Transcript Historical Fiction

Presentation by:
Adam, Matt, Brittany
What is Historical Fiction?
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Realistic fiction that takes place
somewhere in history.
Written around actual
historical events!
Brings history to life by putting
appealing child characters in
accurately described
historical settings.
Allows history to feel real!
Tells stories of characters’ everyday
lives as well as their triumphs and
failures.
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A story that is set in the past!
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Setting is usually real and
drawn from history.
Often contains people from history
The main characters
tend to be fictional.
Authors try to capture the manners
and social conditions of the people
or the time periods in the story.
Attention paid to period detail!
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SUBGENRES
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Traditional Historical Novels –  Alternate Histories – imagine
straightforward historically accurate
plot. (Ex: First Man in Rome)
 Multi-Period Epic – demonstrates
how a specific place changes over the
centuries. (Ex: Chesapeake)
 Sagas – follow families/groups of
friends over time, usually generations.
(Ex: North & South Trilogy)
 Western Historical Novels –
including traditional Westerns, take
place in the American West.
Example: In Louis L'Amour's Hondo
history happening differently. (Ex:
Days of Infamy by Harry Turtledove)
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Time-Slip Novels – shuttle their
characters between epochs. (Ex:
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis)
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Historical Fantasy Novels,
Christian Historical Novels,
Historical Thrillers, Historical
Adventure Novels , Romantic
Historical Novels, Historical
Mysteries, Literary Historical
Novel
Websites
 http://www.theintrepidreader.com/2010/06/100-all-
time-best-historical-fiction.html
 http://www.historyforkids.org/
 http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/650.Best_Childr
en_s_Historical_Fiction
 http://www.teachervision.fen.com/historicalfiction/resource/54592.html
Criteria
The historical fiction you choose should:
 present a well-told
story that doesn't
conflict with
historical records
 portray characters
realistically
 present authentic
settings
 artfully fold in
historical facts
 provide accurate
information through
illustrations
 avoid stereotypes
and myths
25 books:
A Tale of Two Cities by
Charles Dickens
Little Women by
Louisa May Alcott
The Adventures of
Tom Sawyer
by Mark Twain
 Fever 1793 by Laurie
Halse Anderson
 Black Beauty
by Anna Sewell
 A Little Princess
by Frances Hodgson
Burnett
 Samantha: An
American Girl
by Susan S. Adler
Bud, Not Buddy by
Christopher Paul Curtis
Mary Poppins by P.L.
Travers, Mary Shepard
Esperanza Rising
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
Children of the
Longhouse
by Joseph Bruchac
The Wall (Reading
Rainbow Books)
by Eve Bunting
The Knight and the
Dragon by Tomie
dePaola
Catherine, Called Birdy
by Karen Cushman
 Roll of Thunder, Hear My
Cry by Mildred Taylor
The Bronze Bow by
Elizabeth George Speare
 The Boy in the Striped
Pajamas by John Boyne
Run Away Home by
Patricia C. McKissack
The Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson
Burnett
Number the Stars
by Lois Lowry
The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
 The Witch of Blackbird
Pond by Elizabeth
George Speare
 Mara, Daughter of the
Nile by Eloise Jarvis
McGraw
 Pink and Say
by Patricia Polacco
 Yellow Star
by Jennifer Roy
WORKS CITED
scholastic.com
goodreads.com
Google
wikipedia.org