The year was 1924…
Is there a particular historical period that fascinates you? Historical fiction is a genre of literature set in a past time period with fictionalized elements, such as characters and plot. This month, we’re spotlighting historical fiction books as a part of our year-long Bookworm Challenge!
If you haven’t heard of our Bookworm Challenge, learn all about it here and sign up on Beanstack. It’s easy and free to participate; just log the time you spend reading and complete 3 out of 5 reading prompts for each genre badge. You can count one book for multiple reading prompts, and the prompts are open-ended enough that even if you really dislike historical fiction, you can still earn the badge.
This blog post features just a few of the many historical fiction books that you may choose to read for the Bookworm Challenge.
Each month of the Bookworm Challenge has a different genre badge available. Here are the reading prompts for April’s badge:
Youth Challenge Historical Fiction Badge Prompts (Ages 0-17)
- Check out a book with penguins to read on World Penguin Day, April 25.
- Read a book written in past-tense
- Read a book with a map on the cover
- Read a book that was published the year you were born
- Read a book that is set during the past
Adult Challenge Historical Fiction Badge Prompts (Ages 18+)
- Read a book written in past-tense
- Read a book featuring multiple generations of a family
- Spend time reading at a place where you have fond memories
- Read a book with a map on the cover
- Read a book with a year or the word “year” in the title
Even if you’re not able to get all these done in April, that’s okay–you’ll have the rest of the year to catch up if you missed out or started late.
Now… Onto the historical fiction book recs!
Historical Fiction Book Recs (a la Bookworm Challenge)
- The World Belonged to Us by Jacqueline Woodson
- View this on our catalog
- Bookworm tip: This book is written in past-tense and is set during the past
- Watercress by Andrea Wang
- View this on our catalog
- Bookworm tip: This book is written in past-tense, is set during the past, and may have been published the year you were born (2021)
- Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall
- View this on our catalog
- Bookworm tip: This book is written in past-tense, is set during the past, and may have been published the year you were born (2022)
- The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
- View this on our catalog
- Bookworm tip: This book is written in past-tense and is set during the past
- I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 by Lauren Tarshis
- View this on our catalog
- Bookworm tip: This book is set in the past
- Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
- View this on our catalog
- Bookworm tip: This book is written in past-tense and is set during the past
- Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
- View this on our catalog
- Bookworm tip: This book is written in past-tense, is set in the past, and may have been published the year you were born (2011)
- The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
- View this on our catalog
- Bookworm tip: This book is written in past-tense and features multiple generations of a family
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
- View this on our catalog
- Bookworm tip: This book is written in past-tense, has “year” in the title, and features multiple generations of a family
- A Map for the Missing by Belinda Huijuan Tang
- View this on our catalog
- Bookworm tip: This book is written in past-tense and has a map on the cover in an abstract way
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
- View this on our catalog
- Bookworm tip: This book is written in past-tense and features multiple generations of a family
Sincerely, Cornelius 