Samantha  00:00

Welcome back to Creating Joyful Readers. In the last episode, I encouraged you to introduce historical fiction to your students. I gave five specific examples of types of students who would love the genre. Today, I’m taking those student archetypes and recommending an amazing historical fiction novel that would pair well with their personality. I’ve got some great books to share today, and I know you’re going to help your students fall in love with historical fiction. So hang on, joyful readers. You’re going to want to hear all about these recs. You’ll likely have a student or three in mind who you’re dying to suggest a title to. 

Samantha  00:37

Welcome to Creating Joyful Readers, a podcast dedicated to empowering secondary educators with the tools, strategies and inspiration to cultivate a lifelong love of reading in their students. I’m your host, Samantha. Tune in each week as we explore the transformative power of independent reading. Delve into the latest research on literacy, dissect projects that will help your students showcase what they’ve learned in a unique way and share curated recommendations of young adult novels that will captivate and engage your learners. Join in as we embark on a journey to create joyful lifelong readers one book at a time. 

Samantha  01:13

Reading is such a deeply personal process that pairing students with the right book is integral in creating thriving lifelong readers. If students can’t see the value and sheer enjoyment of reading, they aren’t going to want to do it. In today’s world, there are so many distractions that even the most dedicated readers, including myself, can easily find themselves tapped out of the habit. That’s why I’m so passionate about helping young people find the books that make them want to keep reading. Personality and preference is a huge part of choosing just right books, and so is exposure. Giving students opportunities to interact with genres and formats they wouldn’t normally gravitate towards helps them not only be able to choose their own reading material in the future, but it also allows them to try on genres they don’t even realize they might enjoy. The titles I’m going to suggest today are fresh reads that I know your students will love. I have years of experience evaluating books in the young adult genre, and know that these specific books will be a slam dunk, so you don’t have to spend all your time searching. Today we’re going to talk about different types of students who would enjoy historical fiction and then a book recommendation based on that personality type. I want to note before we continue that, although I’m listing the grade level in Lexile for each book, please do not discourage a reader from picking up a title for independent reading that is below the recommended level. Many books in the YA genre have a lower Lexile level, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t packed with themes and ideas that are complex. Sure, some of these texts might not be full blown anchor texts, but they all have value no matter what age the reader is. I can say with full confidence that I’ve read all of these and enjoyed them even as an adult. I continue to give recommended grade levels as well as the Lexile, so you aren’t handing seventh graders texts that probably better suited for older high schoolers, but I would never tell an older student that they can’t read a text they’re interested in, just because the Lexile is lower than recommended. The point here is to hook students with books they’re interested in reading. Sometimes those books just happen to have lower Lexile levels. 

Samantha  03:12

Alright, first up, we’ve got the history buff. These are students fascinated by the past, who enjoy learning about historical events, figures, and cultures, who will appreciate how historical fiction brings history to life. For this student, I’m recommending the gold standard, Ruta Sepetys. Sepetys is an incredibly talented author and does extremely thorough research before writing. The other thing I love about Sepetys’ work is that she often writes about lesser known places and time periods which provide a very interesting reading experience. Any of her books are well worth handing to a student, although it’s incredibly hard to pick just one title from her backlog, because she’s got plenty. I’m going to recommend I Must Betray You. This book is listed for grades seven and up, and reads at a Lexile of 500. In 1989 Romania, as communist regimes across Europe are falling. 17 year old Christian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer in a country suffocated by fear and control under the oppressive rule of Nikolai Ceausescu, Christian faces a dire choice. Betray those he loves as an informer for the secret police, or risk everything to expose the regime’s horrors and fight for freedom. What I love most about I Must Betray You, is how much I learned about Romania. I knew just about nothing about this place or time period, and left with not only knowledge, but so much empathy. Although there are no explicit romantic scenes and very infrequent cursing just a handful of times, the novel is quite violent. The book portrays the brutal realities of a totalitarian regime, depicting state sponsored torture, disappearances and a climate of fear where even minor infractions lead to severe punishment. Graphic scenes include the torture and humiliation of protesters and children, along with intense personal conflicts and violence among characters reflecting the pervasive brutality of the regime. Most of the sources I’m seeing say grades seven and up, which I agree with. I don’t think the content in this book is any worse than any other novels that are assigned to this grade level, but I wanted to let you all know what’s in there, just in case. 

Samantha  05:14

Up next, I have a recommendation for the adventure seeker. This would include teens who enjoy action, drama, and high stakes conflict. Again, I’m recommending an author who rarely misses so any of his books would be good to hand to a student, but I’m going with Refugee by Alan Gratz. Refugee is a gripping nail biter that had me hooked from the beginning to end. I listened to it as an audiobook, which was fantastic, by the way, and found myself audibly gasping at times. I was actually driving while I was listening to this, and I do not recommend that. The Lexile level is 800 and I see it listed for grades five and up. Though I know many people who teach it in six, as an adult I was completely enthralled with the story, so I feel like it’s one of those books that can easily bridge the generational gap. Josef, a Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany, Isabel, a Cuban girl in 1994, and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015 each embark on perilous journeys to escape the dangers threatening their families. Though separated by time and place, their paths share unexpected connections as they face life threatening challenges with the hope of a better future. Refugee is one of those books that not only captivates readers of all ages, but also opens up meaningful conversations about resilience, courage, and survival in the face of adversity. I truly believe this book has the power to connect with students who crave action, packed stories with depth, making it a perfect fit for the adventure seeker in your classroom.

Samantha  06:41

If you got an empathetic reader in your classroom, this next recommendation is for them. Empathetic readers include students who connect deeply with characters, emotions, and struggles, who will be drawn to the human stories behind major historical events. For this archetype, I’m recommending The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. As someone who reads three to four books a week, it’s always such a hard question anytime someone asks me my favorite book, and once people find out I’m a reader, it’s usually the first question they ask. The Book Thief is my go to. The story is a powerful ode to the resilience of the human spirit and the weight of words. To this day, anytime I think of The Book Thief, my heart both sinks and swells. It’s truly one of the most beautiful and gut wrenching books I’ve ever read. The book was released in 2007 and although I read it well over a decade ago, because I’m not one to reread very much, I still can’t forget how it made me feel. In 1939 Nazi Germany, the nation holds its breath as death grows ever more present. Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living near Munich, survives by stealing books, and with her foster father’s help, she learns to read, sharing her stolen treasures with neighbors during bombing raids and with the Jewish man hiding in her basement. I’d recommend this book for anyone above eighth grade. There is quite a bit of violence, as the book is centered around World War Two, but there is also some infrequent cursing, as well as some smoking and drinking. This book is extremely decorated, with it being listed in Time Magazine’s 100 best YA books of all time, as well as countless other awards. The Book Thief is a story that will stick with your students long after they finished it. For those empathetic readers who were drawn to the emotional depth of characters and the weight of history, this book will leave a lasting impact. It’s a moving exploration of love loss and the power of words, truly a must read for anyone who wants to connect with the human experience on a deeper level. 

Samantha  08:32

Our next recommendation is for the critical thinkers. These are the students who enjoy analyzing the mix of fact and fiction, questioning historical accuracy and exploring how the past impacts the present. For this personality type, I’m going to recommend Hope and Other Punchlines by Julie Buxbaum. This is a more recent read for me, but I know it’s one I’m going to be recommending widely. The story centers around the events of 9/11 but the premise of the novel is fictional. The Lexile level is 780 and it’s recommended for grades seven and up. The first chapter is also very good, making it a great option for First Chapter Friday. Abbi Hope, Goldstein, known as Baby Hope, from a famous photograph taken during the September 11 attacks is desperate to escape the attention and live a normal life. 15 years later, as she spends her summer incognito at a camp, she meets Noah Stern, whose life was also impacted by that day, and together, they search for answers about the history behind the iconic photo, answers they may not be ready to face. Hope and Other Punchlines is perfect for students who thrive on unraveling complex issues and questioning what they think they know about history. It not only challenges readers to think critically about the mix of fact and fiction, but also to consider the long term effects of events like 9/11. If you’re looking for a book that will engage your critical thinkers and spark meaningful discussions, this one is a must read. As a side note, this is one of those books that’s going to read as contemporary for some of us and historical fiction for others. We spoke about our definition earlier, and the definition says 50 years in the past. And while I think it’s good to have a definition to work with, I also think that sometimes that definition needs to be flexible, because, like I said, this is definitely going to be historical fiction for some and contemporary for others. 

Samantha  10:15

Last but not least, I’ve got a recommendation for the fantasy enthusiasts. Fantasy enthusiasts are the readers who enjoy immersive world building and fantasy and may appreciate historical fiction’s richly detailed settings. For this personality I’m recommending Us In Ruins by Rachel Moore. Let me say up front that this book is a genre bender. In fact, I think it might need its own classification. I’ve been calling it historical romanticy as a mix of historical fiction, romance, and fantasy. I think it has a nice ring to it. Here’s a recap. Margot Rhodes joins an archeological trip to Pompeii armed with a lost explorer’s journal that may lead to the mythical Vase of Venus Aurelia. When the statue of the explorer comes to life, she and the time traveling Van Keane must unravel both the mysteries of the relic and their tangled paths to survive the ancient challenges that await. This book does so many things well. The writing is beautiful, the setting is descriptive and lush. I wanted to hop the closest flight to Italy the entire time I was reading. Find me some gelato. The book is fast paced and boasts some delicious tension writing for being so incredibly engrossing. Even as an adult, I’m pleased to report that there was little need for content warnings. Woohoo. There was some violence and a little bit of light underage wine drinking in the middle. But otherwise, it’s super clean, I’d be comfortable recommending it for grades seven and up. Us In Ruins is a mix of The Mummy and Encino Man. I’m probably dating myself a little bit with that reference, but I digress. So it certainly requires the suspension of belief like a fantasy novel, but it reads very much like historical fiction so far in 2024 this has been one of my favorite YA books I’ve read so far. I am so excited to recommend it. 

Samantha  12:05

Today, we explored how to match historical fiction books with different student archetypes, offering tailored recommendations to spark a love for the genre, from the history buff to the fantasy enthusiast, we’ve covered a range of captivating books designed to engage and inspire your students. Remember, the key is finding that perfect fit to make reading a joyful and impactful experience. 

Samantha  12:27

If you’re eager to start teaching historical fiction right away, check out my ready to use unit available in my teacher’s pay teacher shop, Samantha in Secondary. This comprehensive unit includes everything you need to introduce students to the genre, whether for a full class unit or as part of literature circles with an easy to follow plan. Visit my shop and search for historical fiction unit or find the link in the show notes. 

Samantha  12:49

I hope these recommendations help your students dive into historical fiction and discover new favorites until next time, keep fostering those joyful reading moments. 

Samantha  13:00

Thanks for tuning in to creating joyful readers. I hope you found inspiration and practical strategies to ignite a passion for reading in your students. Remember every book we introduce and every reading experience we foster can transform lives and help students become lifelong readers. Follow me on social media at Samantha in Secondary for more tips book recommendations and to connect with community of educators dedicated to making reading a joyful journey. Until next time, happy reading.