40+ of the Best 20th Century Historical Fiction Books for Middle School
Historical fiction books immerse middle school kiddos in both history and literature. But there are SO many options — begin with this list!
Middle school kiddos — by nature — are pretty focused on themselves & their little world. {If you have one of them, you may chuckle and say that’s an understatement.} It’s also a time when their ability to make bigger connections & delve deep makes a big jump. And — with a bit of scaffolding — they can put themselves into a view not their own.
And that’s why we use so many historical fiction books for middle school.
It has the ability to grab kids out of their world & plop them into another one — one with different ideas, experiences, and different views of history.
Whether it’s a book I read aloud to everyone, a book a kiddo reads individually, or an audiobook we listen to while driving, we all enjoy them.
About the list
While most of these books are true fiction, some of them — Unbroken & Hidden Figures, for example — are more biographical than fiction. I’ve included them, though, because they read like novels — and that’s what helps to make them engaging.
Some of these titles may be below your kiddo’s reading level. And that’s okay, too! Reading books at a lower level, especially high-interest/engaging ones, can build speed and fluency. It also gives kiddos (and us!) ‘permission’ to read anything that interests us. (Who amongst us hasn’t enjoyed a picture book, young adult literature, or even a reread of Baby Sitter’s Club??)
(YMMV, of course. Given the topics & age they’re geared at, some of these books may be too intense for younger kiddos or middle school kiddos who feel all the feels.)
World Wars 1 & 2
I had no idea how fascinating World War 1 was until we studied it in our homeschool. When it came time to study World War 2, we focused on not-the-battles — one of the best homeschool decisions I’ve made!
(There are more book suggestions in both of those links.)
- After the Dancing Days (World War I; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- Hattie Big Sky & Hattie Everlasting (World War I; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- The Harlem Hellfighters (WWI; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- Stay Where You Are & Then Leave (World War I; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- War Horse (World War I; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- The War That Saved My Life & The War I Finally Won (World War 2; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- Between Shades of Gray (Lithuania & Siberia in WW2, also in a novel format; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- Code Talker (WW2, Navajo; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- The Last Cherry Blossom (Hiroshima; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- The Plot to Kill Hitler (WW2; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (Jews & WW2; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
A story told from the viewpoint of a horse? Color me skeptical. But it didn’t take long to be drawn into this compelling story. Joey’s story of World War 1 and his longing to get back to his boy, Albert, will take you into the action & have you rooting for this unusual soldier.
Amazon, Bookshop.org
You may know Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a pastor or for his Christian writings. But a spy? Involved with a plot to assassinate Hitler?
This biography will helps kids grapple with situations when reality bumps up against our beliefs.
Amazon, Bookshop.org
Books for the Great Depression Era
- Bud Not Buddy
- Stella by Starlight
- Mighty Miss Malone
- Out of the Dust
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (10-book series spanning the Great Depression to Modern Day)
In recent years, there’s been more talk about boarding schools for Native American children in the early 1900s. Two Roads, in the way of 12-year-old Cal, takes you to one in 1932. Cal learns he’s a Creek when his father sends him to the school. Bruchac is a masterful storyteller of Native American stories.
Amazon, Bookshop.org
We know about the Great Depression stories of Midwestern farmers & city-dwellers. Hear about it from the view of Mexican migrant workers in this book based upon the stories of the author’s grandmother.
Amazon, Bookshop.org
Civil Rights Era – Modern Day
- One Crazy Summer (Civil Rights Era; on Bookshop, on Amazon, free with Kindle Unlimited)
- Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 (Civil Rights Era; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- The Lions of Little Rock (Civil Rights Era; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- Okay For Now (the late 1960s/Vietnam War; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- Going Over (1980s Berlin Wall; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (series spanning the Great Depression to Modern Day; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- One Half From the East (modern-day Afghanistan; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- The Breadwinner series (late 90s/early 2000s Afghanistan; on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- This Is Just a Test (on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- Revolution is Not a Dinner Party (on Bookshop, on Amazon)
- I Lived on Butterfly Hill (on Bookshop, on Amazon)
Why Bookshop.org?
Half-Price Books, Barnes & Noble, Amazon. They just can’t compete with the feeling of walking into a local bookstore. Their prices may be better, but the experiences just don’t compare.
Shopping on Bookshop.org is the next best thing. You get the convenience of shopping online while supporting your favorite independent bookstores.
When you shop on Bookshop.org, you choose your favorite bookstore & a portion of your purchase goes straight to that little shop that sets aside books they know your kiddos will love, always has quirky & interesting books up front, and the smell that only a bookstore can provide.
And a Few More Historical Fiction Ideas
- All of a Kind Family (early 1900s Jewish family; on Bookshop.org, on Amazon)
- The Hero Two Doors Down (Jackie Robinson; on Bookshop.org, on Amazon)
- Hidden Figures Young Person Edition (Space Race; on Bookshop.org, on Amazon)
- Refugee (Nazi Germany, 1990s Cuba, 2015 Syria; on Bookshop.org, on Amazon)
- The Other Side of the River (Mexican Revolution of 1910; on Bookshop.org, on Amazon)
- Chasing Secrets (San Fransisco in the Gilded Age; on Bookshop.org, on Amazon)
Based on a true story, the story of two brothers — separated from their mother — living in a UN refugee camp is both heartbreaking & heartwarming. The graphic novel style draws you into their world for an understanding of what life is really like in a refugee camp.
Amazon, Bookshop.org
5-year-old Tao Ailin knows what she wants & what she doesn’t. And what she doesn’t want is to have her feet bound in the traditional Chinese way. That decision ends her future engagement & shames her family. But it also sets forth a new future for Ailin.
Be sure to check out the sequel, too.
Amazon, Bookshop.org
They Read Like Fiction
Non-fiction books have come a long way since I was a kid! Or maybe I just didn’t have the right exposure. Whatever the case, non-fiction books that read like novels are some of my favorites.
This incredible story also has many complex & uncomfortable parts. Zamparini was a POW in Japan, after all. But it’s also one of hope. The hope of an Olympian, the hope of life & love after the war. *If your kiddos are sensitive or you have other concerns, preview it.*
Amazon, Bookshop.org
What do you really know about the Six-Day War? Life in Palestine? A Jordanian orphanage? This world is so large & so many things we’ll never know. That’s why memoirs like this one by Ibtisam Barakat are so important to share, especially in these middle years.
Amazon, Bookshop.org
What’s your favorite historical fiction for middle school?
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