Gripping Historical Fiction for 8th Graders

When Calvin and his parents move from Chicago to the Levittown suburbs in Pennsylvania, he’s torn between leaving his culture and older brother behind in the black neighborhoods and assimilating into the all-white neighborhood. Meeting and falling for the new black girl in his town doesn’t help as he finds himself caught up in organizing to get more Black teens into his school. But things quickly turn dangerous for him and his friends as loyalties are tested across the board. The Color of the Lie is a propulsive YA coming-of-age historical fiction/thriller that examines racial passing in the 1950s.

Set in Romania during WWII, this young adult novel stars young Jewess Rieke, whose small life with her brash older sister, depressed mother, and doting grandfather is upturned by the Soviet invasion and, later, Nazi occupation. I love the characterization and storytelling in this story even more than the often-heard WWII/Holocaust plot. Rieke is a compelling protagonist and the Romanian setting makes this WWII novel unique. Although there are references to mature themes like sex, sexual abuse, war & violence, and alcoholism, this book is still appropriate for older teens ages 14+

This is a full-on historical romance for teens, BUT it’s squeaky clean in terms of language and features four Black sisters who stumble into love in different ways. It’s also about the Davenport family business and features side characters who are dealing with compelling issues, like a maid trying to start a business and a best friend whose parents are forcing her to form a relationship with the Davenport’s only son. The Davenports is an exhilarating romance that manages to still be appropriate for older teens ages 12+

Leo, Elsa, and Max are three friends in 1930s Vienna, Austria when Hitler’s reign begins to spread through Europe. Elsa’s family flees to Prague, Leo’s family remains in Austria, and Max and his Nazi-supporting father move to Munich. Told from all three perspectives, we follow the three teens in this heartwrenching story as they navigate these turbulent times and attempt to find a way back to each other.

Follow four generations of Filipino men from 1930 to 2020 in Ribay’s riveting YA novel. In 1930, Francisco is a field worker who becomes a labor organizer in California. His son Emil is focused on studying his way out of poverty and distancing himself from his Filipino heritage, believing that gaining an education will make him accepted in America. Emil is frustrated when in the 80s his son Chris, redsicovers Filipino culture and history and doesn’t follow the career paths he dreamt of. Jump to 2020 and Chris’s father moves in with his family during the pandemic. Through daily walks, Emil, Chris, and Enzo find their way back to each other. This moving story melds historical fiction with a contemporary storyline and sheds light on the history of Filipino-Americans, while highlighting the challenges some teens may face in their relationships with their parents. Really liked this, despite several F-word uses. Recommended for readers ages 13+

This historical mystery combines the literary prowess of author Ruta Sepetys with Steve Sheinkin’s narrative skills as we follow two siblings during WWII in England trying to find their missing mother and help the British army defeat the Nazis. With two teenage protagonists, this one straddles the line between middle grade and YA, although the content is more middle grade than YA. It is gripping, hard to put down, and brilliantly plotted. Hand to fans of fast-paced mysteries, whether or not they love historical fiction.

In this fan favorite historical fiction, four teens’ lives intersect during WWI and WWII as they experience life-changing love and romance during the most heartbreaking time. Uniquely, this book is narrated by Greek gods resolving a personal dispute. It is absolutely fantastic on audio.

Death narrates this heartbreaking WWII about Liesel, a foster kid who discovers a love of books and the way they save her and those she loves. This is a brilliantly written classic that will stay with young readers forever.

The first book in Kwame Alexander’s latest series about the journey of a family from Africa to America is a Roots retelling for the new generation. Kofi Offin lives in Upper Kwanta with his parents and siblings, warned regularly not to prowl the streets or go swimming (a pastime of his) at night. Caught up in his daily routines and preparing to contest against his cousin in a swimming match, Kofi’s life suddenly takes a scary turn when he is abducted and sold as a slave. This book has an awfully SLOW start but picks up just around the halfway mark — I hope the verse format keeps readers going (I loved the audiobook). The second half of this book is gripping and compelling, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. It’s a brilliant and necessary ode to storytelling, a beautiful look at the history of many African Americans, and a truly heartwarming celebration of African culture.

Two sisters solve a murder in 1930s Chinatown in this absorbing character-driven mystery told from the perspective of both girls. Old Hollywood, Chinese culture, and sisterhood reign supreme in this timeless tale that is better on audio. Ages 12+

Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force. Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe. Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom? Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys is back with a historical thriller that examines the little-known history of a nation defined by silence, pain, and the unwavering conviction of the human spirit.

This beautiful graphic novel follows three generations of women from China, to Hong Kong, and Toronto as they navigate body image issues, a stormy mother-daughter relationship, and what it feels like to be sixteen.

A most ill-fated adventure confronts young Santos upon bringing his mother and siblings from their small Italian village to New York City, where they are to meet up with his father in 1911. Soon after alighting the ferry at Ellis Island, Santos gets separated from his mother and siblings, and when he arrives in NYC, his father is nowhere to be found. Homeless, he gets in with a group of homeless boys who steal food to survive until a betrayal upsets the arrangement. There are so many twists and turns in this highly engaging book about a protagonist navigating a difficult situation with poor English language skills and no family to comfort him. Add short chapters, and you get a fantastic class discussion book that kids won’t be able to put down!

Read this in one breathless gulp! A breathtaking graphic novel about two kids escaping North Korea. Myunghee and Yunho’s paths intersect the day before they both escape the communist regime and converge again in China where Yunho’s mother takes Myunghee in and along on their arduous, perilous escape plan. My heart was in my throat throughout their journey and I LOVED the gorgeous illustrations in this graphic novel. Interestingly fewer speech bubbles and more descriptive text make this feel more like a highly illustrated novel than a traditional graphic novel. Stirring, frightening, and a glimpse into a largely unseen territory of the world make this a punchy survival tale for fans of The Blackbird Girls and The Lost Year. Also very short!!

What if Nazi Germany won WWII? That’s the chilling question this time-travel thriller explores. Two set of a friendship trio — on in 2023 and the other in 1944 — discover that they can communicate over a radio device present in both timelines. As the two groups figure out the differences in their timelines while trying to avoid making any changes to history, they discover that they’ve unwittingly made an enormously impactful change with shocking consequences. This is a middle grade book with a complex, cinematic plot and storytelling that wil appeal to younger and older middle schoolers alike.