The original request was for historical fiction suggestions for 4th and 5th grade
boys. There are some great websites at the bottom of the message.
Dear America / My Name is America series
The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker – Cynthia DeFelice
Some titles I would recommend that would be of special interest to boys:
Captured: a Boy Trapped in the Civil War, by Mary Blair Immel
Operation Clean Sweep, by Darleen Bailey Beard
Blood on the River: Jamestown, 1607, by Elisa Lynn Carbone
George Washington's Socks by Elvira Woodruff
The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton
Stone Arch Graphic Novels has a set of historic stories like Robinhood, Tom Sawyer,
etc. My boys loved the format, and read a genre that they wouldn't touch before.
Stone Arch is offered through Capstone I think.
From Highland Park Public Library – 4th grade:
Anderson, Joan Joshua's Westward Journal.
Baylis-White, Mary Sheltering Rebecca.
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker One-of-a-Kind Mallie.
Bruchac, Joseph Children of the Longhouse.
Craig, Ruth Malu's Wolf.
Cross, Gillian The Great American Elephant Chase.
Dorris, Michael Sees Behind Trees.
Erdrich, Louise The Birchbark House.
Fleischman, Paul Bull Run.
Giff, Patricia Reilly Lily's Crossing.
Harris, Carol Flynn A Place for Joey.
Lawlor, Laurie Addie Across the Prairie.
Lord, Bette In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson.
Love, D. Anne Dakota Spring.
Love, D. Anne A Year Without Rain.
MacBride, Roger Lea Little House on Rocky Ridge.
Naylor, Phyllis Maudie in the Middle.
Nelson, Vaunda Mayfield Crossing.
Orlev, Uri Lydia, Queen of Palestine.
Propp, Vera When the Soldiers Were Gone.
Ransom, Candice F. Ladies and Jellybeans.
Stanley, Diane Elena.
Wallace, Barbara Brooks The Twin in the Tavern.
From Highland Park Public Library – 5th grade:
Avi The Fighting Ground.
Blackwood, Gary The Shakespeare Stealer.
Cannon, A.E. Charlotte’s Rose.
Choldenko, Genniger Al Capone Does My Shirts.
Curtis, Christopher The Watsons Go to Birmingham- 1963.
Ellis, Deborah A Company of Fools.
Erickson, John Moonshiner’s Gold.
Giff, Patricia Reilly Nory Ryan’s Song.
Goodman, Joan The Winter Hare.
Hahn, Mary D. The Gentleman Outlaw and Me-- Eli: A Story of the Old
West.
Hale, Marian The Truth About Sparrows.
Hesse, Karen Letters from Rifka.
Hilgartner, Beth A Murder for Her Majesty.
Ibbotson, Eva The Star of Kazan.
Lasky, Kathryn The Night Journey.
Lawrence, Iain The Wreckers.
Lester, Julius Pharaoh's Daughter.
Levine, Gail Carson Dave at Night.
Magorian, Michelle Good Night, Mr. Tom.
Namioka, Lensey Ties That Bind, Ties That Break.
Napoli, Donna Jo Daughter of Venice.
Nixon, Joan Lowery A Family Apart.
Paulsen, Gary Mr. Tucket.
Reeder, Carolyn Shades of Gray.
Salisbury, Graham Under the Blood-Red Sun.
Speare, Elizabeth The Sign of the Beaver.
Stolz, Joelle The Shadows of Ghadames.
Weil, Sylvie My Guardian Angel.
Whelan, Gloria Once on This Island.
Wise, William Nell of Branford Hall.
Woodruff, Elvira The Ravenmaster’s Secret: Escape from the Tower of
London.
Don't You Know There's a War Going On? by Avi
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Wings of a Hero (I think) Richard Peck's newest as well as his A Long Way from
Chicago, A Year Down Yonder and The Teacher's Funeral.
Dan Gutman's Baseball Card Adventures are hugely popular with boys in that age
group. Honus and Me, Satch and Me. I have had a teacher or two argue that they are
not historical fiction. They consider them sports, but I disagree. Gutman also has
two Qwerty Steven's Back in Time books as well.
Avi has a book on the American Revolution called Night Journeys
Storm Warriors – Elisa Carbone
Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs – Birney
Worth – LaFaye
The Printer's Apprentice by Stephen Krensky
Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulson
There are all sorts of WWII novels. Here are a few:
Boy at War, Boy No More, Heroes Don't Run by Harry Mazer (3 books, same author and
character)
Stones in Water – Donna Jo Napoli
Milkweed – Jerry Spinelli
Freidrich – Hans Peter Richter
Dragonwings - Yep
King of Shadows - Susan Cooper
My Brother Sam is Dead - Collier
With Every Drop of Blood - James Collier
Innocent Soldier - Josef Holub
Matchlock Gun -Walter Edmonds
Slap You Sides - M.E. Kerr
Stand Tall - Joan Bauer
The Black Canary - Jane Curry
Lord of the Nutcracker Men - Ian Lawrence Private Peaceful - Michael Morpugo
A Summer of Kings - Han Nolan (coming out Oct 07 during the Civil Rights)
Under the Blood Red Sun by Salisbury
Black Star, Bright Dawn by Scott O'Dell
Don't You Know there's a War On by Avi
Crispin, the Cross of Lead by Avi
True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi (trust me, even tho' it's about a girl)
Storm Warriors by Elisa Carbone
Gold Dust by Chris Lynch
The Good Liar by Gregory Maguire
Snow Treasure by Patricia McSwigan
The Wreckers by Iain Lawrence (and others in series)
Trouble don't Last by Shelley Pearsall
Sees Behind Trees by Michael Dorris
The Arrow over the Door by Joseph Bruchac
Children of the Longhouse by Joseph Bruchac
Looking for Bobowicz by Daniel Pinkwater
The Teacher's Funeral by Richard Peck
Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck
Weasel by Cynthia DeFelice
Jip, his story by Katherine Paterson
Twenty and Ten by Claire Bishop
The Island on Bird Street by Uri Orlev
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
When my name was Keoko by Linda Sue Park
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
The Little Riders by Peter Spier
Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry
Some GREAT websites (annotated lists, etc.)
Kim Hurson’s historical fiction site
http://bookgirl3.tripod.com/historicalfiction.html
Bookwink: http://www.bookwink.com
Here is a site that lists title by dates, although you need to go through and find
ones that will primarily appeal to "boys" -
http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/FranklinMS/research/hisfic.htm
General Historical fiction site: http://www.waterborolibrary.org/bklistjh.htm
I just finished reading Blood on the River by Elisa Carbone. It is the story of
Jamestown, told from the perspective of a young lad. The author also has a website
with lesson plans, questions, etc.
http://www.elisacarbone.com/educators/BloodRiverStudyGuide.html
--
Jean Mosser Librarian/teacher
Oak Ridge Elementary
Harleysville, PA.
jmgov@comcast.net
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