Historical fiction reminds us of where we came from and shows how young people lived through challenging times of their own. Here are some new titles that speak to our past. (MS = middle school)
In And the Trees Stare Back by Gigi Griffis, Vik has lost her little sister to a cursed forest in Soviet Estonia. But is the curse real magic, or is it related to the soldiers and an oppressive regime? And who is this person who now claims to be her little sister, suddenly appearing five years after her disappearance?
Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem’s book Daughter of Doom follows Yrsa, a Viking girl born with a crooked foot who cannot move easily, leaving her to spend much of her time with the newly captured slave, a nun named Job. When Job is attacked by one of the villagers and Yrsa kills him in self-defense, the two young women must flee the village forever.
In Heiress of Nowhere by Stacey Lee, Lucy Nowhere, an orphan found and adopted by the wealthy owner of an estate on Orcas Island, comes under suspicion when he is found brutally murdered and she is the only heir named in his will.
Marcie Flitchum Atkins’ novel in verse, One Step Forward, follows Matilda Young as she describes her time in 1917, picketing and protesting in the streets of Washington, D.C., to earn women the right to vote, despite her father’s and brother’s contrary attitudes.
In The Pecan Sheller by Lupe Ruiz-Flores, Petra is forced to leave school in 1930s San Antonio after her father’s death to join other girls and women in the factories shelling pecans for pennies a day. When tragedy strikes, Petra decides to stand up to the bosses to earn more money and better working conditions. MS
Laurie Halse Anderson’s book Rebellion 1776 follows young patriot Elspeth in Boston as she works for a British Loyalist, loses her father, and witnesses the devastating spread of smallpox as well as the birth of a nation. MS
Nora Neus’s graphic novel Renegade Girls tells the story of aspiring journalist Nell, who sneaks into a textile factory in 1880s New York, where she witnesses terrible working conditions for other young women. It’s not until her friend Alice comes along with her camera that anyone is willing to believe their story.
Maria Van Lieshout’s graphic novel Song of a Blackbird follows Emma in 1943 Nazi-occupied Amsterdam as she decides to help her friends evade the Nazis by putting her artistic skills to good use. In 2011 Amsterdam, young Annick wants to find a related blood donor for her ailing grandmother, and her only clue lies in the old prints of local buildings adorning the walls. What is their connection?
In The Teacher of Nomad Land by Daniel Nayeri, Babak and Sana lose their educator father in Iran in World War Two. After wandering a while, Babak finds some safety with a group of nomads who promise to feed and protect them if only Babak will teach members of their clan. MS
Ann Brashares’s novel Westfallen tells how, in 2023, three friends unearth a rusting radio in their New Jersey back yard, only to find it still works and allows them to communicate with three tweens in 1944. When one of the 2023 tweens inadvertently reveals the success of D-Day, 1944 suddenly changes, and the 2023 kids find themselves living in Nazi America. Can any of them fix this and return to normal? MS
~posted by Wally B.
