20 novels for tweens who like history

You guys know how much I love to read, and it’s been tough to see the love of reading my tween once have disappear now that she is a teenager. Technology gets in the way…and even though she might not be doing it right now, I know she will be back…I was too! That foundation from the early years really does stick. I’m thrilled today that online friend and author A. L Tait has written a blog post for me with some suggestions you might find useful too – especially in the lead up to Christmas and gifts needed at the end of the year which is (somehow) fast approaching.

I hope you love this list and encourage you to enter the giveaway for the new book and if not grab a copy when you see it in your nearest bookstore or online….

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One of the things I like most about historical fiction is the ability to immerse yourself in another world. The biggest pictures are built on the tiniest details and books with historical settings have some of the best and most telling details ever.

As a writer, digging up those details is one of the most enthralling aspects of writing your stories. Even when your world is ‘almost history’ like the one in my new book The Fire Star, the first Maven & Reeve Mystery.

The Kingdom of Cartreff, Rennart Castle, Tallen… none of the places in The Fire Star actually exist, but all of them are built on the details of Medieval history (a period that I love). What people ate, which plants grew in their gardens, the hierarchy of life in a castle.

For me, the focus is on the story first. But the best stories thrive in the most vivid settings.

If your tweens are anything like me and love to escape into the past, this list of books will fit the bill

Early history

Tarin of the Mammoths trilogy by Jo Sandhu (Stone Age).

Tarin must leave his family and travel alone across a wild, unknown land to save the Mammoth Clan.

Swallows Dance  (Bronze Age, Crete) by Wendy Orr

Leira is about to start her initiation as a priestess when a violent earthquake leaves her home – and her family – in pieces.

Middle Ages

Wolf Girl by Theresa Tomlinson (Anglo-Saxon England)

When her mother is sentence to be hanged for stealing, Wulfrun sets out to prove her innocence.

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman (England, 1290).

Can 14-year-old Birdy halt her upcoming marriage to a very unwelcome suitor? She’s determined to find a way.  Note, this is a 13+ read – there is violence, sex, death in childbirth and death in general (it is the Middle Ages, after all).

The Fire Star (A Maven & Reeve Mystery) by A. L. Tait

When the dazzling jewel known as The Fire Star is stolen, Maven, a maid, and Reeve, a squire, have just three days to find it, or lose everything.

1800-1938

The Mummy Smugglers Of Crumblin Castle by Pamela Rushby (England, 1873) Orphaned Hattie goes to live with her great aunt and uncle in their crumbling castle in the English Fens, where her aunt hosts mummy-unwrapping parties to save her home from ruin. When the mummy supply runs out, Hattie must venture up the Nile to search for more.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (Texas, 1899).

Callie explores the natural world around her with the help of her grandfather and comes up against what it means to be a girl at the turn of a new century.

The Skylarks’ War by Hilary McKay (England, WWI).

Clarry and her brother Peter live for their summers in Cornwall that they spend with their grandparents and cousin Rupert. When Rupert is sent off to fight at the front, Clarry is unsure whether her family can survive this terrible war.

Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner (Germany, 1929)

When Emil is sent on an errand in Berlin, things go wrong and he must team up with a gang of children to catch a thief.

I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith (England, 1934)

Originally published as an adult novel, this classic is suitable for readers 12+. The journal of 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain captures her own, a ruined Suffolk Castle, and her eccentric penniless family.

Who am I? The Diary Of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937 (My Australian Story) by Anita Heiss.

This is the fictional diary of a young Aboriginal girl who was stolen from her parents under the White Australia government policy. Mary grows up in the Bomaderry Aboriginal Children’s Home and is given the diary by the matron when she is ten years old.

1939-1949

Carrie’s War by Nina Bawden 

Carrie and her brother Nick have been evacuated from London and find themselves in a Welsh village and a hotbed of family drama.

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley

Set in England in the early days of World War II, this novel tells the story of Ada, a poor girl from the East End who has a club foot and has never been outside her one-bedroom apartment. When word comes that children are to be evacuated, Ada escapes with her little brother Jamie and ends up being housed by Susan Smith, who is crippled by grief.

The Forgotten Pearl by Belinda Murrell (Darwin and Sydney)

Poppy, is a young girl who faces danger, loss, grief and new love during one of the most tumultuous times in Australian history. She lives through the bombing of Darwin and is evacuated to Sydney where she must learn to make a new life for herself.

Haywire by Claire Saxby (Australia)

Life in Germany in 1939 is not safe for 13 year old Max Gruber so he is sent to his Uncle Ferdy in London, only to find himself sent to Australia aboard the famous ship Dunera. Arriving in rural Hay, and housed in an internment camp, he meets local boy Tom. The two new friends become allies, as their lives are affected by the growing conflict in far away Europe.

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani (India, 1947)

India, newly independent of British rule, has been separated into two countries: Pakistan and India, creating tension between Hindus and Muslims. Twelve-year-old Nisha, half-Muslim and half-Hindu, becomes a refugee when her family tries to flee.

1950-2000

52 Mondays by Anna Ciddor (Australia, 1960s).

For Anna, the quest to find the most beautiful doll she has ever seen is the most important thing in the world. But it’s only one of the adventures to be had growing up in 1960s Australia.

When the Ground is Hard by Malla Nunn (Swaziland, 1960s)

On one level this is a story about teenage girls navigating friendship and life in a mixed-race boarding school in Swaziland in the 1960s. On the other, it explores race, class and gender. Shortlisted for the 2020 CBCA Book Of The Year award for older readers, it’s recommended for 13+.

Lenny’s Book Of Everything by Karen Foxlee (Ohio, 1970s)

Lenny’s younger brother has a rare form of gigantism and life isn’t always easy for the family. The bright spot every week is the arrival of the latest issue of Burrell’s Build-It-At-Home Encyclopedia. This novel is full of hope and sadness. Bring tissues.

Catch a Falling Star by Meg McKinlay (Western Australia, 1979).

Somewhere high above Frankie Avery, Skylab, one of the world’s first space stations is tumbling to Earth. For Frankie, old memories are rushing back with it. Winner of the 2010 WA Premier’s Book Award (Writing For Children).

Refugee by Alan Gratz (Germany 1938/Cuba 1994/Syria 2015).

Three different children with one common mission: escape from the horrors of their homelands.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang (California, 1990s).

Mia Tang and her parents live and work at the Calivista Motel. Based on the author’s real-life experience of immigrating to America from China, the novel explores how one girl overcomes language barriers, discrimination and her own lack of confidence to find her voice.

I’m going to be giving away two copies of A.L Tait’s newest book (out beginning of this month) just leave a comment a below and I will chose a random winner by 9pm AEST this Sunday 13th September 2020 and send a copy directly to you. Giveaway is not in conjunction with the author…the copies are on me.

There are affiliate links in this post where there author will be paid a small fee for each sale from Booktopia (but you pay nothing extra).

A.L. Tait is the author of three ‘almost history’ series for middle-grade readers, including The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher and The Maven & Reeve Mysteries. Find out more at allisontait.com.