At Prestwick House, we love historical fiction! From introducing new perspectives to bringing important figures, events, and locations to life, this literary genre has the power to change how students interpret the world around them.

Here are 10 stories that will transport your middle school students to another time.

Stella by Starlight

Stella Mills and her family live in the Depression-era South, a dark time in United States history when Jim Crow laws were in full effect. When the Ku Klux Klan rallies one night outside of town, life in Stella’s segregated community takes a turn for the worse. Written from Stella’s perspective, this novel by bestselling author Sharon Draper conveys a tale of bravery and hope in an accessible and inspiring way.

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Inside Out & Back Again

Written as a series of free-verse poems, Inside Out & Back Again tells the story of Hà, a young girl living in Saigon during the 1970s. When the Vietnam War finally reaches her hometown, Hà and her family are forced to relocate to America for safety. Author Thanhha Lai draws upon her own experiences as a refugee to realistically convey Hà’s struggle to adapt to a new life and a new country.

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Chains

Becoming increasingly popular in classrooms, Chains is the first book in Laurie Halse Anderson’s Seeds of America trilogy. Taking place during the American Revolution, this novel follows thirteen-year-old Isabel and her own fight for freedom. A slave in a Loyalist house, Isabel becomes a reluctant spy for the Colonists after discovering her owners are working for the British. Although Isabel’s story is fictional, Anderson weaves plenty of historically accurate events throughout the narrative, such as the foiled plot to assassinate George Washington in 1776.

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Refugee

Three different refugee stories spanning time and place come together in this gripping book by Alan Gratz. In 1939 Nazi Germany, a Jewish boy named Josef narrowly avoids persecution by boarding a ship bound for the Americas. Decades later in 1994, a Cuban girl named Isabel crosses the ocean to escape the violence and political unrest plaguing her country. And in 2015, after the destruction of his homeland, Mahmoud, a Syrian boy, embarks on a harrowing journey to Europe. Though bleak at times, Refugee ultimately conveys a message of hope that your students will appreciate.

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Esperanza Rising

When tragedy strikes Esperanza Ortega’s wealthy and respected family, they must abandon their ranch in Mexico and head to the United States to start anew. However, their already unfortunate situation worsens, as the country is facing the Great Depression. Though unwilling at first to accept her new life of poverty, Esperanza eventually realizes she must change in order to survive. Both insightful and sincere, the emotional quality of this "riches-to-rags" story will surely captivate your class.

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The Wednesday Wars

The Wednesday Wars is a 1960s-era coming-of-age tale centered around seventh grader Holling Hoodhood. Holling isn’t thrilled when he finds himself stuck in weekly one-on-one Shakespeare lessons with his strict teacher, Mrs. Baker. But over the course of his so-called “torture sessions,” Holling develops an appreciation for both the Bard’s work and Mrs. Baker’s determination to help him grow as a person. Though not the novel’s main focus, watershed moments of the 1960s, including the shooting of Martin Luther King Jr. and the ongoing Vietnam War, add a layer of realism to Holling’s story.

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Blood on the River

In Blood on the River, the legend of Captain John Smith and the settling of Jamestown are reimagined through the perspective of twelve-year-old Samuel Collier. Promised the adventure of a lifetime, Samuel leaves London to become John Smith’s page in the New World. But settling Jamestown will be no easy feat, as internal fighting among the English and the outside influence of the native Powhatan Empire both threaten the colony. To further inform readers, author Elisa Carbone includes a factual guide describing Virginia’s colonization and links to primary sources at the end of the book.

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Salt to the Sea

Ruta Sepetys’s historical novel sheds light on the deadliest—and often forgotten—maritime disaster in history, the sinking of the refugee-laden Wilhelm Gustloff. Told in alternating points of view, Salt to the Sea follows four young adults, all of whom are fleeing World War II-era Prussia, on board the doomed ship. Though recognized for its historical value, Salt to the Sea is ultimately a coming-of-age tale, as each character must overcome the ghosts of the past in the time leading up to the ship’s fateful day.

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Wonderstruck

In this remarkable illustrated novel, two children, born 50 years apart, begin parallel journeys that lead them to the Museum of Natural History. In 1928, a deaf girl named Rose searches for her absent mother, the silent-film actress Lillian Mayhew. Meanwhile, in 1977, Ben, a boy rendered deaf from an accident, sets out on his own to find his mysterious father. Under the backdrop of 1970s New York City, the pair meet in an unlikely way. Told through both prose and pictures, Wonderstruck will have even the most reluctant readers eager to read more.

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A Long Walk to Water

Blending the true story of Salva Dut, one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan," and the fictional account of a girl named Nya, A Long Walk to Water examines the plight of children in rural Sudan. In 1985, after being separated from his family during the Second Sudanese Civil War, Salva embarks on a dangerous journey to a refugee camp. Years later in 2008, Nya must trek to a pond miles away from her family’s home in order to access safe drinking water. Author Linda Sue Park wrote the book to build awareness for Salva’s program, Water for South Sudan, which installs wells in villages to give people safer access to clean water.

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Do you have any questions about books or need recommendations for your class? Leave a comment below, or send an email to info@prestwickhouse.com. We’re happy to help!