Historical Fiction

Lesley F. asked for recommendations for her seventh grader who is interested in military history and World War II. She mentioned that he enjoyed the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series, and she was looking for some other engaging, historical picks.

History Smashers series by Kate Messner and various co-creators (started in 2020)

Since Lesley mentioned that her kid likes Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales, I’ll start with this other series of graphic novels. There are ones on Pearl Harbor and the American Revolution to feed his interest in military history, and they also cover topics like women’s right to vote and pandemics. Very entertaining series that tells the stories behind the history.

The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (2016)

This novel focuses on the experience of Ada as she and her brother are evacuated from London to the English countryside. Ada’s life up to that point has been hard and limited, due to her controlling mother and Ada’s malformed foot. Though the woman who takes them in isn’t very welcoming, Ada begins to flourish in her new life. The sequel, The War I Finally Won, is also great.

Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen (2019)

This intense book is about a Jewish teen asked to spy on the children of Nazis at a boarding school. Killeen fills the pages with such suspense that it is hard to put down. The heroine is dedicated to her cause but fears becoming one of the monsters she is fighting against.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (2017)

Following four people desperate to escape their circumstances in 1945, this novel focuses on the little-known, but deadly, shipwreck of the Wilhelm Gustloff. All of the characters are heading for the boat, none of them knowing that it is not the escape they hope. If you like this one, check out Sepetys’s other excellent books too.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (2012)

In Code Name Verity a young Scottish spy is shot down and arrested by the Gestapo. She, like Scheherazade, stretches out telling them her story to keep herself alive. An impressive layered story that will appeal to readers who want to know stories beyond the battlefields.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt (2009)

This is, in some ways, a standard “school” story about the only seventh-grader in his class who isn’t Jewish or Catholic and therefore doesn’t go to religious school on Wednesday afternoons. He and his teacher end up studying Shakespeare during their time together. It is set during the Vietnam war, which has an impact on the characters. But mostly it is just a fantastic and funny book about growing up.

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani (2019)

Set in 1947, this book tells the story of the partition between India and Pakistan through the lens of a 12-year-old who is half-Muslim and half-Hindu. Where does her family belong? Can they survive long enough to get there? Beautifully written; it won a 2019 Newbery Honor.

And I Darken series by Kiersten White (started in 2017)

This is a bit of a wildcard. This fantasy series is set during the Ottoman empire and is a gender-flipped Vlad the Impaler retelling. But there is a lot of strategizing about war and battles and enemies that I think readers interested in military history would like.

Bonus suggestion: If you are looking for engaging non-fiction on history aimed at kids, Steve Sheinkin’s book are great and appealing. Bomb is about the creation of the nuclear bomb; Most Dangerous is about the Vietnam War; and Fallout is about the Cold War.