No matter what time period or historical event you want to learn about, there’s something out there for you. My son is going into first grade, and he and I are making our way through the Magic Tree House series, for example — and he loves hearing about all of the different places and times. We mark the time period down in our history timeline notebook, and it inevitably leads to looking things up on the iPad and watching some videos about the time. History can get bogged down in dates and times, and it can be easy for kids to lose sight of the fact that it’s about people and families and kids and events and so many different stories to explore. In this way, it can remain impersonal and “other.” But historical fiction can change that. The following historical fiction chapter books are just a smattering of what’s out there, and I’ve arranged them chronologically. Here are more historical fiction for kids, as well as historical fiction for middle schoolers. Which one are you reading first? For even more options, check out more historical fiction books for kids and these historical fiction books for middle schoolers.
