Historical Fiction Unit Novel Choices

A Parcel of Patterns by Jill Paton Walsh

Perspective: English teenage girl
Historical Event: Bubonic Plague in England
Reading Level: Lexile=1230
Summary: “‘A parcel of patterns brought the plague to Eyam. A parcel sent up from London to George Vicars, a journeyman tailor, who was lodging with Mrs. Cooper in a cottage by the west end of the churchyard.’ So begins Mall Percival's account of how her village of Eyam struggled against the plague. George Vicars dies on September 6, 1665, and by the end of October, twenty-five more townsfolk have been buried. As the deaths continue, the villagers, including Mall, begin to panic--helpless to fight off the disease. Uncertain as to how it is contracted and passed from one person to another, Mall forces herself to make a sacrifice that radically changes her life … Mall, overwhelmed by grief and sorrow, decides to write a chronicle of all she has witnessed in Eyam, hoping that it will set her free.”

Perspective: Spanish Muslim family, perspectives of 2 sons and 1 daughter
Historical Event: Spanish Inquisition after the fall of Muslim Granada
Reading Level: Lexile=1060
Summary: “Tariq Ali tells us the story of the aftermath of the fall of Granada by narrating a family saga of those who tried to survive after the collapse of their world. Ali is particularly deft at evoking what life must have been like for those doomed inhabitants, besieged on all sides by intolerant Christendom. ‘This is a novel that have something to say, and says it well.’ —The Guardian”

David by Mary Hoffman

Perspective: Italian teenage boy, 1st person
Historical Event: Italian Renaissance
Reading Level: Lexile=~960
Summary: “Michelangelo's statue, David, is famous around the world. Millions flock to Italy every year to admire the physical perfection of the young man captured within the marble. But the identity of the model has never been known . . . until now. In this epic tale, acclaimed author Mary Hoffman imagines the story of Gabriele, a naive but incredibly handsome young man who is hired as Michelangelo's model, only to find himself drawn into a world of spies, political treachery, and murder. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Florence in its most turbulent times, this rich, colorful, thrilling tale gives life to one of the world's greatest masterpieces.”

The Samurai’s Tale by Eric Haugaard

Perspective: teenage Japanese boy, 1st person
Historical Event: Feudal Japan in the Sengoku Period
Reading Level: Lexile=960
Summary: “When the powerful Lord Takeda’s soldiers sweep across the countryside, killing and plundering, they spare the boy Taro’s life and take him along with them. Taro becomes a servant in the household of the noble Lord Akiyama, where he meets Togan, a cook, who teaches Taro and makes his new life bearable. But when Togan is murdered, Taro’s life takes a new direction: He will become a samurai, and redeem the family legacy that has been stolen from him.”

Nobody’s Slave by Tim Vicary

Perspective: English adolescent boy and African adolescent boy, 3rd person
Historical Event: Inter-African and Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade from Africa to South America
Reading Level: Lexile=~880
Summary: “Two boys meet on a voyage that transforms their lives. Madu, a young African, is captured by the English slave-trader, Sir John Hawkins. Tom Oakley is a young sailor in charge of the slaves. At first the two boys hate each other. But as the story develops their roles are reversed, and they become closer friends than either would have once believed possible. This is a fast-moving drama based around real historical events. History as you never learned it in school!”

Incantation by Alice Hoffman

Perspective: Spanish-Jewish teenage girl, 3rd person
Historical Event: Spanish Inquisition in Spain
Reading Level: Lexile=730 with audio version
Summary: “Estrella is a Marrano: During the time of the Spanish Inquisition, she is one of a community of Spanish Jews living double lives as Catholics. And she is living in a house of secrets, raised by a family who practices underground the ancient and mysterious way of wisdom known as kabbalah. When Estrella discovers her family's true identity--and her family's secrets are made public--she confronts a world she's never imagined, where new love burns and where friendship ends in flame and ash, where trust is all but vanquished and betrayal has tragic and bitter consequences.”