Historical Fiction
Historical Fiction: Coming of Age During Famous Events of the Past
Choose a book you have NOT read before.
Audiobooks are GREAT! Listening to a book definitely counts as reading, as long as you're paying attention. This is a great option if you have a hard time sitting still or staying focused while reading. Most of these books have audiobooks that are narrated by the author, which makes them even more interesting.
Some books may contain strong language or content that may not be suitable for all readers. Students and parents with concerns about content are encouraged to preview the books using websites like Common Sense Media or Goodreads to choose a book that is suitable for them, and students may switch books at any time. Students and parents may request inclusion of a book not on this list by contacting Ms. Barnes (barnesa3@gcsnc.com) for approval.
Click on any of the book covers below to learn more about that book. Each book cover links to the Storygraph page for that book, where you will find a summary, reviews from other readers, content warnings, and information on where to purchase or borrow the book.
Randi Pink
Set during the Greenwood Massacre in Tulsa in 1921
Two black teenagers get a job working for the local library. They disagree on how black people should improve their lives, but they find themselves falling for each other, until tragedy strikes.
Daniel Black
Set in the 1940s American south
A black family living in the rural south must deal with the discovery that their youngest child, who has been raised as a girl, was actually born as a boy. When the child begins living as a boy again at age 7, things get complicated.
Tonya Bolden
Set in 1919 in Washington, DC
A young woman from a wealthy black family learns about the world she has been sheltered from and joins the suffragette movement to fight for women's rights to vote.
Christina Hammonds Reed
Set in Los Angeles, CA during the 1992 riots after the death of Rodney King
A wealthy black teenager's sheltered bubble is shattered when violence erupts because four police officers are acquitted for violently beating a black man.
Kekla Magoon and Ilyasah Shabazz
A semi-biographical story of Malcolm X's childhood and young adulthood, exploring the experiences that turned him into the revolutionary civil rights leader that he became.
Markus Zusak
Set in Germany during WWII & the Holocaust
A story of a family secretly defying the Nazis. Liesl steals banned books from Nazi book burnings, while her adoptive parents hide a Jew in their basement.
Jesmyn Ward
Set in Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina
Esch is fourteen and pregnant, and she isn't sure what she's going to do. She's already acting like a mom for her three brothers while her dad struggles to keep them fed. When Hurricane Katrina rips through her small town in Louisiana, her family's bond is tested as they fight for survival.
Khaled Hosseini
Set in Afghanistan in the 1960s and early 2000s
Amir, son of a wealthy merchant and member of the ruling caste, is close friends with Hassan, a member of the impoverished and despised Hazara caste. When Amir abandons Hassan during a vicious attack, the boys grow apart, and Amir must learn to deal with the guilt, take responsibility, and repair his friendship.
*This book includes a scene of sexual assault that may be triggering for some readers.
Zora Neale Hurston
Set in Eatonville, Florida in the early 1900s
A love story in which a young black woman explores her identity, looks for romance, and finds personal freedom.
Betty Smith
Set in Brooklyn, NY during the early 1900s
A teenage girl growing up in Brooklyn overcomes her family's poverty, her father's alcoholism, the difficulties of wartime America, and the Great Depression
Louisa May Alcott
Set in Boston during the Civil War
The story of four sisters growing up in Civil War America, pursuing their dreams of love, family, and career.
Stephen Crane
Set in Virginia during the Civil War (Battle of Chancellorsville)
A young soldier joins the Union army to fight in the Civil War and must find the courage in himself to fight for his country.