{"id":211,"date":"2021-04-28T20:59:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-28T20:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cerealreaders.com\/blog\/?p=211"},"modified":"2025-09-18T18:00:31","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T18:00:31","slug":"5-reasons-why-historical-fiction-books-are-good-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cerealreaders.com\/blog\/5-reasons-why-historical-fiction-books-are-good-for-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons Why Historical Fiction Books are Good for Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Historical fiction has a number of benefits for children, from early readers through to young adults.\u00a0Stories set against past events and time periods open up reading enjoyment, contextual learning and intergenerational connections – not to mention, learning about history itself!<\/p>

Kids historical fiction provides readers with all of the following:<\/p>

  1. Creates a context for current events and how they have been shaped by the past.<\/li>
  2. Provides for exploration of human interaction and behaviour in extreme circumstances.<\/li>
  3. Educates about history in a more compelling and memorable way.<\/li>
  4. Helps bridge generational divides by bringing to life formative periods of older relatives.<\/li>
  5. Fires the imagination and builds a greater appreciation for changes locally and globally.<\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    \n\t\t\t\tHistorical fiction tells the stories of ordinary people living in extraordinary times, and extraordinary people living in ordinary times. For me, it\u2019s like a time machine. \t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEllen Klages<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTweet<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"covid-as-a-period-in-histroy-800x485px\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    In the past year, we’ve abruptly found ourselves living through a significant event in world history. For those not yet born, the pandemic will no doubt develop its own mystique in the decades to come. Consequently, I\u2019ve found myself wondering lately: How will this period of history be fictionalized? How will COVID be used in kids’ historical fiction as it forms part of stories written for future generations of children? It’s a little surreal to think about.<\/p>

    I never imagined I\u2019d experience, first-hand, a piece of world history. I\u2019ve grown up with so many galvanizing events of the last century in the review mirror: World Wars I and II, the Great Depression, the Cold War, while medical catastrophes like the Spanish Influenza (1918) and the Black Death (mid-1300s) seemed even more remote and \u2013 to my mind, at least \u2014 well-anchored in another time period completely. After all, didn\u2019t modern health and medical knowledge make such concerns barely a consideration? As we can all attest now with the arrival of the COVID pandemic, the answer is clearly: \u201cNo\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>

    We have lived the world event \u2014 are<\/em> living it, and will continue to live it for some time. It’s changed children’s lives in countless ways, many of those not yet fully realised. So, how will children’s authors unpack all those experiences when writing books for kids’ on historical fiction?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    How Will Historical Fiction Represent COVID?<\/h2>
    I am interested to see what unfolds for children\u2019s and young adult fiction. I envisage a range of realist fiction exploring rapid and pivotal life changes, coping with fear and isolation, championing resilience and adaptability, and blossoming teen romances hindered by the virus.\u00a0\u00a0<\/div>
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    There are certainly many coming-of-age perspectives that could be mined, including financial hardships, family tensions and disrupted lives –\u00a0 seemingly countless scenarios to explore!<\/div>
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    I imagine there will also be a resurgence of dystopian fiction<\/a> based around virus infection, rather than totalitarian reigns. Swift societal controls that start for the purest of intentions but become corrupted over time, as well as, nefarious vaccination tales.<\/div>
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    But perspective is a key ingredient to a good story, especially when paired with considered\u00a0 reflection. That’s why contemporary authors are still producing powerful children’s literature set against the trials of previous historical events, such as the World Wars I and II, as well as numerous other cultural events and conflicts.\u00a0<\/div>
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    We will need to wait and see what lessons the history of the COVID pandemic will provide through historical fiction. For now, however, there’s a wealth of available historical fiction for children and teens, set against global past events.<\/div>
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    Read on for recommendations on some wonderful historical fiction book series for kids.<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    What are the Benefits of Kids Historical Fiction Books?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Recommended Historical Fiction Books for Children<\/h2>
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    Children’s historical fiction books have developed as a\u00a0 series genre in recent decades. As a result, a number of interesting sub-genres are available to engage readers, depending on a child’s age and interests.<\/div>
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    Here is a guide with classifications to help you determine suitable content:<\/div>
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