Annika's Journey through Time: Herstories and Histories
written by Annika P. Shah
I have been a history lover for as long as I can remember. My mom has read history books out loud to us for years. My favorite subject in school has always been social studies. My favorite musical is Hamilton. And it is no surprise that one of my favorite reading genres are historical fiction and non-fiction. Personally, I love this genre because it feels like I am time traveling, learning about unique life experiences, and am being swept off on an amazing and/or emotional adventure all at once.
Historical fiction tells a fictional story in a historical context. For example, the characters and plot might not be real but the story takes place during a major historical event with characters facing similar struggles as people during that time. The non-fiction books I like are generally autobiographical or biographical and I choose to read about people I have come to admire.
Many historical fiction books are about how World War II impacted different countries, people, and cultures around the globe.
Historical Fiction Recommendations
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
One of the first historical fiction books I read was Number the Stars by Lois Lowery. I have read this for the first time in 3rd grade and then 10 more times since! It tells the story of Annemarie, a young Danish girl, during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen, is Jewish and when the Nazi occupation takes a forceful turn to eliminate Jews, Annemarie and many others feel like they must find a way to protect the Jews all around them.
Spoiler Alert! In the summer of 2019, my family went to the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. While there, we saw horrifying images of the holocaust showing what Annemarie and other Denmark citizens were trying to protect their Jewish friends and neighbors from. There was a room dedicated to rescuers who hid Jews in basements or attics, or, like Annemarie and her family, used special boats to smuggle the Jews into safe countries like Sweden. Below is a real example of one of the rescue boats Danes like Annemarie and her family used.
When my Name was Keoko by Linda Sue Park
When my Name was Keoko by Linda Sue Park tells the story of a young Korean girl, Sun-hee, and her brother, Tae-yul, growing up under the Japanese occupation of Korea. The Japanese forced new laws and ways of life on the Koreans including changing their names. Food and resources were scarce during this time only making the siblings lives harder with their society turned upside down.
Another great Linda Sue Park book is A Single Shard. She is such a great author!
Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata
In contrast to the ways the Japanese treated the Koreans, Americans began treating the Japanese very poorly following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Sumiko, a twelve-year-old Japanese girl, sees her life turned upside down before her eyes when President FDR signs executive order 9066 sending all Japanese Americans on the west coast to internment camps. Even though she was born in the US, other Americans thought all Japanese people were spies working for their emperor and sent them all to internment camps, including Sumiko. Sumiko ends up at a dusty internment camp in Poston, Arizona which she soon realizes is part of an Indian reservation. In this book, not only do we learn about life in a Japanese internment camp, but also about life on Native American reservations.
If you enjoy this book, the topic of the Japanese internment camps interests you, or you loved the author, you might also enjoy:
The Fences Between Us: The Diary of Piper Davis, Seattle, Washington, 1941 by Kirby Larson
The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559, Mirror Lake Internment Camp, CA, 1942 by Barry Deneberg
Kira Kira by Cynthia Kadohota
A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielson
A Night Divided is one of my all time favorite books. In this book, Gerta is a 12 year old girl who is separated from her dad and brother when the Berlin Wall goes up overnight. Jennifer A. Nielsen does a great job writing a gripping story while staying historically accurate and making you feel attached to the characters. I learned so much while reading this book, from the restrictive life in East Berlin to the difference in law in East Berlin compared to West Berlin and the US.
Although many great historical fiction books are from World War II, many of my other favorites are from different time periods in history such as the war in Sudan, the Great Depression, the Salem witch trials and many more.
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
A Long Walk to Water tells two stories simultaneously; one of a young girl growing up in a South Sudanese village in 2008-2009; another, of a Lost Boy from Sudan in 1985-2006. It is based on the true story of a young boy walking by foot for years at a time to escape war and finally find freedom as a refugee in America. While the Linda Sue Park stayed true to Salva’s story, she did fictionalize some parts. I really enjoyed this book because I had never read a historical fiction book on Sudan before, and it was really moving to learn about this part of the world.
After reading A Long Walk to Water, check out this link: https://www.waterforsouthsudan.org/
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Esperanza is part of a wealthy and well off family in Mexico, but when a sudden tragedy occurs she and her mother flee to California during the Great Depression. Esperanza’s life changes dramatically when she ends up in a camp for Mexican farm workers where she has to deal with financial struggles, hardships, and labor for the first time. The reader follows Esperanza’s story over the course of about a year where we learn about the life of a Mexican migrant farmer during the Great Depression.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
I first read this book in 5th grade because it was one of our novel studies, but I ended up really enjoying it. It tells the story of a young vibrant and impulsive girl who sails from Barbados to New England during the time period of the Salem witch trials. When she moves to New England she becomes friends with an accused witch and struggles to fit in leading to much drama.
Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry tells a tragic but realistic and historically accurate story of a black family growing up in the racist deep south of Mississippi 30 years after the civil war. When we learn about racism in school we mostly learn about segregation, separate water fountains and restaurants, white and black communities, and about how Martin Luther King Jr. led a revolutionary movement to end segregation. But this book opened my eyes to true harshness and history of racism through a black 12 year-old girl’s eyes as she experiences it in her every day life. This book described examples of racism such as the difficulties blacks faced to own land and ended up working the same jobs they did as slaves, but for very little money. We see the harsh realities of racism at the grocery store, at schools, working in the market, at home, and especially in the criminal justice system.
One year after reading this, I also read The Hate U Give, which is a present day, realistic fiction book that shows how black people are still facing the same harsh treatments and injustice. *This book does contain profanity and a police shooting of an innocent black child. I really like this book because it opened my eyes to the lives of black people in America and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz
The Inquisitor’s Tale would more likely fit into a Historical Fantasy Fiction genre because while it does take place during a historical time period, a good portion of the story would be considered fantasy. I loved reading this book because it is unique, funny, interesting, with a great plot line. Adam Gidwitz does an amazing job building three amazing main characters (Jane who can see the future, William with superhuman strength, and Jacob with astonishing healing powers), an exhilarating and gripping plot, and interesting historical references to France’s religious state during the medieval times.
Other Great Historical Fiction Reads
Dear America… Series
A series of books told from the perspective of 12 year-old girls, girls my age, and the struggles they went through in their historical context. For example living through the sinking of the Titanic, the Spanish influenza, and desegregation of schools and many more.
Al Capone…Tales from Alcatraz Series
This historical fiction trilogy makes the reader experience stories of life on Alcatraz Island. I found this book especially interesting because I read them in the midst of a trip to Alcatraz a couple years ago and was able to particularly notice different parts of the island mentioned in the book such as the watchtowers, community housing areas, and where Al Capone and other prisoners washed everyone’s shirts.
Non-Fiction recommendations:
I also really enjoy non-fiction as well and think you will love the following books
Born a Crime: Trevor Noah’s autobiography on his life in South Africa.
Boys in a Boat: Middle-class college boy crew team defeating Nazi Germany in 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Becoming: Michelle Obama’s autobiography. (We listened to this one during a road trip and Michelle reads it and makes you feel like you are sitting next to her, listening).
The Girl with Seven Names: a North Korean Defector’s Story. Her story is sometimes hard to read and probably better for older kids. This author also did a Ted talk.
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: quick summaries of powerful impactful real life rebel girls through history ranging from Queen Elizabeth to Hillary Clinton. The books and illustrations are beautiful.
Red Scarf Girl: a memoir of a Chinese girl growing up during the Cultural Revolution
And for younger readers I also recommend the Who Was…? books which I devoured starting in 2nd grade.
Most of the fictional books are for young readers as early as 2nd grade. The Girl with Seven Names is better for a young adult reader and Trevor Noah has two version for his book, one for young adults.
You can always borrow books directly to your kindle using Overdrive and your library card or consider supporting a local bookstore near you www.bookshop.org.
For other amazing Young Adult genre books you can follow our friend’s awesome instagram page @erinhanbooks!
If you have any favorites you want to recommend please share them with us in the comments below!