This document defines historical fiction as realistic stories set in the past that weave fictional stories around actual historical events and people. It discusses the values of historical fiction, such as helping children experience and understand the past, see human interdependence, and develop perspective on contemporary issues. The document provides evaluation criteria for historical fiction, such as whether the story is engaging, accurate, authentic, and reflective of the time period. It lists accurate background details, appropriate language, and insight into modern problems as important. Finally, it briefly summarizes three quality examples of historical fiction books.

1. Historical Fiction

2. Definition
• This genre “can be used to designate all realistic stories
that are set in the past”
• the weaving of “a fictional story around actual events
and people of the past”
(Kiefer & Tyson, 2014, p. 232)

3. Values of Historical
Fiction
• Helps children experience the past
• Encourages children to think as well as feel
• Helps children see and judge the mistakes of the past
more clearly
• Helps children see that times change but universal human
needs have remained relatively unchanged
• Helps children see human interdependence
• Helps children develop a feeling for the continuity of life
and see themselves as part of a larger picture

4. Evaluation Criteria
• Does the book tell a good story?
• Is the story accurate & authentic as possible?
• Any background information to distinguish fact from
fiction?
• Does the story accurately reflect the values & norms of
the culture?
• Does the author provide any contradiction or distortion of
the events in history?
• Are the background details authentic?

5. Evaluation Criteria (cont.)
• Does the story accurately reflect the values & spirit of the
time?
• Are the different points of view on the issues of the time
presented or acknowledged?
• Does the dialogue convey a feeling of the period without
seeming artificial?
• Is the language of the narrative appropriate to the time?
• Does the theme provide insight and understanding for
today’s problems as well as those of the past?

6. A Few Quality Historical Fiction Titles
Title Author Description
Henry’s
Freedom Box
Ellen
Levine
A slave from the South during the Civil War era manages to
escape by constructing a wooden crate box and mailing
himself to the North to freedom.
Keeping Score Linda Sue
Park
A 10-year old girl learns to keep score in baseball games
from the new guy in town and forms a special bond with
him. He soon gets drafted to the war in Korea and returns
with post-war trauma. She starts to feel hopeless but in the
end, learns to be believe and hope.
Born and Bred
in the Great
Depression
Jonah
Winter
Talking to his son, a father retells the story of his father he
grew up during the Great Depression. A poignant
description of the difficult times during the period serves as
background to heartwarming memories of what it means to
appreciate that the important things in life are free.

7. Reference
Kiefer, B. Z. & Tyson, C. A. (2014). Charlotte Huck’s
children’s literature: A brief guide (2nd ed.). New York,
NY: McGraw-Hill.