

Gratz is one of the best and most popular historical fiction writers. Check out his other books, too: the latest one is Allies, which follows six different heroes of D-Day; one of his most popular is Prisoner B-3087, based on the true story of a boy who survived 10 different concentration camps; Grenade, alternates the stories of a young American soldier and an Okinawan boy during the battle of World War II; Projekt 1065, about a teenage spy infiltrating the Hitler Youth, and many more! Check out the official publisher's trailer:

Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare Lezotte

From the publisher: "Mary Lambert has always felt safe and protected on her beloved island of Martha's Vineyard. Her great-great-grandfather was an early English settler and the first deaf islander. Now, over a hundred years later, many people there — including Mary — are deaf, and nearly everyone can communicate in sign language. Mary has never felt isolated. She is proud of her lineage.

But recent events have delivered winds of change. Mary's brother died, leaving her family shattered. Tensions over land disputes are mounting between English settlers and the Wampanoag people. And a cunning young scientist has arrived, hoping to discover the origin of the island's prevalent deafness. His maniacal drive to find answers soon renders Mary a "live specimen" in a cruel experiment. Her struggle to save herself is at the core of this penetrating and poignant novel that probes our perceptions of ability and disability. It will make you forever question your own ideas about what is normal."

We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly

From the publisher: "Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas are three siblings in seventh grade together in Park, Delaware. In 1986, as the country waits expectantly for the launch of the space shuttle Challenger, they each struggle with their own personal anxieties. Cash, who loves basketball but has a newly broken wrist, is in danger of failing seventh grade for the second time. Fitch spends every afternoon playing Major Havoc at the arcade on Main and wrestles with an explosive temper that he doesn’t understand. And Bird, his twelve-year-old twin, dreams of being NASA’s first female shuttle commander, but feels like she’s disappearing.

The Nelson Thomas children exist in their own orbits, circling a tense and unpredictable household, with little in common except an enthusiastic science teacher named Ms. Salonga. As the launch of the Challenger approaches, Ms. Salonga gives her students a project—they are separated into spacecraft crews and must create and complete a mission. When the fated day finally arrives, it changes all of their lives and brings them together in unexpected ways."

Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

From the publisher: "During the summer of 1793, Mattie Cook lives above the family coffee shop with her widowed mother and grandfather. Mattie spends her days avoiding chores and making plans to turn the family business into the finest Philadelphia has ever seen.

But then the fever breaks out. Disease sweeps the streets, destroying everything in its path and turning Mattie's world upside down. At her feverish mother's insistence, Mattie flees the city with her grandfather. But she soon discovers that the sickness is everywhere, and Mattie must learn quickly how to survive in a city turned frantic with disease."

The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

It's 1943, and the residents of Amsterdam are under the thumb of the Nazi occupation. Hanneke, unbeknownst to her parents, is a teenage black marketer -- she finds things people need or want. It's dangerous, but she's really good at it. It's her way at getting back at the Germans who killed her boyfriend. Until the day one of her clients asks her to help find a Jewish girl she'd been hiding, "the girl in the blue coat". And things get even more dangerous for Hanneke, as she learns about the Nazis' treatment of the Jews, and gets involved in the resistance.

Also by this author, The War Outside, which alternates points-of-view from two girls living with their families in an internment camp called Crystal City during World War II, one Japanese-American, and one German-American, who become friends, though they don't fully trust each other.

Ceiling Made of Eggshells by Gail Carson Levine

From the publisher: "Surrounded by her large family, Loma is happy living in the judería of Alcalá de Henares, Spain, and wants nothing more than to someday have a family of her own.

Still, when her intimidating grandfather, her Belo, decides to bring her along on his travels, she’s excited to join him. Belo has the ear of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, and Loma relishes her adventures with him, adventures that are beyond the scope of most girls of the time. She soon learns just how dangerous the world is for the Jews of Spain, and how her grandfather’s influence keeps their people safe.

But the older Loma gets, the more she longs to realize her own dreams—if Belo will ever allow her to leave his side."

How I Became a Ghost by Tim Tingle

This is a short novella told from the point of view of Isaac, a boy on the Trail of Tears (when Native Americans were forced to give up their homes and move west to reservation land). About half-way through, Isaac becomes a ghost... but that doesn't mean his story is over!

She Loves You Yeah Yeah Yeah by Ann Hood

From the publisher: "The year is 1966. The Vietnam War rages overseas, the Beatles have catapulted into stardom, and twelve-year-old Rhode Island native Trudy Mixer is not thrilled with life. Her best friend, Michelle, has decided to become a cheerleader, everyone at school is now calling her Gertrude (her hated real name), and the gem of her middle school career, the Beatles fan club, has dwindled down to only three other members–the least popular kids at school. And at home, her workaholic father has become even more distant.

Determined to regain her social status and prove herself to her father, Trudy looks toward the biggest thing happening worldwide: the Beatles. She is set on seeing them in Boston during their final world tour–and meeting her beloved Paul McCartney. So on a hot August day, unknown to their families, Trudy and crew set off on their journey, each of them with soaring hopes for what lies ahead."

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

You can't judge a book by it's cover, nor a person by their appearance. When Annabelle sees the new girl, Betty, for the first time, she tries to befriend her. When people see the damaged, homeless vet, Toby, they are scared of him. But Betty is a vicious bully, and Toby is a quiet, but loyal friend. To hurt and control Annabelle, Betty threatens to hurt everyone around her, including her little brothers, and Toby is the only witness. Betty is good at manipulating people into believing her lies, and people are willing to believe the worst about Toby, who can't, or won't, defend himself. Then, Betty disappears. And so does Toby. Annabelle is the only one who can help…

Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez

This Pura Belpre Award winner takes place in the 1960s. 12-year-old Anita de la Torre lives with her extended family, going to school, crushing on the son of the American ambassador next door, going to parties, dealing with puberty. All the usual teen-girl stuff. But Anita has bigger problems than those. She lives in the Dominican Republic, ruled for 30 years by General Trujillo, El Jefe. Trujillo was a cruel and ruthless dictator who tortured or killed anyone who crossed him, and had a roving eye for pretty young women.

People have disappeared – taken by Trujillo’s SIM (secret police). Most of Anita’s family has left, going off to America in the middle of the night. Tio Tony is hiding. Overhearing the adults’ hushed conversations, Anita comes to realize that her family is involved in an underground resistance. Anita grows more silent as the danger nears, telling her secrets only to her diary – but as soon as she writes about something, she must erase it, for fear the diary will fall into the wrong hands.

Crow by Barbara Wright

From the publisher: "The summer of 1898 is filled with difficulties for 11-year-old Moses. He's growing apart from his best friend, his superstitious Boo-Nanny butts heads constantly with his pragmatic, educated father, and his mother is reeling from the discovery of a family secret.

Yet there are good times too. He's teaching his grandmother how to read. For the first time she's sharing stories about her life as a slave. And his father and his friends are finally getting the respect and positions of power they've earned in their community.

But not everyone is happy with the political changes at play and some will do anything, even participate in a violent plot against the government, to maintain the status quo."

Night Witches by Kathryn Lasky

Have you ever heard of them? Night witches were Russian female pilots during World War II who ran dangerous secret missions during the night to bomb German supplies, tanks, and searchlights. They flew in open cockpits, with no lights, and no navigational instruments but a compass. This is a fictional story based on real events -- about a girl who joins the night witches after she is orphaned in the siege of Stalingrad. If you like action, danger, war stories, sibling rivalry, or anything to do with planes, this is the right book for you. Definitely a unique perspective compared to most WWII books.

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Helmuth is a good German boy who loves his country. But when Hitler comes to power, things start changing. If you're not the RIGHT kind of German, you're in trouble. Helmuth's brother Gerhard brings home a radio... the illegal kind that can get non-German stations. Just listening to it will get you arrested! But Helmuth starts listening in secret to broadcasts from the outside. Helmuth risks his life to distribute the information to his fellow Germans. But in Nazi Germany, the truth is a dangerous thing. This book is based on a real young man (for the nonfiction version, read the author's award-winning Hitler Youth).

The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich

From the publisher: "In a compelling and original saga, told from the point of view of a young Ojibwa girl in 1847, Omaykayas draws readers into the life of her Native American family. Covering in vivid detail their everyday life on an island on Lake Superior, Omakayas works and plays through the seasons, learning the ways of her people.

In the first of a cycle of novels partly based on her own family history, Erdrich offers a compelling and original saga, told from the point of view of a young Ojibwa girl. "

The Boys of San Joaquin by D. James Smith

12-year-old Paolo O’Neil has a large and loving family. He lives with his parents, his Italian Grandpa, three brothers, six sisters, his deaf cousin Billy, his Uncle Charlie, a goat, a crow, and his dog, Rufus, in a little town called Orange Grove City, California: lots of love, but little money. In the summer of 1951, Rufus comes home with a 20-dollar bill sticking in his teeth. The money is missing from the collection plate at church. Paolo and his cousin, Billy, figure they deserve to find it – they need more than $9 to fix the bent wheel on Billy’s bike. Paolo will do anything to find that missing cash – including some unsavory tactics that weigh heavily on his conscience.

Funny and touching story with two sequels.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Think you know the whole story of World War II? Did you know Stalin killed and deported more people than Hitler? When Russia invaded Lithuania in 1939, the Lithuanian people were declared criminals and forced out. Sixteen-year-old Lina Vilkas, her mother, and little brother Jonas are taken in the night by the Soviet secret police and deported to a 'work camp' in Siberia. Starved, frozen, tortured, and terrified, some people manage to survive. Lina uses her artistic talents to create pictures in secret that document the atrocities of their captors and the humanity of the captives. Lina sends her artwork to the death camp where her father was sent, desperately hoping he is still alive and will come to save them. And then there's Andrius -- the handsome young man Lina doesn't quite trust, but may just come to love. This story is based on the author's own grandparents, and was made into a feature film called Ashes in the Snow.

Other work by the same author includes: Salt to the Sea, about a ship full of refugees who escaped the Nazis, only to be turned away when they get to Cuba, and the U.S.

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan

From the publisher: "Lost and alone in the forbidden Black Forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica.

Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives, binding them by an invisible thread of destiny. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together. How their suspenseful solo stories converge in an orchestral crescendo will resound in your heart long after the last note has been struck."

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Winner of the 2012 Newbery Award. From the author's website: "Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, Dead End in Norvelt is a novel about an incredible two months for a kid named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is “grounded for life” by his feuding parents, and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack’s way once his mom loans him out to help a feisty old neighbor with a most unusual chore—typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his utopian town. As one obituary leads to another, Jack is launched on a strange adventure involving molten wax, Eleanor Roosevelt, twisted promises, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, a man on a trike, a dancing plague, voices from the past, Hells Angels . . . and possibly murder."

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

2011 Newbery Honor book. From the publisher: "In 1841 a Japanese fishing vessel sinks. Its crew is forced to swim to a small, unknown island, where they are rescued by a passing American ship. Japan's borders remain closed to all Western nations, so the crew sets off to America, learning English on the way.

Manjiro, a 14-year-old boy, is curious and eager to learn everything he can about this new culture. Eventually, the captain adopts Manjiro and takes him to his home in New England. The boy lives there for some time and then heads to San Francisco to pan for gold. After many years, he makes it back to Japan, only to be imprisoned as an outsider. With his hard-won knowledge of the West, Manjiro is in a unique position to persuade the emperor to ease open the boundaries around Japan; he may even achieve his unlikely dream of becoming a samurai."

Also check out The Bamboo Sword, by the same author.

Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen

From the publisher: "Chaya Lindner is a teenager living in Nazi-occupied Poland. Simply being Jewish places her in danger of being killed or sent to the camps. After her little sister is taken away, her younger brother disappears, and her parents all but give up hope, Chaya is determined to make a difference. Using forged papers and her fair features, Chaya becomes a courier and travels between the Jewish ghettos of Poland, smuggling food, papers, and even people.

Soon Chaya joins a resistance cell that runs raids on the Nazis' supplies. But after a mission goes terribly wrong, Chaya's network shatters. She is alone and unsure of where to go, until Esther, a member of her cell, finds her and delivers a message that chills Chaya to her core, and sends her on a journey toward an even larger uprising in the works, in the Warsaw Ghetto.

Though the Jewish resistance never had much of a chance against the Nazis, they were determined to save as many lives as possible, and to live, or die, with honor."

Don't miss by the same author: A Night Divided, a story of the Berlin Wall.

Secrets of a Terra-Cotta Soldier

From the publisher: "In this action-packed adventure and coming-of-age story that finely weaves fact and fiction, thirteen-year-old Ming lives in a small village in Maoist China in the 1970s. His father is convinced that Emperor Qin's tomb—and the life-size terra-cotta army created to serve and protect the emperor in the afterlife—lies hidden in the hills around them. But if Ming's father doesn't prove it soon, the town's Political Officer will condemn him to the brutal labor camps. From the stories of a terra-cotta soldier who has survived through the centuries, Ming learns the history of Emperor Qin, known for building the Great Wall of China, and how and why the terra-cotta soldiers came to be. As their unlikely friendship develops, Ming experiences the mysterious tomb firsthand, braving deadly traps and witnessing the terra-cotta army in action. Most importantly, he comes to see how he can save both the terra-cotta soldiers and his father from the corrupt Political Officer and his Communist cronies.

The book is illustrated with photographs of Communist Chinese village life in the 1970s, the Great Wall, and, of course, the excavated tomb with its many terra-cotta soldiers. It also features a special recipe from the story."

Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

A historical fiction adaptation of the Cinderella story. From the publisher: "Bound to her late father's second wife and daughter. Bound to a life of servitude as a young girl in ancient China, where a woman is valued less than livestock. Bound to be alone, with no parents to arrange for a suitable husband. Xing Xing spends her days taking care of her half sister, Wei Ping, who cannot walk because of her foot bindings, the painful tradition for girls who are fit to be married. Even so, Xing Xing is content to practice her gift for poetry and calligraphy, and to dream of a life unbound by the laws of family and society.

But all of this is about to change as Stepmother, who has spent nearly all of the family's money, grows desperate to find a husband for Wei Ping. Xing Xing soon realizes that this greed and desperation may threaten not only her memories of the past, but also her dreams for the future."

Wolf Children by Paul Dowswell

From the publisher: "It is July 1945, Hitler's Third Reich has fallen, and Berlin is in ruins. Living on the edge of survival in the cellar of an abandoned hospital, Otto and his ragtag gang of kids have banded together in the desperate, bombed-out city.

The war may be over, but danger lurks in the shadows of the wreckage as Otto and his friends find themselves caught between invading armies, ruthless rival gangs and a strange Nazi war criminal who stalks them ..."

Don't miss his other historical fiction books: The Auslander, Eleven Eleven, and Powder Monkey.

In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall III

Winner of the American Indian Youth Literature Award. From the publisher: "Jimmy McClean is a Lakota boy—though you wouldn’t guess it by his name: his father is part white and part Lakota, and his mother is Lakota. When he embarks on a journey with his grandfather, Nyles High Eagle, he learns more and more about his Lakota heritage—in particular, the story of Crazy Horse, one of the most important figures in Lakota and American history. Drawing references and inspiration from the oral stories of the Lakota tradition, celebrated author Joseph Marshall III juxtaposes the contemporary story of Jimmy with an insider’s perspective on the life of Tasunke Witko, better known as Crazy Horse (c. 1840–1877). The book follows the heroic deeds of the Lakota leader who took up arms against the US federal government to fight against encroachments on the territories and way of life of the Lakota people, including leading a war party to victory at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Along with Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse was the last of the Lakota to surrender his people to the US army. Through his grandfather’s tales about the famous warrior, Jimmy learns more about his Lakota heritage and, ultimately, himself."

The Teacher's Funeral by Richard Peck

“If your teacher has to die, August isn’t a bad time of year for it. You know August. The corn is earring. The tomatoes are ripening on the vine. The clover’s in full bloom. There’s a little less evening now, and that’s a warning. You want to live every day twice over because you’ll be back in the jailhouse of school before the end of the month.

Then our teacher, Miss Myrt Arbuckle, hauled off and died. It was like a miracle, though she must have been forty. You should have seen my kid brother’s face. It looked like Lloyd was hearing the music of the spheres. Being ten that summer, he was even more willing to believe in miracles than I was.”

It’s 1904 – rural Indiana. It’s such a small town, there’s just a one-room schoolhouse, and only 6 kids in the Hominy Ridge School. 15-year-old Russell doesn’t much like school. He’d rather join a threshing crew, travel around the country a bit. When old Myrt Arbuckle kicks the bucket, he thinks he’s got it made!

Then his worst nightmare comes true – his older sister, Tansy, takes the job. AAACCK! Can you imagine if your bossy sister were your TEACHER?? Could give you homework, and grades, and make you do “elocution” (speeches) lessons on Fridays?? Just when he thinks it can’t get worse, his best friend starts crushing on Tansy!!!

Full of pranks (outhouse fires, snakes in school), and quirky characters, this is a hilarious look at school and life about 100 years ago.

Award-winner Peck has many other historical fiction books, including: The River Between Us, Here Lies the Librarian, Long Way from Chicago, The Year Down Yonder, and many more.

This is Just a Test by Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang

Half-Jewish, half-Chinese David Da-Wei Horowitz thinks the worst things he's got to worry about are his competing grandmas (who hate each other), practicing for his upcoming bar-mitzvah, and figuring out how to talk to girls, especially his crush, Kelli Ann. Then Scot, one of the popular kids, asks him and his uber-nerdy best friend, Hector, to form a team to enter a trivia contest. Not only are they under pressure to train, but Scott starts to undermine David & Hector's friendship. Then, one day, they see a program called The Day After, and it brings the threat of nuclear mutual destruction to vivid life. The possibility that the Russians will 'press the button' first suddenly seems so much more possible. David and Scott start building a fallout shelter, just in case...

Under the Blood Red Sun by Graham Salisbury

The start of a series. From the publisher: "Tomi was born in Hawaii. His grandfather and parents were born in Japan, and came to America to escape poverty. World War II seems far away from Tomi and his friends, who are too busy playing ball on their eighth-grade team, the Rats.

But then Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese, and the United States declares war on Japan. Japanese men are rounded up, and Tomi's father and grandfather are arrested. It's a terrifying time to be Japanese in America. But one thing doesn't change: the loyalty of Tomi's buddies, the Rats."

This is the first of the Prisoners of the Empire series. Also check out Night of the Howling Dogs about Boy Scouts camping in Hawaii in 1975 when an earthquake and tsunami hit; and Blue Skin of the Sea, about a fisherman's son growing up in Hawaii in the 1950s and 60s. The author grew up in Hawaii, came from a long line of journalists, and was formerly a boat skipper, teacher, and pop musician.

Check out the official movie trailer:

This Means War by Ellen Wittlinger

From the publisher: "October 1962. Juliet Klostermeyer's world is turning upside down. All she hears from her parents and teachers and on the news is the Russian threat and the Cuban Missile Crisis. And things aren't much better at home. Her best friend, Lowell, doesn't seem interested in being her friend anymore--he'd rather hang out with the new boys instead. When Patsy moves in, things are looking up. Patsy is fearless, and she challenges the neighborhood boys to see who's better, stronger faster: a war between the boys and the girls. All the talk of war makes Juliet uneasy. As the challenges become more and more dangerous, Juliet has to decide what she stands for--and what's worth fighting for."

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Thought Haddix only did books about the future? Nope. She tackles the past in this book based on the true story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, one of the worst disasters, from the Industrial Revolution. It alternates points of view between two young women immigrants (one Russian, one Italian), Bella and Yetta, who work under the terrible and dangerous conditions, locked all day in the factory for very little money for a boss who doesn't trust or respect them, and Jane, daughter of a wealthy factory owner, who has joined other high-society women in trying to get better conditions for its workers. The three girls become friends. All of them are in the factory on the day of the fire. Will any of them survive?

A Month of Sundays by Ruth White

From the publisher: "When Garnet's mother decides it's time for a change, she drops off her daughter at her aunt June's house in Black Rock, Virginia, while she goes to Florida to find a job. Garnet has never met Aunt June, so she feels angry and abandoned. But Aunt June thinks Garnet is there for a reason. Each week, Garnet and June visit a different religious service as Aunt June, who has cancer, tries to find God. After a miraculous spiritual healing occurs and an unexpected visitor comes to town, Garnet learns the power of love and forgiveness, and what being a family truly means."

Other historical fiction by this award-winning author, much of it inspired by or based on her experiences growing up: Little Audrey, Belle Prater's Boy, Memories of Summer, and more.

Puppet by Eva Wiseman

Could you testify that you saw your Dad commit a murder? What if you knew he was innocent…?? In 1883, in a tiny Hungarian village, a boy named Morris Scharf did just that. Ever since, his name has become a synonym for traitor. This heart-breaking story is based on the trial transcripts.

Julie is a Christian servant girl who works in the jailhouse – it’s grueling, hard work, but better than being at home, where her father beat her. Her best friend is Esther – another servant girl who has big dreams. Before she gets her chance, Esther disappears. Her mother is a superstitious and hysterical woman – she accuses the town rabbi and a kosher butcher of killing Esther to use her blood to make Passover matzoh.

The townspeople believe the rumors, and turn against their Jewish neighbors. In those days, Jews were the scapegoat, just like in the Middle Ages when they got blamed for the plague. Jews and Christians were pretty much segregated, and there was a lot of ignorance and suspicion on both sides. People in hard times tend to look for someone to blame.

This trial was a nightmare spinning out of control. The rabbi’s son, Morris, was called to testify. Like a “puppet” – he was interrogated, brainwashed, and coerced into swearing in court that he watched his father and the butcher slit Esther’s throat and drain her blood. Even when Esther’s drowned body (without a mark on it) is found in the local river, no one questions the horrible accusation, except Julie. If she speaks up, will they believe her? Or will they turn on her, too?

A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier

From the author's website: "The Spanish influenza is devastating the East Coast—but Cleo Berry knows it is a world away from the safety of her home in Portland, Oregon. Then the flu moves into the Pacific Northwest. Schools, churches, and theaters are shut down. The entire city is thrust into survival mode—and into a panic.

Seventeen-year-old Cleo is told to stay put in her quarantined boarding school, but when the Red Cross pleads for volunteers, she cannot ignore the call for help. In the grueling days that follow her headstrong decision, she risks everything for near-strangers. Strangers like Edmund, a handsome medical student. Strangers who could be gone tomorrow. And as the bodies pile up, Cleo can’t help but wonder: when will her own luck run out?"

Cloud and Wallfish by Anne Nesbet

From the publisher: "Noah Keller has a pretty normal life, until one wild afternoon when his parents pick him up from school and head straight for the airport, telling him on the ride that his name isn’t really Noah and he didn’t really just turn eleven in March. And he can’t even ask them why — not because of his Astonishing Stutter, but because asking questions is against the newly instated rules. (Rule Number Two: Don’t talk about serious things indoors, because Rule Number One: They will always be listening). As Noah—now “Jonah Brown”—and his parents head behind the Iron Curtain into East Berlin, the rules and secrets begin to pile up so quickly that he can hardly keep track of the questions bubbling up inside him: Who, exactly, is listening — and why? When did his mother become fluent in so many languages? And what really happened to the parents of his only friend, Cloud-Claudia, the lonely girl who lives downstairs? In an intricately plotted novel full of espionage and intrigue, friendship and family, Anne Nesbet cracks history wide open and gets right to the heart of what it feels like to be an outsider in a world that’s impossible to understand.

Slip behind the Iron Curtain into a world of smoke, secrets, and lies in this stunning novel where someone is always listening and nothing is as it seems."

Dogtag Summer by Elizabeth Partridge

From the publisher: "Twelve-year-old Tracy-or Tuyet-has always felt different. The villagers in Vietnam called her con-lai, or "half-breed," because her father was an American GI. And she doesn't fit in with her adoptive family in California, either. But when Tracy and a friend discover a soldier's dogtag hidden among her father's things, it sets her past and her present on a collision course. Where should her broken heart come to rest? In a time and place she remembers only in her dreams? Or among the people she now calls family? Partridge's sensitive portrayal of a girl and her family grappling with the complicated legacy of war is as timely today as the events were decades ago."

Siege: How General Washington Kicked the British Out of Boston and Launched a Revolution by Roxane Orgill

Novel in verse that alternates points of view from various characters. Well-researched, it includes biographical information, and back matter on the real history that inspired the book. From the publisher: "It is the summer of 1775. The British occupy Boston and its busy harbor, holding residents captive and keeping a strong military foothold. The threat of smallpox looms, and the town is cut off, even from food supplies. Following the battles of Lexington and Concord, Congress unanimously elects George Washington commander in chief of the American armed forces, and he is sent to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to transform the ragtag collection of volunteer militiamen into America’s first army. So far the war is nothing more than a series of intermittent skirmishes, but Washington is in constant fear of attack — until he takes the offensive with results that surprise everyone, the British most of all..."

The Trial by Jen Bryant

One of the most infamous trials took place just 20 or so minutes down the road from here... and is reenacted every summer in the Hunterdon County Courthouse. At the time, it was THE Trial of the Century! From the author's website: "Imagine you are Bruno Richard Hauptmann, accused of murdering the son of the most famous man in America.

In a compelling, immediate voice, 12-year-old Katie Leigh Flynn takes us inside the courtroom of the most widely publicized criminal case of the 20th century: the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh’s baby son. And in doing so, she reveals the real-life figures of the trial—the accused, the lawyers, the grieving parents—and the many faces of justice."

Other great historical novels in verse by this award-winning author: Ringside 1925, (about the Scopes trial) and Kaleidoscope Eyes, (treasure hunting at the Jersey Shore in the 1960s).

Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart

From the publisher: "Joseph Johnson has lost just about everyone he's ever loved. He lost his pa in an accident. He lost his ma and his little sister to sickness. And now, he's lost his pony — fast, fierce, beautiful Sarah, taken away by a man who had no right to take her.

Joseph can sure enough get her back, though. The odds are stacked against him, but he isn't about to give up. He will face down deadly animals, dangerous men, and the fury of nature itself on his quest to be reunited with the only family he has left.

Because Joseph Johnson may have lost just about everything. But he hasn't lost hope. And he hasn't lost the fire in his belly that says he's getting his Sarah back, no matter what."

Burn My Heart by Beverly Naidoo

From the publisher: "What does it mean to be loyal? Mathew and Mugo, two boys—one white, one black—share an uneasy friendship in Kenya in the 1950s. They're friends even though Mathew's dad owns the land and everything on it. They're friends despite the difference in their skin color. And they're friends in the face of the growing Mau Mau rebellion, which threatens British settlers with violence as black Kenyans struggle to win back their land and freedom. But suspicions and accusations are escalating, and an act of betrayal could change everything."

Other historical fiction books by this award-winning author, who grew up during apartheid in South Africa, most of which are Young Adult: Journey to Jo'Burg, Chain of Fire, No Turning Back, The Other Side of Truth, and Web of Lies.

Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko

From the publisher: "San Francisco, 1900. The Gilded Age. A fantastic time to be alive for lots of people . . . but not thirteen-year-old Lizzie Kennedy, stuck at Miss Barstow’s snobby school for girls. Lizzie’s secret passion is science, an unsuitable subject for finishing-school girls. Lizzie lives to go on house calls with her physician father. On those visits to his patients, she discovers a hidden dark side of the city—a side that’s full of secrets, rats, and rumors of the plague.

The newspapers, her powerful uncle, and her beloved papa all deny that the plague has reached San Francisco. So why is the heart of the city under quarantine? Why are angry mobs trying to burn Chinatown to the ground? Why is Noah, the Chinese cook’s son, suddenly making Lizzie question everything she has known to be true? Ignoring the rules of race and class, Lizzie and Noah must put the pieces together in a heart-stopping race to save the people they love."

Dark Water Rising by Marian Hale

From the publisher: "I looked and saw water rushing in from Galveston Bay on one side and from the gulf on the other. The two seas met in the middle of Broadway, swirling over the wooden paving blocks, and I couldn't help but shudder at the sight. All of Galveston appeared to be under water.

Galveston, Texas, may be the booming city of the brand-new twentieth century, but to Seth, it is the end of a dream. He longs to be a carpenter like his father, but his family has moved to Galveston so he can go to a good school. Still, the last few weeks of summer might not be so bad. Seth has a real job as a builder and the beach is within walking distance. Things seem to be looking up, until a storm warning is raised one sweltering afternoon. No one could have imagined anything like this. Giant walls of water crash in from the sea. Shingles and bricks are deadly missiles flying through the air. People not hit by flying debris are swept away by rushing water. Forget the future, Seth and his family will be lucky to survive the next twenty-four hours."

Jump into the Sky by Shelley Pearsall

From the publisher: "It’s May 5, 1945. Carrying nothing but a suitcase and a bag of his aunt’s good fried chicken, 13-year-old Levi Battle heads south to a U.S. Army post in search of his father—a lieutenant in an elite unit of all black paratroopers. The fact that his father doesn’t even know he’s coming turns out to be the least of his problems.

As Levi makes his way across the United States, he learns hard lessons about the way a black boy is treated in the Jim Crow South. And when he arrives at his destination, his struggles are far from over. The war may be ending, but his father’s secret mission is just beginning—and it’s more dangerous than anybody imagined. . . . "

Other historical fiction by this author: Trouble Don't Last, Crooked River, etc.

The King of Mulberry Street by Donna Jo Napoli

Italian-American immigration story, at the turn of the last century. From the publisher: "In 1892, nine-year-old Dom’s mother puts him on a ship leaving Italy, bound for America. He is a stowaway, traveling alone and with nothing of value except for a new pair of shoes from his mother. In the turbulent world of homeless children in Manhattan’s Five Points, Dom learns street smarts, and not only survives, but thrives by starting his own business. A vivid, fascinating story of an exceptional boy, based in part on the author’s grandfather."

The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein

If you like spies and World War II thrillers, this is the book for you! Fifteen-year-old Louisa leaves London to escape the Blitz, wanting to do SOMETHING to help fight the war, in honor of her parents, who were killed. She gets a job as a caretaker for an elderly German woman in the tiny village of Windyedge, Scotland, thinking it will be an easy but kind of boring gig. But the elderly woman is not what she seems, and neither is anything else in Windyedge! There is an airfield, an outpost of the British Royal Air Force, where a small squadron is posted, including Jamie Beaufort-Stuart, the dashing young pilot. Ellen McEwen is a volunteer driver for the Air Force, and a tough, smart cookie.

But the war comes to Windyedge when a German pilot makes a surprise landing at the airfield, and leaves behind a key that leads Louisa to a mysterious Enigma machine. An incredible discovery that could help the Allies win the war!

With crossover characters from Wein's award-winning Code Name Verity, and breathless suspense, this is a great read!

Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaughrean

Based on the true story of a group of men and boys in 1727 who went on their village's annual hunting trip to a remote rock near their island home to hunt birds for food. But the boat that's supposed to come back a week later for them never shows up. They have no idea why -- but they will face storms, danger, and starvation if they are to survive.

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

We all know what a great writer Anderson is. This one is a bit more contemporary than Chains, which all 7th graders read. It takes place in the 1970s, but it's quite relevant to today's soldiers, and doesn't feel like your typical historical fiction. 17-year-old Hayley and her father have returned to his old hometown after years on the road (he was a trucker, and homeschooled her, sort of), trying to have a 'normal' life. That's tough because her soldier father is plagued by PTSD after being in the war, and turns to alcohol to black out the horrible memories. This girl is pretty tough...but it's not easy taking care of him by herself. And he's getting worse. Having never really attended school, she doesn't understand or have patience for things like homework, well-meaning school counselors, or "zombie" kids with no problems. Hayley does have a best friend, Gracie, and nerd-hot boy Finn, on her side, but they have problems of their own. This is a very real story about a family that's teetering on the edge, in more ways than one. Anderson is one of the best writers out there.

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee

From the publisher: "“All around me, my friends are talking, joking, laughing. Outside is the camp, the barbed wire, the guard towers, the city, the country that hates us.

We are not free.

But we are not alone.”

From New York Times best-selling and acclaimed author Traci Chee comes We Are Not Free, the collective account of a tight-knit group of young Nisei, second-generation Japanese American citizens, whose lives are irrevocably changed by the mass U.S. incarcerations of World War II.

Fourteen teens who have grown up together in Japantown, San Francisco.

Fourteen teens who form a community and a family, as interconnected as they are conflicted.

Fourteen teens whose lives are turned upside down when over 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry are removed from their homes and forced into desolate incarceration camps.

​In a world that seems determined to hate them, these young Nisei must rally together as racism and injustice threaten to pull them apart."

The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

A story of Roman Britain -- if you take Latin, you study that period, and you should definitely read this! From the publisher: "In the second century AD, the Ninth Legion marched into northern Britain to suppress a rebellion of the Caledonian tribes and was never heard from again. The young Roman officer Marcus Aquila sets off on a perilous journey to find out what happened to the legion in which his father served, and–if possible–to salvage its eagle and its honor. Accompanying him is Esca, his freed slave, with whom he gradually develops a deep and remarkable friendship that crosses the boundaries of conquest and colonialism. An unforgettable story of adventure, humanity, and the mysteries of the past."

Check out her other books: Black Ships before Troy, and The Wanderings of Odysseus

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award. From the publisher: "Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty of Chinatown, San Francisco in 1906, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.

On April 18, a historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. Now she’s forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Though fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, Mercy can’t sit by while they wait for the army to bring help—she still has the “bossy” cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenage girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?"

Other historical fiction by the same author: Under a Painted Sky, and her latest: The Downstairs Girl.

All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky by Joe R. Lansdale

From the publisher: "Jack Catcher’s parents are dead–his mom died of a sickness and his dad of a broken heart–and he wants to get out of Oklahoma, where dust storms have killed everything green and hopeful. So when former classmate Jane Lewis and her little brother, Tony, show up in his yard with plans to steal a dead neighbor’s car and make a break for Texas, Jack doesn’t need much convincing to go with them. But a run-in with one of the era’s most notorious gangsters puts a crimp in Jane’s plan, and soon the three kids are riding the rails among hoboes, gangsters, and con men, racing to warn a carnival-wrestler-turned-bank-robber of the danger headed toward him faster than a black blizzard on the prairie horizon. This road trip adventure is a colorful ride through Depression-era America."

Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit

Anna's father, a professor, is taken away by the Germans. Just 7 years old, she is left sitting on the curb, alone. The Swallow Man, a tall, mysterious stranger, seems a little magical. Though it would be easier and safer for him to disappear on his own (for the Germans would take him away, if they catch him), he takes Anna with him. Together, they spend the entire war traipsing across Poland, avoiding soldiers, and nearly everyone else, to somehow survive. They become each other's family.

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

“Even the dead tell stories.” 14-year-old Sig Andersson sits alone in his cabin, across the room from the dead body of his father, who is saying nothing. It is 1910, and their cabin is 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia.

Sig’s father fell through the ice and froze to death. Sig managed to pull him out, and brought him to the cabin, but it was too late. Sig waits, with questions mounting in his mind. Why had his father risked coming home across the lake?? What should he do??

Then comes a knock at the door. A giant of a man, with a face “battered into shape by the Devil’s hammer” and missing his left thumb, pushes his way in. He is Gunther Wolff, and he claims that Sig’s father stole a treasure of gold from him ten years ago, during the Alaska Gold Rush. He wants it now. Sig’s only hope is to get to his father’s Colt revolver (The King of Weapons), hidden in the store room.

This story alternates from the “present” in 1910, and the events of ten years earlier, teasing out the mysterious events that have put Sig in danger. Interspersed are details, quotes and history of the famous Colt Revolver – the gun that just might save Sig’s life.

Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman

From the publisher: "Fifteen-year-old Vidya dreams of going to college— an unusual aspiration for a girl living in British occupied India during World War II. Then tragedy strikes, and Vidya and her brother are forced to move into a traditional household with their extended family, where women are meant to be married, not educated. Breaking the rules, Vidya finds refuge in her grandfather’s library. But then her brother does something unthinkable, and Vidya’s life becomes a whirlwind of political and personal complications. The question is, will she be strong enough to survive?"

The Big Burn by Jeanette Ingold

Every summer we hear on the news about forest fires out West – they wipe out millions of acres of trees, hundreds of houses, kill animals, displace people. The fire fighters and rangers who fight the blazes are brave, adventurous, admirable heroes doing a dangerous job. And every single one of them knows the story of the Big Burn of 1910. Two and a half million acres of public forest burned across Idaho and Montana that August. Ninety people died. Towns were completely destroyed.

It was one of the biggest wildfires of the century, and it changed the way fires are fought. This book is based on the true story of that huge fire. Three teenagers are caught in its path.

Seth is 17. He’s a buffalo soldier – African-American troops – trying to do something that will earn him respect, but having trouble fitting in with the other guys. His unit is sent to help fight the fires, without any training or special equipment.

Jarrett, 16, wants to prove he’s a man to his father and brother. He joins the Forest Service to fight fires.

Lizbeth, also 16, has come out west with her aunt Celia to be a homesteader. They’ve laid claim on a piece of land, but they have to stay on it for a certain amount of time before it’s theirs. When the fire comes dangerously close, they must decide whether to leave to save their lives, but lose the land they’ve worked so hard for.

The author was inspired because her son is a forest fire fighter.

The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz

Winner of the Sydney Taylor Award and the Scott O'Dell Award. From the publisher: "Fourteen-year-old Joan Skraggs, just like the heroines in her beloved novels, yearns for real life and true love. But what hope is there for adventure, beauty, or art on a hardscrabble farm in Pennsylvania where the work never ends? Over the summer of 1911, Joan pours her heart out into her diary as she seeks a new, better life for herself—because maybe, just maybe, a hired girl cleaning and cooking for six dollars a week can become what a farm girl could only dream of—a woman with a future. Newbery Medalist Laura Amy Schlitz relates Joan’s journey from the muck of the chicken coop to the comforts of a society household in Baltimore (Electricity! Carpet sweepers! Sending out the laundry!), taking readers on an exploration of feminism and housework; religion and literature; love and loyalty; cats, hats, and bunions."

The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon

Coretta Scott King Award winner. In 1968 Chicago, two brothers (Sam and Stick) are involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Their father, Roland Childs, is part of Dr. Martin Luther King's peaceful movement, fighting the prejudice and racism they face every day. Sam is distressed that his older brother and best friend seems to be harboring secrets, and not spending as much time with him any more. Then he finds pamphlets from the Black Panther Party under Stick's bed. The Black Panthers have a bad rep, but Stick helps Sam see that they do good work, like providing soup kitchens to feed the poor and hungry. But they do have a reputation for violence, doing things differently from the peaceful King followers. Sam is caught between the two groups, between his brother and father, between the Rock and the River. Which will he choose?

What the Night Sings by Vesper Stamper

Gorgeous book with sepia illustrations by the author, a Morris Award Finalist. Growing up with her musician papa, who taught her to play the violin, and her glamorous stepmother, who was training her to sing opera, Gerta imagines a future for herself on the stage. When the Nazis come to take her and her father away, she is confused. She didn't even know they were Jewish. Her music is one thing that helps her survive the concentration camp, but eventually, she loses everything, including her voice. Unlike most stories of the Holocaust, this book doesn't end with Gerta's liberation from the camp. It was not easy for people to transition back to life when everything has been taken from you -- where do you go? what do you do? Physically and emotionally, it is a long recovery. And hatred and discrimination haven't magically disappeared with the end of the war.

At the refugee camp, Gerta mourns her immense losses, and meets old friends, plus two new ones: Lev, the boy who first found her and nursed her back to health. And Michah, the handsome Zionist recruiting for the new Jewish state (Israel).

What life will Gerta choose? To decide that, she must first figure out who she is, and who she wants to be, now that her whole life is ahead of her, once more.

Shackleton's Stowaway by Victoria McKernan

After reading this, you might be inspired to read nonfiction about the real voyage! From the publisher: "On October 26, 1914, Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance set sail from Buenos Aires in pursuit of the last unclaimed prize in exploration: the crossing of the Antarctic continent. The crew stood on deck to watch the city fade away. All but one.

Eighteen-year-old Perce Blackborow hid below in a locker. But the thrill of stowing away with the legendary explorer would soon turn to fear. Within months, the Endurance, trapped and crushed by ice, sank. And even Perce, the youngest member of the stranded crew, knew there was no hope of rescue. If the men were to survive in the most hostile place on earth, they would have to do it on their own."

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

From the author's website: "When pale strangers enter fifteen-year-old Amari's village, her entire tribe welcomes them; for in her remote part of Africa, visitors are always a cause for celebration. But these strangers are not here to celebrate. They are here to capture the strongest, healthiest villagers and to murder the rest. They are slave traders. And in the time it takes a gun to fire, Amari's life as she knows it is destroyed, along with her family and village.

Beaten, branded, and dragged onto a slave ship, Amari is forced to witness horrors worse than any nightmare and endure humiliations she had never thought possible--including being sold to a plantation owner in the Carolinas who gives her to his sixteen-year-old son, Clay, as his birthday present.

Now, survival and escape are all Amari dreams about. As she struggles to hold on to her memories in the face of backbreaking plantation work and daily degradation at the hands of Clay, she finds friendship in unexpected places. Polly, an outspoken indentured white girl, proves not to be as hateful as she'd first seemed upon Amari's arrival, and the plantation owner's wife, despite her trappings of luxury and demons of her own, is kind to Amari.

But these small comforts can't relieve Amari's feelings of hopelessness and despair. With strength and dignity, Amari first learns to survive, then yearns to escape to a most unlikely destination. When the opportunity to escape presents itself, Amari and Polly decide to work together to find the thing they both want most--freedom."

The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow

From the publisher: "Sydney Taylor Award-winning novel Berlin Boxing Club is loosely inspired by the true story of boxer Max Schmeling's experiences following Kristallnacht.

Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew; after all, he's never even been in a synagogue. But the bullies at his school in Nazi-era Berlin don't care that Karl's family doesn't practice religion. Demoralized by their attacks against a heritage he doesn't accept as his own, Karl longs to prove his worth.

Then Max Schmeling, champion boxer and German hero, makes a deal with Karl's father to give Karl boxing lessons. A skilled cartoonist, Karl has never had an interest in boxing, but now it seems like the perfect chance to reinvent himself.

But when Nazi violence against Jews escalates, Karl must take on a new role: family protector. And as Max's fame forces him to associate with Nazi elites, Karl begins to wonder where his hero's sympathies truly lie. Can Karl balance his boxing dreams with his obligation to keep his family out of harm's way?"

Alligator Bayou by Donna Jo Napoli

Based on a true story, it takes place in Tallulah, Louisiana in 1899, and depicts the racism against Italian Americans at the time. Calogero (14) and his family are Sicilians -- the only ones in their Southern small town. They're vegetable farmers and run a farm stand. Calogero helps by translating between his family and customers, because he speaks some English.

There's a lot of racial tension between black and white people due to ignorance and misunderstandings. That prejudice is also directed at immigrants, especially Italians, who are seen as neither black nor white, which means Calogero is not allowed to fall in love with Patricia, a sweet and smart black girl who thinks it sounds like music when he speaks Sicilian.

Calogero misses his home country, and it's hard to understand the strange customs of his adopted one, like you can't wait on black customers before white ones, and midnight gator hunts in the bayou. All these misunderstandings and prejudice build and build to a terrifying climax, based on a real event.

By an award-winning author of books for children and young adults, including historical fiction and fantasy and fairy tale adaptations. Her other historical fiction includes: Daughter of Venice, Fire in the Hills, The King of Mulberry Street, The Smile, and Stones in Water, many of which feature Italy, Italian history, and/or Italian-Americans.

Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer

First in the historical adventure series. From the publisher: "Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas.

There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she will have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret. This could be the adventure of her life--if only she doesn't get caught. . . . "

If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth

From the publisher: "Lewis "Shoe" Blake is used to the joys and difficulties of life on the Tuscarora Indian reservation in 1975: the joking, the Fireball games, the snow blowing through his roof. What he's not used to is white people being nice to him — people like George Haddonfield, whose family recently moved to town with the Air Force. As the boys connect through their mutual passion for music, especially the Beatles, Lewis has to lie more and more to hide the reality of his family's poverty from George. He also has to deal with the vicious Evan Reininger, who makes Lewis the special target of his wrath. But when everyone else is on Evan's side, how can he be defeated? And if George finds out the truth about Lewis's home, will he still be his friend?"

Suspect Red by L.M. Elliott

From the author's website: "It’s 1953 and the United States has just executed an American couple convicted of spying for the Soviet Union. Everyone is on edge as the Cold War standoff between communism and democracy leads to the rise of Senator Joe McCarthy and his zealous hunt for people he calls subversives or communist sympathizers. Suspicion, loyalty oaths, black lists, political profiling, hostility to foreigners, and the assumption of guilt by association divide the nation. Richard and his family believe deeply in American values and love of country, especially since Richard’s father works for the FBI. Yet when a family from Czechoslovakia moves in down the street with a son Richard's age named Vlad, their bold ideas about art and politics bring everything into question.

Richard is quickly drawn to Vlad's confidence, musical sensibilities, and love for literature, which Richard shares. But as the nation’s paranoia spirals out of control, Richard longs to prove himself a patriot, and blurred lines between friend and foe could lead to a betrayal that destroys lives.

Punctuated with photos, news headlines, ads, and quotes from the era..."

Death Coming Up the Hill by Chris Crowe

From the publisher: "It’s 1968, and war is not foreign to seventeen-year-old Ashe. His racist father married his peace-activist mother when she became pregnant with him, and ever since, the couple, like the situation in Vietnam, has been engaged in a “senseless war that could have been prevented.” When his high school teacher dares to teach the political realities of the war, Ashe grows to better understand the situation in Vietnam, his family, and the world around him. But when a new crisis hits his parents’ marriage, Ashe finds himself trapped, with no options before him but to enter the fray."

47 by Walter Mosley

This is the first YA novel by an author who is an award-winning author of mysteries for adults. This book combines historical fiction, sci-fi, and magical realism to tell the story of a 14-year-old slave in 1832, who doesn't have a name, he's just called 47. It is a realistic portrayal of the hardships and horror of slavery. His mother died when he was very young, and his brutal master hates him. Mama Fleur, the plantation cook, protects and cares for him, hiding him away. But once he's old enough, he is forced to work in the fields picking cotton, a job that literally can kill you. Then 47 meets a mysterious stranger, Tall John, a runaway (this character is based on a mythical African spirit, High John the Conqueror, who is supposed to save the slaves). Tall John introduces a magical science, and teaches 47 the meaning of freedom. Possibly the first of a planned series.

Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang

From the publisher: "Athletic and strong willed, Princess Emmajin’s determined to do what no woman has done before: become a warrior in the army of her grandfather, the Great Khan Khubilai. In the Mongol world the only way to achieve respect is to show bravery and win glory on the battlefield. The last thing she wants is the distraction of the foreigner Marco Polo, who challenges her beliefs in the gardens of Xanadu. Marco has no skills in the “manly arts” of the Mongols: horse racing, archery, and wrestling. Still, he charms the Khan with his wit and story-telling. Emmajin sees a different Marco as they travel across 13th-century China, hunting ‘dragons’ and fighting elephant-back warriors. Now she faces a different battle as she struggles with her attraction towards Marco and her incredible goal of winning fame as a soldier."

The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle

Pura Belpre Award winner and Newbery Honor book. From the publisher: "It is 1896. Cuba has fought three wars for independence and still is not free. People have been rounded up in reconcentration camps with too little food and too much illness. Rosa is a nurse, but she dares not go to the camps. So she turns hidden caves into hospitals for those who know how to find her.

Black, white, Cuban, Spanish—Rosa does her best for everyone. Yet who can heal a country so torn apart by war? Acclaimed poet Margarita Engle has created another breathtaking portrait of Cuba."

More historical novels in verse by this author: Soaring Earth, The Poet Slave of Cuba, Hurricane Dancers, The Firefly Letters, and Tropical Secrets. Check out her latest, Jazz Owls, about the Zoot Suit Riots:

Down Sand Mountain by Steve Watkins

Takes place in a small Florida mining town in 1966. From the publisher: "It’s 1966, and Dewey is determined to start seventh grade right. No more being the brunt of every joke. But after he stains his face mimicking the minstrel show’s popular Shoeshine Boy, bullies call him Sambo and bar him from the — whites only — bathroom. The only kid who will talk to him is fellow outsider Darla, who wears her hair (and sings and dances) like Shirley Temple. Through their friendship, Dewey learns of issues bigger than himself and his small Florida town — like segregation, the Vietnam War, sexuality, abuse, and even death and grieving. Told in a voice at times comic and lighthearted, at others devastating and lonely, this novel will stay with readers long after the book is closed."

Paper Hearts by Meg Wiviott

From the publisher: "An act of defiance.

A statement of hope.

A crime punishable by death.

Making a birthday card in Auschwitz was all of those things. But that is what Zlatka did, in 1944, for her best friend, Fania. She stole and bartered for paper and scissors, secretly creating an origami heart. Then she passed it to every girl at the work tables to sign with their hopes and wishes for happiness, for love, and most of all—for freedom.

Fania knew what that heart meant, for herself and all the other girls. And she kept it hidden, through the bitter days in the camp and through the death marches. She kept it always.

This novel is based on the true story of ... the bond that helped them both to hope for the best in the face of the worst. Their heart is one of the few objects created in Auschwitz, and can be seen today in the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre."

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

National Book Award winner. From the publisher: "When Evie's father returned home from World War II, the family fell back into its normal life pretty quickly. But Joe Spooner brought more back with him than just good war stories. When movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, a young ex-GI who served in Joe's company in postwar Austria, shows up, Evie is suddenly caught in a complicated web of lies that she only slowly recognizes. She finds herself falling for Peter, ignoring the secrets that surround him...until a tragedy occurs that shatters her family and breaks her life in two."

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe

This is a fictionalized account of a real person -- a young girl who risked her life to protect and hide the world's smallest library (8 books) in the Auschwitz concentration camp.

The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

An unusual and worthwhile read set in 1970s Alaska. From the publisher: "Ruth has a secret that she can’t hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she’s always known on her family’s fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it’s safer to run away than to stay home—until one of them ends up in terrible danger.

Four very different lives are about to become entangled. This unforgettable William C. Morris Award finalist is about people who try to save each other—and how sometimes, when they least expect it, they succeed. "

Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina

From the publisher: "Nora Lopez is seventeen during the infamous New York summer of 1977, when the city is besieged by arson, a massive blackout, and a serial killer named Son of Sam who shoots young women on the streets. Nora’s family life isn’t going so well either: her bullying brother, Hector, is growing more threatening by the day, her mother is helpless and falling behind on the rent, and her father calls only on holidays. All Nora wants is to turn eighteen and be on her own. And while there is a cute new guy who started working with her at the deli, is dating even worth the risk when the killer likes picking off couples who stay out too late? Award-winning author Meg Medina transports us to a time when New York seemed balanced on a knife-edge, with tempers and temperatures running high, to share the story of a young woman who discovers that the greatest dangers are often closer than we like to admit — and the hardest to accept."

HS

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins

From the publisher: "Told in alternating teen voices across three generations, You Bring the Distant Near explores sisterhood, first loves, friendship, and the inheritance of culture--for better or worse.

From a grandmother worried that her children are losing their Indian identity to a daughter wrapped up in a forbidden biracial love affair to a granddaughter social-activist fighting to preserve Bengali tigers, award-winning author Mitali Perkins weaves together the threads of a family growing into an American identity.

Here is a sweeping story of five women at once intimately relatable and yet entirely new."

HS

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

Becca's grandmother, Gemma, has always told her and her two older sisters the story of Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty), claiming that she herself, Gemma, is the princess, Briar Rose. Her version of the story is darker than the one most familiar, and Becca's sisters rarely stop arguing long enough to hear the whole thing. But on her deathbed, Gemma urges Becca to find the castle, and the prince. Heading to Europe, meeting Josef (a pink triangle survivor of the Holocaust), and peeling back the layers of her grandmother's story (the one she told, and what she didn't), Becca will discover the truth. But it's more real-life horror than fairy tale. By a grandmaster author and poet often called the "Hans Christian Andersen of America", this is a Holocaust story and a retelling of a fairy tale.

Other historical fiction by this author: Mapping the Bones; Queen's Own Fool; Girl in a Cage; Snow in Summer; The Devil's Arithmetic; Bad Girls; and more than 300 other picture books and novels.

HS

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1 The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson

Are you up for a challenge? This extraordinary novel is not for everyone. But if you're up to it, it's worth it. From the publisher: "He is a boy dressed in silks and white wigs and given the best of classical educations. Raised by a mysterious group of rational philosophers known only by numbers, the boy and his mother–a princess in exile from a faraway land–are the only people in their household assigned names. As the boy’s regal mother, Cassiopeia, entertains the house scholars with her beauty and wit, young Octavian begins to question the purpose behind his guardians’ fanatical studies. Only after he dares to open a forbidden door does he learn the hideous nature of their experiments–and his own chilling role in them. "

The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry

Dolssa, a young woman in medieval Provence (France), is accused of heresy and condemned to be burned at the stake because of her religious belief that she sees and speaks with her 'beloved' Jesus. In this time of inquisition, anyone who listens to her preaching her beliefs, or helps her, will be burned, as well. Her mother is burned, but she escapes across the country. Botille and her two sisters run a tavern in the village of Bajas. Botille is the village matchmaker, Plazensa is the beautiful bartender, and little Sazia is a fortuneteller. When Botille comes across Dolssa, nearly dead by a river, she brings her home and the sisters nurse her back to life. When Dolssa's prayers result in more than one miracle, the entire village believes she is an angel, a holy woman, and loves her. But when those who are hunting her finally come to Bajas, everyone's fears, beliefs, and loyalties are tested. Alternating between the viewpoints of both young women, this is an extraordinary historical novel of medieval life: religion and the power held by the church, superstition, women's roles, but also a timeless tale of love, friendship, and family. HS

Snow in August by Pete Hamill

Written for adults, but a great book for teens about an unlikely friendship. Michael is a Brooklyn Catholic boy in 1947, obsessed with Captain Marvel and Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Rabbi Judah Hirsch is a lonely refugee from Prague, who hires Michael to be his "Sabbath goy" (to help him turn on lights, and other tasks he is forbidden from doing on the Sabbath). They talk baseball, and life, and the possibilities and perils of America. Not everyone in the neighborhood thinks it's okay for Michael to befriend a Jew. Some of the tough kids in Michael's working-class Irish neighborhood are full of hate and prejudice. This story is oh-so-relevant today.

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award. From the publisher: "Grace Mae is already familiar with madness when family secrets and the bulge in her belly send her to an insane asylum—but it is in the darkness that she finds a new lease on life. When a visiting doctor interested in criminal psychology recognizes Grace's brilliant mind beneath her rage, he recruits her as his assistant. Continuing to operate under the cloak of madness at crime scenes allows her to gather clues from bystanders who believe her less than human. Now comfortable in an ethical asylum, Grace finds friends—and hope. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who will bring her shaky sanity and the demons in her past dangerously close to the surface. "

HS

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

It is 1906, in the Adirondacks, upstate New York. 16-year-old Mattie Gorky is the eldest girl in a family of four sisters. Since their mother died and their older brother ran away, the girls must help their father run the farm. Mattie dreams of being a writer, and going to New York City to Barnard College (they’ve awarded her a full scholarship, but she needs money for the train!) – her teacher and best friend Weaver encourage her gifted writing and storytelling abilities. Royal Loomis wants to marry Mattie, but she’s not sure she can work out “a way to both be married to Royal and still be a writer, to be two things at once—like one of those fancy coats they have in the Sears and Roebuck catalog that you can change into a whole different coat by just turning it inside out.”

To earn more money (for her father, her train ride, and/or her dowry), Mattie takes a job at the Glenmore Hotel on Big Moose Lake. All the rich big city folks come to the North Woods to relax, and the local people are hired as maids, cooks, and servants. With her storyteller’s eye, Mattie enjoys watching the guests, and trying to figure out their stories. One of the guests, Grace Brown, gives Mattie a packet of letters, and urgently begs her to destroy them. Before the day is over and before Mattie even has a chance to destroy the letters, Grace’s body is pulled from the lake.

Slowly, Mattie reads Grace Brown’s poignant letters, to unravel the mystery and understand the 19-year-old woman whose body lies cold in the hotel’s parlor. Through the letters, Grace’s story helps Mattie make important decisions about her own future. Inspired by a true story.

Beck by Mal Peet with Meg Rosoff

From the publisher: "Beck finds himself orphaned as a young boy and sent overseas to the Catholic Brothers in Canada. At age fifteen he is sent to work on a farm, from which he eventually escapes. Finally in charge of his own destiny, Beck starts westward, crossing the border into America and back, all while the Great Depression rages on. What will it take for Beck to understand the agonies of his childhood and realize that love is possible?"

HS

Mother Tongue by Julie Mayhew

Based on a true story from 2004... it may be recent, but it's still history. From the publisher: "On the day she brings her sweet little sister, Nika, to school for the first time, eighteen-year-old Darya has already been taking care of her family for years. But a joyous September morning shifts in an instant when Darya’s rural Russian town is attacked by terrorists. While Darya manages to escape, Nika is one of hundreds of children taken hostage in the school in what stretches to a three-day siege and ends in violence. In the confusion and horror that follow, Darya and her family frantically scour hospitals and survivor lists in hopes that Nika has somehow survived. And as journalists and foreign aid workers descend on her small town, Darya is caught in the grip of grief and trauma, trying to recover her life and wondering if there is any hope for her future. " HS

Honey Girl by Lisa Freeman

From the publisher: "The year is 1972. Fifteen-year-old Haunani "Nani” Grace Nuuhiwa is transplanted from her home in Hawaii to Santa Monica, California after her father’s fatal heart attack. Now the proverbial fish-out-of-water, Nani struggles to adjust to her new life with her alcoholic white (haole) mother and the lineup of mean girls who rule State Beach.

Following "The Rules” -- an unspoken list of dos and don’ts -- Nani makes contact with Rox, the leader of the lineup. Through a harrowing series of initiations, Nani not only gets accepted into the lineup, she gains the attention of surf god, Nigel McBride. But maintaining stardom is harder than achieving it. Nani is keeping several secrets that, if revealed, could ruin everything she’s worked so hard to achieve. Secret #1: She’s stolen her dad’s ashes and hidden them from her mom. Secret #2: In order to get in with Rox and her crew, she spied on them and now knows far more than they could ever let her get away with. And most deadly of all, Secret #3: She likes girls, and may very well be in love with Rox." HS

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Wild West adventure! From the publisher: "When Kate Thompson’s father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, the eighteen-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers, dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if there’s room for love in a heart so full of hate."

Sequel: Retribution Rails.

Fatal Throne by various authors

Each author tells the story in the voice of one of King Henry VIII's six wives.

HS

We Are All That's Left by Carrie Arcos

Alternates points of view between current time (daughter) and the Bosnian War in the 1990s (mother). From the publisher: "Zara and her mother, Nadja, have a strained relationship. Nadja just doesn’t understand Zara’s creative passion for, and self-expression through, photography. And Zara doesn’t know how to reach beyond their differences and connect to a closed-off mother who refuses to speak about her past in Bosnia. But when a bomb explodes as they’re shopping in their local farmers’ market in Rhode Island, Zara is left with PTSD–and her mother is left in a coma. Without the opportunity to get to know her mother, Zara is left with questions–not just about her mother, but about faith, religion, history, and her own path forward.

As Zara tries to sort through her confusion, she meets Joseph, whose grandmother is also in the hospital, and whose exploration of religion and philosophy offer comfort and insight into Zara’s own line of thinking."

HS

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand

For those who are less sticklers about historical accuracy, and like a dollop of fantasy romance! Lady Jane Grey was queen of England for 9 days... but this is more like Princess Bride meets Ladyhawke (uh... Netflix it, trust). From the publisher: "At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

Like that could go wrong."

HS