People who write historical fiction are very good at making history come to life. I like historical fiction because it makes history come to life. A lot of history isn't just dates and facts. It's stories about real people, their lives, and how they felt. Through historical fiction, you can teach children about history. This is a great way to get kids excited and help them see how it relates to their own lives in the present. It's hoped that reading these 50 must-read historical fiction books for kids will make history come to life for them. They show a wide range of time periods and experiences.

The best historical fiction books for kids

Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich

People who say they like Little House on the Prairie should read this book. A story about an Ojibway family living near Lake Superior in the 1840s is called "Lake Superior." In Erdrich's first book in a series, he looks at history from a Native American point of view. It's a good way for kids to learn about the past from that point of view.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

It was during the Great Depression when Esperanza and her family were forced to move from Mexico to California, where they lived on a farm. Esperanza had to learn how to work hard, but she was also very brave and strong.

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

During the 1930s, there were not many jobs to go around. When Turtle's mother got hired as a housekeeper for a woman who didn't like kids, she was put in the care of a family she'd never even met. Key West is full of fun, cousins, and family secrets that Turtle is quick to find out about.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Cecile, the mother of Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern, sends them to stay with her for the summer. They're excited about Disneyland and reconnecting with their mother. It turns out Cecile isn't the mother they thought she was. Instead, she sends them to a day camp run by the Black Panthers, which makes them think about their family history and what they want to do next.

The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwtiz

This book is set in France in 1242, and it has a lot of different stories. It's like the Canterbury Tales for kids. It's a great story about how Jeanne and her dog, Gwenforte, were able to get away from prejudice and get the justice they deserve.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowery

When the Nazis take over Denmark, Annemarie and her family take in her best friend Ellen, who is Jewish. They pass her off as a member of the family until they can smuggle her out of the country to Sweden, where she will be safe.

Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes

There are no slaves on the River Road sugar plantation, but life is not easy. Not everyone is happy when a group of Chinese workers are brought in to help with the plantation, though. Then Sugar makes a friend with one of the young Chinese workers. She learns about how she could help bridge the cultural gap.

Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome

When Langston moves from Alabama to Chicago in the 1940s, this is the story of how he does it. People can go into the public library and read books there. There is another Langston in Chicago, the poet Langston Hughes; he is also called "Langston."

When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park

Sun-hee and her family live in Korea, which is ruled by Japan. They aren't allowed to have their own cultures, language, or even their own names. In fact, when World War II comes, the Koreans are supposed to fight for Japan. Sun-brother hee's joins the army, even though her family hides information about the Korean resistance from the world.

The Case of the Stolen Sixpence by Holly Webb

The first book in the Mystery of Maisie Hutchins series is about Maisie, who thinks she would be a great detective if only she had the chance to do so. Maisie keeps track of the people who live in her Victorian London boarding house. When she sees a crime go unpunished, she decides to look for the person who did it.

The Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford

To start with, this book tells the story of Lady Ada Byron and Mary Godwin, two clever young women who form a detective agency to catch very clever criminals.

Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden and Brenna Thummler

It's great for kids who can't read Anne of Green Gables, or if they're into comic books. It turns out Anne was sent to live on a farm on Prince Edward Island with two older siblings who wanted a boy. She charms them with her vivid imagination and passionate loyalty, and the two older siblings fall in love with her.

Dactyl Hill Squad by Daniel Jose Older

In a different time, dinosaurs roam the streets of Civil War-era New York. Orphans at the Colored Orphans Asylum. When their friends are kidnapped, they flee to Dactyl Hill in Brooklyn. There, they learn how to ride a dactylback, and they plan how to rescue their friends.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

During a walk in the woods, Winnie Foster finds a boy drinking from a mysterious spring under a tree. She meets the Tucks, an immortal family who have been alive for a long time. After learning about their story, the things they've seen, and the dangers they face, she has to make a big decision that will change her life for the rest of her life.

Journey of the Pale Bear by Susan Fletcher

Polar bear: The King of Sweden gave the King of England a polar bear as a gift. Based on the story: Arthur is put in the bear's cage as a punishment, but she doesn't hurt him at all. Because he can somehow handle her, he's important on the dangerous journey to the bear's new home.

Phoebe the Spy by Judith Berry Griffin

Phoebe, a spy who was hired as a housekeeper for George Washington's home, has to figure out who the killer is before it's too late.

Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper

Stella lives in a small town in North Carolina, and segregation is a way of life. She does her best to deal with it, but it's not easy for her. During the night, Stella sees something that she's not supposed to. She is compelled to speak up and do something about it.

A Stitch in Time by Daphne Kalmar

In 1927, 10-year-old Donut has just become an orphan. Her aunt comes to stay with her, and there is a plan to take Donut to Boston. Then Donut and Tiny come up with a plan to stay.

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt

In Phippsburg, Maine, Turner Buckminster is the son of a new preacher who moved there. He doesn't like it there. Lizzie Bright is the only person who is interesting. She lives on an island just off the coast, with a community built by people who were once slaves. When the townspeople come up with a plan to get Lizzie's community to leave the island and make way for tourism, Turner is left to watch the tragedy unfold.

Unbound by Ann E. Burg

This book is written in verse and tells the story of Grace, who is told by her family to keep her mouth shut and her head down when she works in the big house. Eventually, Grace and her family are forced to flee slavery into the swamps because Grace said something she can't take back. There, they must avoid danger as they try to find a way out of slavery.

Skunked!: Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet by Jacqueline Kelly

In this illustrated chapter book adaptation of the Newbery Honor book The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, Calpurnia's little brother finds a baby skunk in need of a home and decides to help it find a place to live. You can keep the baby skunk from your mother by not telling her about the skunk. until his brother, who is also in need of help, comes along. This is the first of many!

Step Up the Plate, Maria Singh! by Uma Krishnaswami

Maria Singh, who is 9 years old, wants to be on the first girls' softball team in her town in 1945. However, as she and her teacher fight for the right to play, Maria's eyes are opened to the racism and discrimination that affect not just her Indian-Mexican-American family, but many other families in her community who are thought to be different.

Winnie’s Great War by Lindsay Mattick and Josh Greenhut

During World War I, Captain Harry Colebourn adopted a bear named Winnie, who was born in Canada. He took Winnie to Europe to work with the Veterinary Corps, where she met Christopher Robin Milne and inspired him to write Winnie the Pooh.

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan

During British rule, Rachel lives with her parents in East Africa, where they work as missionaries. Rachael is sent back to England when her parents die of influenza. She can't give up on her dream of building her parents' mission hospital, though.

Betty Before X by Renee Watson and Ilyasah Shabazz

Betty Before X is a book that tells the true story of Dr. Betty Shabazz's childhood in Detroit in 1945. It is set in that time. Betty felt unloved as a child, so she turned to church and social justice movements to find her purpose. This set the stage for when she grew up and met Malcolm X and became a civil rights icon in her own right.

The Story Collector by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb

She is 11 years old and lives in a New York Public Library apartment. She knows almost everything about the library. Viviani and her friends have to solve not one, but two mysteries in the library!

The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

When Kenny and his family go from their home in Flint, Michigan, to Alabama to visit their grandmother, they hope that she will be able to help Kenny's older brother get back on track. Just as her church is bombed, they show up. This was one of the darkest times in the Civil Rights movement.

Paper Boy by Vince Vawter

Little Man is great at baseball, but he has a stutter that makes it hard for him to talk to other people. That's not the case when he takes over his friend's paper route one summer. When he talks to certain people, he can't avoid it.

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