Teen
Captivating Historical Fiction for Teens
by Dena McMurdie
Historical fiction offers interesting peeks into the past that you don’t get from textbooks. One of the best things about the genre is that it can make you interested in learning more about the actual history of the time period. Often, after reading a historical novel, I end up jumping down an endless rabbit hole of information about the time period or characters the book was based on.
In this list of historical novels, you’ll find riveting stories about war, royalty, the quest for freedom, and events that changed history.
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What the Night Sings
What happens after your life is torn apart? This is the story of a teen girl who survived the Holocaust and her struggle to rebuild her life after she is liberated from a concentration camp. This atmospheric book is perfect for YA readers fascinated by World War II.
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Dream Country
A compelling look at the connection between Liberia and America, Dream Country explores the lives of five generations of a family searching for freedom. Heartbreaking and honest, this journey through history is about family, dreams, and the hope for a better future.
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And I Darken
You'll love this gender-swapped retelling of Vlad the Impaler and the Ottoman Empire. Romance, war, and politics combine into a riveting story of the struggle for power in the 15th century. This series is perfect for readers that love fierce female warriors and new spins on historical events.
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Haunting the Deep
After receiving a brief visit from a ghost, Sam worries that trouble is brewing — and she's right. She starts having vivid dreams of being aboard the Titanic and needs the help of her friends to break the spell trying to trap her there. This spooky novel is a fantastic follow-up to How to Hang a Witch.
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On Blood Road
Taylor's mom drags him to Vietnam to visit his father, but he never expected war to be so boring. That all changes when he gets captured by the North Vietnamese Army. What follows is a difficult coming-of-age story of war, survival, and determination.
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We Are All That's Left
Told in alternating viewpoints between Zara in the modern world and her mother in a war-torn 1990s Bosnia, this novel is at once educational, terrifying, and honest. It deals with heavy themes but also offers hope and healing.
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Ashes in the Snow (Movie Tie-In)
Fifteen-year-old Lina and her family are snatched from their home in Lithuania by Soviet officers and sent to a labor camp in Siberia. Refusing to give up hope, Lina documents her experiences in coded drawings she hopes will make their way to her father. Keep a box of tissues handy as you read this book!
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Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All
Each ill-fated wife of Henry VIII tells her heartbreaking story in this gripping book by a collection of outstanding YA authors. Politics, infidelity, a vicious court, and plain old bad luck play a part in each wife's downfall, making Fatal Throne an utterly spellbinding read.
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Escaping from Houdini
The third book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series takes place on a ship bound for America in the late 1800s. A circus act starring the charismatic Houdini takes a deadly turn and young women start disappearing with alarming frequency. Audrey Rose and her partner Thomas must find out who is behind the gruesome murders before the ship docks.
