Defining Historical Fiction
This genre helps readers locate themselves in the larger continuum of life by comparing current experiences to the past.
What is Historical Fiction?
This award honors an outstanding children’s historical fiction book by a U.S. citizen set in the New World.
What is the Scott O’Dell Award?
This term describes the detailed physical and cultural environment necessary for historical fiction.
What is an authentic period setting?
This Newbery Medal-winning book by Elizabeth George Speare tells the story of a Puritan girl accused of witchcraft.
What is The Witch of Blackbird Pond?
This theme focuses on understanding and appreciating human diversity across time and place.
What is redefining difference?
Historical fiction is a blend of historical facts and these two creative elements.
What are imaginary characters and invented plots?
These two literary elements are particularly significant in historical fiction.
What are setting and point of view?
This book by Linda Sue Park offers a counternarrative to "Little Town on the Prairie" by addressing racism and respectful relationships with Indigenous peoples.
What is Prairie Lotus?
This survival story featuring a female protagonist is based on the true story of an Indigenous woman.
What is Island of the Blue Dolphins?
Historical fiction often helps children see connections between these two time frames.
What are the past and present?
The process of creating dialogue in historical fiction involves balancing authenticity with this.
What is understandability for children?
When evaluating historical fiction, these two things must be considered to reflect traditions and norms of the time.
What are the characters’ actions and thoughts?
Historical fiction books often challenge this type of narrative found in older textbooks.
What is the colonizers’ perspective or one-sided narrative?
This series by Louise Erdrich offers a counterpoint to the Little House books by focusing on an Ojibwe family.
What is the Birchbark House series?
This book about a boy in 1952 Pennsylvania highlights the value of everyday adventures.
What is Dead End in Norvelt?
This is the minimum number of years in the past a story must be set to be considered historical fiction.
What is 20 years?
The dialogue in historical fiction must strike a balance between retaining the language of the time and avoiding this modern element.
What is contemporary slang?
This historical event is the backdrop for Veera Hiranandani’s The Night Diary.
What is the 1947 Partition of India?
This book by Thanhha Lai depicts the experiences of a Vietnamese immigrant family in 1975 Alabama.
What is Inside Out & Back Again?
Louise Erdrich’s "Makoons" is about these two Ojibwe boys exploring daily life on the plains. What are the names of the boys?
Who are Makoons and Chickadee?
Authors of historical fiction often include these two types of real figures to add authenticity to their stories.
What are historical figures and people from the author’s life?
Authors of historical fiction often strive to integrate differing interpretations of events by adding this to their characters.
What are multiple perspectives?
Reading differing perspectives on this occupation during WWII invites readers to explore how point of view impacts characters’ beliefs and actions.
What is the Japanese occupation of Korea?
This book by Anne Blankman follows fictional characters during the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
What is The Blackbird Girls?
Thematic units in historical fiction can be organized around these two concepts.
What are historical periods and universal themes?