Chapter 9: Historical Fiction

Historical Fiction genre takes place in the past and reading it provides an opportunity to view what it might have been like to live during another time period. A reader’s definition of history can be interpreted differently depending on the readers age. Like mentioned in the chapter, history might be something that happened this morning before school began, something that took place when they were younger, or something that took place before they were born. Criteria for evaluating historical fiction for children includes questioning if the book tells a good story that effortlessly blends the history in the story itself, are the facts of the historical period accurate, how are the values of the time brought to life, is everything consistent with the social milieu, and the does the theme of the story relate to contemporary readers. Evaluating historical fiction for children will clarify a reader’s perspective on a better understanding of historical fiction.