Historical Fiction

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is a great historical fiction book about the Holocaust. This book does a fantastic job of conveying what the people went through during the war, but it is also age appropriate. It describes to plight of a young girl, Annemarie. Annemarie lives in Denmark, and her best friend's family, the Rosens, are Jewish. The book follows the two families, and their attempts to keep the Rosens safe from the Nazis. This book is not very long, and it will keep the attention of many readers.

Grade Level Equivalent: 5.1

Bud, Not Buddy written by Christopher Paul Curtis is set during the great depression. It is about an orphan on the run from abusive foster parents in search of his father. Bud (not "Buddy") is certain that his father is a bass-player in the band, Dusky Devastators of the Depression. GE: 5.2

Little House on the Prairie written by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a nine book series based on growing up in a close and loving family in the difficult pioneer-days. Unforgettable stories from the author's childhood. GE: 4.6-5.8


The Watsons Go to Birmingham was a charming, powerful story about an African American family living in Flint, Michigan during the 1960s. The narrator of the story is Kenny. Kenny has a brother, Byron, who is an "official juvenile delinquent," and is constantly bullying Kenny. Kenny's sister is Joetta, who is a sweet little girl, and then there is mom and dad. Most of the book is hilarious story after story of the family's adventures, mainly focusing on Byron and Kenny. Byron would always get in trouble, and Kenny would always do something "stupid" that got him in trouble with his big brother. The family then decides to go visit Grandma in Birmingham, Alabama. Dad got their car, the Brown Bomber, all fixed up and ready to go. He even added a record player! Once the family gets to Birmingham, tragedy strikes, that will change their lives forever. This is a powerful story about America in the 1960s, and what the families had to endure. I would really recommend listening to this book with your child as an audiobook. The reader is awesome, and it really adds a lot to the already amazingly written book. Just to warn you, there are a few cuss words in the book, which I was frustrated about-because other than that, I do think this a book the younger kids (3rd grade and up) could read. The words were used when Byron was talking to Kenny, and I'm pretty sure it was only twice.