Historical fiction books are an interesting way to teach children facts of history, by creating a storyline and entwining the mundane details within that storyline. An informal approach to the subject will not only make them aware of their past, but in the process make the learning process fun. The historical fictions for children are divided into two groups. The first kind contains a historical setting but the events and the characters are completely fictional. A good example of this type will be “Catherine called Birdy” by Karen Cushman. In the second type everything starting from the plot and characters to the situations and events are products of imagination. Pat Gauch’s “Thunder at Gettysburg” describes the second type.
A historical fiction for children needs good research. The primary sources include journals, diaries, databases, personal letters and history books which give a comprehensive view of the times. It is the duty of every author to give attention to minute details and create something that is authentic. The characters need credibility, so the portrayal of the characters should be done in such a way that it does not hurt the sentiments of any minority group, but also manages to make a fair impression on the readers. To top it all, the facts of history are to be presented in the most interesting manner through a simple narrative to make it appealing to the children.
The books are mainly meant for children in the fourth and the fifth grades. The initial introduction to the genre can be accomplished with the help of picture books. The narrative is simple and the characters are presented in such a way that they aim to make a permanent mark. Some of the important picture books for little children are:
“How the Amazon Queen fought the Prince of Egypt” by JoAnn Adinolfi
“A Place in the Sun” by Jill Rubalcaba
The historical fictions generally try to cover the history of the world and touch important events which have molded the face of the world like both the
World Wars, or the
Holocaust or the
Great Depression of 1929-1939. Some of the important examples of these books are:
“
The Night Crossing” by Karen Ackerman
“
Flowers on the Wall” by Mirlam Nerlove
“
Hear O Israel —A Story or the Warshaw Ghetto” by Terry Tresder
“Carrie's War” by Nina Bawden
“For Freedom—The Story of A French Spy” by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley
“Just for Dinner” by Ann Turner
“Rajkahini” by Abanindranath Thakur
“Rajarshi” by Rabindranath Tagore
The children are allured by the books because they can have snapshots of the complex historical events through a simple narrative. The children are allowed to make observations on landmark issues and they are instantly connected with the events which otherwise would seem to grave to handle. The books are full of
illustrations which help the children to follow the historical timeline without any difficulty. At the same time they take a look at the
social issues which are equally important. It is a process of learning about the glorious history without any difficulty.
Some of the important historical fictions for children are:
“With Every Drop of Blood: A Novel of the Civil War” by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
“
The Shadow Children” by Steven Schnur
“The Glory Field” by Walter Dean Myers
“The Lady Grace Mysteries ” by Patricia Finney
“King of Shadows ” by Susan Cooper
“Shylocks' Daughter ” by Mirjam Pressler etc
