2. How much time must past for a
book to be considered Historical
Fiction?
Does the book need to be about a
Historical Event?
Do you need to have Famous
people from History in the book?
3. A work of fiction set in a time
prior to when it was written.
Can contain historical
setting, characters, or both.
Important tool in the
classroom.
4. Help readers connect to people and
situations from the past.
Tend to write about U.S.
American Revolutionary War,
Slavery, Civil War, Westward
expansion, Immigration, WWII
Many writers are historians and
war vets that have gotten into
writing.
5. Setting
Takes place in a time removed from the
reader. The writer must bring place and
time to life by providing details that are
neither romanticized nor distorted but
as authentic as possible
Plot
The writer incorporates questions into
the story that the character asks and the
story answers
6. Characters
Mostly ordinary people rather than
figures of historical importance
Theme
Significant not only for the Historical
period but also themes that are relevant
today; death, civil
rights, prejudice, violence, importance
of family and community
7. Early Historical fiction consisted of
adventure stories & had many
inaccuracies
Mostly written for adults
Sir Walter Scott is believed to be the
first person to write a work of what
we now call historical fiction
8. 1930s romanticized, highly
idealized views with an over
whelming amount of information
(Waverly; 1810; Ivanhoe)
Ornate descriptions, archaic
language, lengthy factual passages
Late 1930’s-1950s More serious
works were being written for
children
9. Style:
Old—Ornate descriptions archaic language,
lengthy factual passages
New – simplistic and immediacy language that
pulls the reader into the story
Subject Matter:
Today’s historical fiction writers are writing
more about lesser known events; however
there are still not a lot of works about other
countries and cultures available to young
readers
13. Fiction based on Research:
The writer has no first hand
knowledge and must perform
research to ensure its
authenticity. The bulk of
historical fiction for children
fits into this category
14.
15. Con Pro
Literature must not be Students develop social
expected to bear the empathy
burden of social A spring board for
studies instruction. learning about the past
Literature is a fragile Engages students in
medium…it can be facts from the past that
easily crushed if forces become living,
breathing drama
to bear too heavy an
The extensive research
efferent load.
that HF writers do
Students will fail to provides a rich source
enter the story world of information
on aesthetic terms
16. While textbooks & expository texts are important
sources of background information, children step
more easily into the dramatic elements of historical
fiction which brings the events of the past to light &
allows children to become part of the story thus
retaining the memory.
Students need “historical empathy” to develop a
historical understanding…historical fiction provides
that tool.
18. Aim for broad coverage Focuses on a single
Important sources of subject and examines it
background information in depth
Many historical fiction Allows children to
works are full of encounter the
inaccuracies and complexities of historical
idealized views of the events
past. Describes ordinary
people catch up in major
historical events.
19. Offers answers to students’ questions
about the world
Helps readers develop consciousness of
how time and place influence who they
are
Children better understand themselves,
their community, culture and world
The problems of today can be
understood in light of times past
20. What role do you think
historical fiction should play in
the social studies, world
cultures, & history classroom?
