Recommended Reads J FICtion: Historical fiction
J ALBU, K
NOTHING ELSE BUT MIRACLES
Kate Albus
Living on their own on Manhattan's Lower East Side while their Pop is off fighting in World War II, twelve-year-old Dory Byrne and her brothers discover an abandoned hotel that proves a perfect hideout just when they need it most.
J BUZZ, T
LIGHT COMES TO SHADOW MOUNTAIN
Toni Buzzeo
In 1937 rural Kentucky, Cora Mae starts a school newspaper to rally support for the Rural Electrification Act, but the town's resistance to change is not easy to overcome.
J MARS, K
THE LOST YEAR
Katherine Marsh
In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, thirteen-year-old Matthew discovers a shocking secret about his great-grandmother's past as he learns about her life during the Holodomor famine in Soviet Ukraine.
THE PLOT TO KILL A QUEEN J HOPK, D
Deborah Hopkinson
In 1582 thirteen-year-old Emilia Bassano is a lute player and aspiring playwright who stumbles on a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth, and is recruited by Sir Francis Walsingham to go to the castle where Mary Queen of Scots is being held and discover who is responsible for the plot.
J DIAZ, A
FAREWELL CUBA, MI ISLA
Alexandra Diaz
In 1960, twelve-year-old Victoria's family leaves Cuba and seeks refuge in Miami, and when Victoria's best friend and cousin Jackie makes the trip alone, the reunited girls attempt to bring the rest of their family to safety.
J PHAM, T
THE CRICKET WAR
J GRIN, S
Susan Griner FUMIKO AND A TOKYO TRAGEDY: A GREAT KANTO EARTHQUAKE SURVIVAL STORY
When the Great Kanto Earthquake strikes Tokyo on September 1, 1923, twelve-year-old Fumiko must navigate the ensuing chaos and confusion in her fight for survival.
Julie Lee IN THE TUNNEL J LEE,J
Fourteen-year-old Myung-gi flees North Korea with his family during the height of the devastating Korean War, beginning an epic struggle for survival that pushes them to the brink.
It's 1980, and 12-year-old Tho Pham lives with his family in South Vietnam. His parents are worried the Communist army will soon knock on their door to make his brother, and then him, join them. Still, it shocks him when his father says that arrangements have been made for him to leave Vietnam by boat, immediately. Thọ tries to be brave as he sets out on a harrowing journey toward the unknown.
ONE BIG OPEN SKY J CLIN, L
Lesa Cline-Ransome
In the 1870s, a Black family undertakes a perilous wagon journey westward for a tenuous shot at freedom in Nebraska.
ON THE HOME FRONT WITH VALENTINA: A DIARY FROM 1940 TO 1943
Claudia Oviedo
In 1940, eleven-year-old Valentina lives in El Paso, Texas, with her Mami, Papi, and two older brothers, Hugo and Kiki. Valentina loves reading and learning, and she hopes to go to college and become a teacher and writer someday.
Thushanthi Ponweera I AM KAVI P PONW, T
Against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan Civil War, one Sinhalese girl must adapt to a new school, a new city, and new friends, while always staying true to herself.
J DEKE, S
HOW TO CATCH A POLAR BEAR
Stacy DeKeyser
In 1948 Milwaukee, twelve-year-old Nick's expectations for summer crumble when he ends up working at a frozen custard stand at the zoo, but with a competitor who plays dirty tricks and a runaway polar bear Nick's summer turns out more eventful than he imagined.
J NIEL, J
UPRISING
Jennifer A. Nielsen
Twelve-year-old Lidia's life is forever changed by the Nazi occupation of Poland, leading her to join the resistance movement to fight against the Nazis and aid Jewish people in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII.
THE WINDEBY PUZZLE
Estrild wants to be a warrior. Varick, the orphan boy who helps her train in spite of his twisted back, also stands apart. In a world where differences are poorly tolerated, just how much danger are they in? Inspired by the true discovery of the 2,000-year-old Windeby bog body in Northern Germany.
Diane Zahler WILD BIRD J ZAHL, D
In fourteenth-century Norway, the plague has destroyed Rype's entire village, and as the sole survivor, she embarks on a sweeping adventure across Europe with the son of an English ship captain and a band of troubadours in search of a brighter future and a new home.
Lois Lowry
J LOWR, L