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Please share favorite historical fiction
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Hello!
I’d like to start reading some more historical fiction with my children to complement what we learn in history. I’ve been searching online for resources and found myself very overwhelmed by the huge numbers of books suggested for each time period. I’d like to keep it much more manageable at this point.
So I’d like to ask people to please share your top one or two historical fiction books on different time periods for both world and American history.
Thank you for any input!
Oh you are giving us CM mommas a nearly impossible task! Only two? Do you have an age range in mind?
Yes, I can see that it would be hard to narrow it down! How about, the first few you’d start with if you have a limited budget? We don’t have a great library so I have to buy most of what I use. I want to proceed slowly and with caution and get books we will really enjoy and revisit.
For age range, my students are currently 5-11. I am hoping for something that can appeal to a wide range of ages but have enough depth that they will create a connection with that time period. (I hope that makes sense!) All the kids have enjoyed the Laura Ingalls books, and those have given us a great picture of what pioneer life was like. I think of them as “one size fits all” books.
I think we could handle something more advanced if it is interesting enough. We read the Lord of the Rings aloud this year and even the younger children liked it pretty well. On the flip side, my oldest also enjoys picture books sometimes! So I guess I’m open to books of many levels if they are really good.
I just want to be careful and not buy ten books on one time period. I realize it gets tricky when you get to times with many important characters to learn about.
For American History k-8 I always recommend a little book called Turning Back the Pages of Time by Kathy Keller. This is THE best purchase I ever made as a homeschool momma. It is a short (35 page) booklist of the very best American history books for young ones. I got mine for $5 years ago and we used it for many years. It is not overwhelming at all, a few superb titles per age/time frame. If you took a few years going through one or two books at time you would have a beautiful picture of American history for those ages. Every single title we read on that list was a hit. I see it is &$16.95 on Amazon right now, but I bet you could get it cheaper, or used.
Egypt – picture books, grab one or two off the SCM list. The Golden Goblet is good for older students, but may have too much idol worship for younger, if that is a concern.
Greece – same as above, I like to stick with picture books for these times, even for older elem kids. The Rosemary Sutcliff books are fantastic, Black Ships before Troy and The Wanderings of Odysseus.
For Rome – The Bronze Bow
Middle Ages – The Door in the Wall, The Hidden Treasure of Glaston
Renaissance – The Shakespeare Stealer
Reformation – any of the Louise Vernon church history biographies
I hope others chime in with their faves.
Read Aloud Revival has picture booklists for time period, it is a great resource if you want yet another list. Particularly their picture book biographies are great for older kids – I still read them aloud to my high schooler. A short picture book bio is a great way to introduce people they will encounter later in their studies.
Heritage History is another great resource. Free books organized by age and time. They are older books so occasional read aloud editing may be required for those terms we dont use today, but were the norm back then. I usually explain the older terms to my kids first, then replace the words as I read. I want them to have warning though, in case I slip and neglect to replace a word.
Happy reading!
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