Historical fiction

Fleischman, P. (1990). Saturnalia. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

In this novel, Paul Fleischman tells a many-sided tale of masters and servants while telling the story of the Puritans' Indian Wars. It is set in Boston in 1681. Fourteen-year-old William lives a contented life as an apprentice after being captured six years before but he is increasingly anxious to learn more about his Indian past. This book is intended for ages twelve and up and would be an appropriate historical fiction selection for a middle school reader. Saturnalia was an actual feast celebrated by the Romans to celebrate a reversal of roles (of servants and masters).

Sis, P. (1993). A Small Tall Tale from the Far Far North. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

A Small Tall Tale from the Far Far North is the story of Jan Welzl. With the help of Eskimos, Welzl survives a perilous journey from central Europe to the Arctic regions in the late 1800s . Inspired by the memoirs of this Czech folk hero this book mixes the actual words of Welzl and tall tale. The illustrations, also done by Peter Sis, were done in colored inks and watercolors - they are great and lend to the feel of the story. It was the New York Times best illustrated book of the year and an ALA notable children's book. This book is recommended for ages 5-10 but could easily be used in an elementary or middle school classroom when studying explorers or tall tales. Even though it is a picture book, it is a great historical selection for a middle school class because of the story and the images are so sophisticated. A Small Tall Tale is also a fantastic survival story. It would be great for teaching standards on survival, Eskimos, explorers, or tall tales.

Sis, P. (1991). Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.

In this pictorial storytelling, also by Peter Sis, Christopher Columbus overcomes a number of obstacles to fulfill his dream of sailing west to find a new route to the Orient. Most students know who Columbus is but they do not know a lot about him and his journey. I would use this book in sixth grade Social Studies at the beginning of the year when we cover the European explorers. We also talk about maps and how little the explorers knew about the globe and where things were located. Although this book is recommended for elementary grades, it could easily be used in a middle school classroom.