Learning History Through Literature: Historical Fiction Recommendations for Upper Elementary

[00:00:59] I have just gotten into Kristin Hannah Books and loved the Nightingale, and that is based off of World War II, and right now I'm reading The Women by Kristin Hannah. This is based off of the Vietnam War. It's an amazing, amazing book. I recommend the author in general, and if you love historical fiction, I recommend her books in general.

[00:01:48] because historical fiction, this genre, allows students to step into the shoes of historical figures or settings and experience key events through a personal lens, as well as connect with the past in a way that textbooks or secondary sources just can't match. So in this episode, I'm going to be sharing with you why historical fiction is so powerful for teaching history,

[00:02:39] So let's dive in. Now, we are going to first talk about why historical fiction is a thing in the first place. Why can't we just teach the history through a textbook or a video or primary sources? While textbooks will give us some facts and primary sources provide firsthand evidence, that's always great to know,

[00:03:44] Historical fiction typically will give students a variety of perspectives. They can see how different people experienced the same event. Another example, inside out and back again, shows what it was like for a refugee fleeing the Vietnam War. This was written by

[00:04:26] The Great Depression can feel more real when students read a very popular book, Bud Not Buddy, and see how a child navigate the hardships of that era.

[00:04:43] It also strengthens reading and critical thinking skills. I talk about this a lot, but it is so important because students can analyze characters and make inferences and compare fiction to real historical events, so they're building those literacy skills and comprehension skills while also learning social studies

[00:05:27] by Mary Jane Och, and I thought it was the most interesting book that I had read in a long time. It was surrounding the real events of the Triangle Shirt waist factory in New York. Most of the characters were immigrants from, I believe, Ireland and Italy. And it just kind of surrounds like their day-to-day life and the factory and then what ended up happening after.

[00:06:02] Now, not all historical fiction books are created equal. When choosing books, I wanna share with you some things to look for. Number one, think about a clear historical setting. The book should accurately portray the time period. Details about clothing, language, daily life, and key events should feel authentic.

[00:06:50] and how she used a little bit of oil, it was precious, and also describing how they hadn't had real coffee, and so they could tell the difference between the different versions that they were using and pretending it was coffee, and how the food that they had changed throughout the course of the war.

[00:07:34] Upper elementary students connect best with child or preteen protagonists who experience history firsthand. Going back to the Nightingale, I was able to relate to it because the main characters were around my age. The older sister was more my age from what it seemed like, and the younger sister was maybe, you know, young teenager, young adult.

[00:08:19] The best books blend real events with fictional characters in a way that stays true to history, nothing glaring that's completely inaccurate. I survived books will take real disasters and add fictional characters to help kids understand the event. So there's one on Hurricane Katrina, there's one on the September 11th attacks, there's one on the Titanic, and I think that they do a really good job of making it real, it's accurate to what actually happens,

[00:09:12] The history should feel like part of the story, and it's not like a forced history lesson that is disguised and feels inauthentic. It's something that draws students in. Now for the fun part, I have some book recommendations.

[00:09:46] You can check out those specific links in the show notes or in the description where you're listening or watching this video. So here is the first section, colonial America and the American Revolution. I recommend Blood on the River by Elisa Carbon. This follows a boy traveling to Jamestown in 1607.

[00:10:32] Just a different perspective than what you normally think about with loyalists and the Patriots and all of that. Now let's talk about some recommendations related to the Civil War and reconstruction. One recommendation I have is called Rifles for Wadi by Harold Keith. This is a classic novel about a young soldier who fights for both the union and the Confederate side.

[00:11:18] there's Bud, not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis, like I mentioned earlier. This follows a boy traveling during the Great Depression in search of his father. And then Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, I hope I'm pronouncing that right. It's written in free verse Poetry showing a Young Girl's Life in the Dust Bowl era, Oklahoma, and this book specifically, I remember reading in sixth grade and I loved it.

[00:12:06] the war that saved my Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. This follows a disabled girl that evacuated from London during World War II, and it's another great way to discuss children's experiences during the war. In relation to civil rights movement in the 20th century, there's Glory B by Augusta Scattergood.

[00:12:52] and it follows a Vietnamese girl that adjusts to life in America after fleeing the Vietnam War. And you also have Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, which I've mentioned in other episodes. This is about a Mexican girl who becomes a farm worker during the Great Depression. So this is great for global history, but also could be great if you're talking about the Great Depression, just thinking about a different perspective.

[00:13:40] You can ask students, what challenges did the main character face, or how does this compare to what we've learned in social studies or just questions about the plot in general and how the book is advancing in the plot and all that great stuff. I do have an episode on classroom read alouds, if that's something you're interested in doing, but don't know what, how to get started or what to do.

[00:14:23] Have students write a diary entry or a letter or newspaper article from the perspective of a character in the book. You could also do something interesting like book and movie comparisons. If there's a film version of the book that you're reading, you can compare how the book and the movie might portray history differently or

[00:15:12] Then discuss as a small group. So in summary, historical fiction is a really great way to teach history because it's just a way to have them engaged, it's more personal, and it's also very meaningful. I would love to hear what your favorite historical fiction books are to use in social studies or to teach with.