Historical Fiction

 Historical Fiction includes stories that are written to represent a time period or transport information about a specific historical event. They basically refer to stories that happened in the past. However, it all depends on what you think the past is. Some young people think that events that happened this morning are in the past. Others believe that the past refers to events that happened before they were born. Some of the criteria to look for include checking if the book effortlessly tells a good story that blends the history in the story itself. It must also include accurate facts. A good place to check for this is The Council on Books for Children, which provides a list of Notable Trade Books in social sciences.  The values must also reflect the time that it is referring to and the social environment must also be consistent. The clothes, music, and speech must match the time period they are presenting. Lastly, it is important for the readers to be able to relate to the theme of the story. 

Personally, I enjoy reading Historical Fiction. Nonetheless, I know some kids are not very interested. I believe young adults would be more interested in it than children. I love how this chapter specifically identifies the criteria necessary when evaluating a historical fiction book. Students need to learn that this is what they have to look for in a good history book. If they are not familiar with history, they can simply go to other resources to check for accuracy and authenticity. As a future librarian, I have different ideas that young adults can do with historical fiction such as bulletin boards that display an escape into history or travel into time. I'm sure students will be encouraged to read the books that are exhibited.