Historical Young Adult Fiction Around the World
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Article in Young Adult Fiction, Location, Historical, and Diversity categories.
Contents |
North America
Canada
- Another Shore by Nancy Bond (18th Century)
- Lyn, who works in a reconstructed colonial settlement in Nova Scotia, finds herself transported back to 1744, when the French inhabitants are at war with England.
- The Broken Blade by William Durban (18th and 19th Century)
- When an injury keeps his father from going into northern Canada with fur traders, 13-year old Pierre decides to take his father's place.
- Dust by Arthur Slade (1930s)
- A stranger shows up in Robert's Saskatchewan town during the Dust Bowl years of the Depression, promising to bring rain to the community, but at the same time area children begin to mysteriously disappear.
Mexico
- In the Shadow of the Alamo by Sherry Garland (19th Century)
- 15-year-old Lorenzo is conscripted into the Mexican Army and finds himself in the middle of the battle for the Alamo against the Americans.
Dominican Republic
- Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez (1960s)
- In the midst of a reign of terror in the Dominican Republic, Anita discovers that her father and uncle are in a plot to overthrow the dictator.
Latin America
Argentina
- The Disappeared by Gloria Whelan (1970s)
- Silvia is determined to save her brother after he is captured and imprisoned because of his political activism.
Europe
- The Ramsay Scallop by Frances Temple (14th Century)
- Elenor and Thomas, unhapy at being chosen by their families to be wed, discover love and respect for each other during a pilgrimage taking them across Europe to Spain.
Check the titles in Holocaust fiction for stories from the era of World War II.
Great Britain
- Song for a Dark Queen by Rosemary Sutcliff (England, 1st Century)
- A fictional account of the life of Boudicca, queen of the Iceni, who led British tribes in a revolt against the Romans in 62 A.D.
- Frontier Wolf by Rosemary Sutcliff (England, 4th Century)
- An inexperienced Roman army officer is sent to England as a punishment to command a group known as the Frontier Wolves.
- Black Horses for the King by Anne McCaffrey (England, 6th Century)
- Galwyn, son of a Roman Celt, escapes from his tyrannical uncle and joins King Arthur to acquire the Libyan horses that Arthur hopes to use in battle against the Saxons.
- The King's Shadow by Elizabeth Alder (England/Wales 11th Century)
- Evyn's experiences as slave to King Harold of England.
- The Winter Hare by Joan E. Goodman (England, 12th Century)
- Will's dreams of experiencing the adventure and excitement of aknight come true when, as a page at his uncle's castle, he becomes involved in a battle for control of the English throne.
- Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman (England, Middle Ages)
- Catherine knows the limitations of women in the Middle Ages, but her diary tells of her dreams of adventure and her efforts to avoid being married off until she experiences those adventures.
- The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman (England, Middle Ages)
- In medieval England, a homeless girl is taken in by a midwife and finds stability and a purpose in life.
- Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur by Jane Yolen (England, Middle Ages)
- King Arthur prepares to assure his role as the rightful ruler of England, which will be guaranteed to the person who removes a sword placed in a stone by the magician Merlinnus...until someone else removes the sword first.
- Quest for a Kelpie by Frances Hendry (Scotland, 18th Century)
- During the Scottish uprising against the English throne, Jeannie's loved ones are in great danger, and she must seek out the Kelpie, a Scottish spirit in the form of a horse, in the hopes of saving her family.
- The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman (England, 19th Century)
- Sally, recently orphaned, becomes involved in a deadly search for a mysterious ruby.
- Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman (England, 19th Century)
- Sally tackles the mystery surrounding the 1878 collapse of a shipping firm and its ties to the sinister North Star.
- The Tiger in the Well by Philip Pullman (England, 19th Century)
- In London in 1881, Sally finds her young daughter and her possessions assailed by an unknown enemy, while a shadowy figure involves her in his plot to defraud and exploit recent immigrants.
- Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman? by Eleanor Updale (England, 19th Century)
- In Victorian-era London, a badly injured thief is brought back to health by an innovative physician and uses the knowledge he has gained about the city's new sewer system to create a profitable dual life for himself. Continued in *Montmorency on the Rocks: Doctor, Aristocrat, Murderer?, *Montmorency and the Assassins, and *Montmorency's Revenge.
- Good Night, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian (England, World War II)
- A battered child learns to trust again when he is adopted by an old man during World War II.
France
- Dove and Sword by Nancy Garden (15th Century)
- In this fictionalized account, Gabrielle joins her friend Joan of Arc on a pilgrimage to learn about the art of healing and to help crown the French king.
- The Burning Time by Carol Matas(16th Century)
- In a very oppressive, hysterical era, Rose's mother is accused of being a witch, and Rose is challenged with clearing her name.
- The Hunted by Peter Carter (World War II)
- In this gripping story of one soldier's efforts to save a Jewish boy from the Nazis, the quiet heroics of ordinary people caught in war come to life.
- Waiting for Anya by Michael Morpurgo (World War II)
- With German soldiers rapidly advancing on France, Jo and Benjamin devise an escape plan for Jews being hidden in the area.
Netherlands
- Postcards from No Man's Land by Aidan Chambers (World War II)
- A modern story of Jacob, an English teen who travels to Amsterdam and meets a Dutch woman who had cared for his soldier grandfather when he was wounded in battle alternates with an historical tale narrated by the woman about her relationship with Jacob's grandfather during World War II.
Denmark
- Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (World War II)
- Annemarie helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis during Germany's occupation of Denmark during World War II.
Germany
- Chase Me, Catch Nobody by Erik Christian Haugaard (1930's)
- On a school trip to Germany in 1937, a Danish boy becomes involved in the activities of the anti-Nazi underground.
- The Final Journey by Gudrun Pausewang (World War II)
- Alice has lived hidden away with her grandparents in Nazi Germany. But they have been discovered and are now riding on a train with other Jews to an unknown destination.
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (World War II)
- Death tells the story of a young girl in World War II-era Germany, whose book stealing helps to sustain her and others around her through the horrors of the war.
Austria
- The Devil in Vienna by Doris Origel (World War II)
- A Jewish girl and the daughter of a Nazi have been best friends for years, but with the onset of World War II, they find their friendship difficult to maintain.
Italy
- The Apprentice by Pilar Molina Llorente (Renaissance)
- Working as an artist's apprentice in Renaissance Florence, Arduino makes a discovery that may cost him the chance to become a painter.
- Stones in Water by Donna Jo Napoli (World War II)
- During World War II, Roberto is captured by Nazi soldiers and taken out of Italy to a concentration camp in Ukraine, where he struggles to escape. The story continues in *Fire in the Hills.
Poland
- King Matt the First by Janusz Korczak (19th Century)
- Upon his father's death, Matt becomes both an orphan and a king. His hope is for children and adults to truly understand one another, but his idealism is viewed with suspicion by others in power.
- The Man from the Other Side by Uri Orlev (World War II)
- Living on the outskirts of the Warsaw ghetto during World War II, Marek and his grandparents shelter a Jewish man from the Nazis.
Greece
- Inside the Walls of Troy by Clemence McLaren (Ancient Greece)
- A fictional account of the Trojan War, as told by Helen of Troy and Cassandra.
Africa
Morocco
- The Beduin's Gazelle by Frances Temple (14th Century)
- In this sequel to *The Ramsay Scallop, Etienne reaches the Middle East in 1302, where he meets an engaged couple who are separated because of warring tribes.
Northwestern Africa
- The Legend of Tarik by Walter Dean Myers (Middle Ages)
- After witnessing the annihilationh of his people by El Muerte's legions, Tarik undergoes training in order to destroy the fierce leader.
Egypt
- Pharaoh's Daughter by Julius Lester (Ancient Egypt)
- A retelling of the story of Moses and his sister Almah, told from both their viewpoints.
Nigeria
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (19th Century)
- Okonkwo and his family see their native ways challenged when his favorite son converts to Christianity.
Middle East
Israel
- Song of the Magdalene by Donna Jo Napoli (Ancient Israel)
- The story of Miriam, who grows up in ancient Israel to become Mary Magdalene.
- After the War by Carol Matas(1940's)
- Having survived the Holocaust, Ruth is recruited by the Jewish underground to help smuggle children into Palestine.
- The Garden by Carol Matas (1940's)
- In this sequel to AFTER THE WAR, Ruth and her friends are struggling for the formation of a Jewish state.
- The Lady with the Hat by Uri Orlev (1940's)
- Yulek, believing he's the only member of his family to survive the German concentration camps during World War II, joins other Jews who are headed for a kibbutz in Israel, unaware that his aunt in London is trying to find him.
Asia
India
- Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth (1940s)
- Thirteen-year-old Leela's structured life and arranged marriage comes to an end when her husband dies, leaving her a widow but also aware for the first time of the changes taking place in India during the era of Gandhi's reforms.
China
- The Examination by Malcolm Bosse (15th Century)
- Brothers Chen and Hong experience adventure and a secret society while traveling across the country in order for Chen to take government examinations that will determine his future.
- Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom by Katherine Paterson (19th Century)
- After being abducted by bandits, Wang Lee is rescued from slavery by a girl who introduces him to a secret society planning the overthrow of the Manchu government.
Mongolia
- I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane L. Wilson (13th Century)
- Oyuna's dream is to become a great horsewoman, but when Kublai Khan's soldiers raid her village and take all the horses, she disguises herself as a boy to remain with the herd.
Japan
- Sisters of the Sword by Maya Snow (13th Century)
- The daughters of a Japanese feudal lord, barred from being samurai due to their gender, disguise themselves as boys to seek revenge against a relative who had betrayed the family. The story continues in *Chasing the Secret and *Journey through Fire.
- The Samurai's Tale by Erik Christian Haugaard (16th Century)
- Taro, an orphan, is taken in by a great warlord and grows up to be a samurai fighting for the enemies of his dead family.
- Samurai Shortstop by Alan Gratz (late 19th Century)
- Sixteen-year-old Toyo is receiving a modern education in the changing Japanese society of the 1890s but learns to draw from traditional practices as well when playing on his school's baseball team.
Korea
- Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi (1940's)
- Sookan survives the oppressive Japanese and Russian occupation of North Korea and later escapes to freedom in South Korea.
Australia and South Pacific
New Zealand
- In Lane Three, Alex Archer by Tessa Duder (1960's)
- Alex struggles to overcome personal trauma and hardship as she competes with a rival for a spot on New Zealand's swimming team at the 1960 Olympics.
