Books about history: truth vs. fiction

Sometimes truth really can seem stranger than fiction! Here is a selection of books, some non-fiction and others fiction based on fact, for readers who enjoy reading about unusual history -- and the almost-unbelievable stories of some American heroes. Find these books here on BookBag by using the World Catalog and Amazon.com search boxes.

The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum, by Candace Fleming; illustrated by Ray Fenwick (Schwartz & Wade Books) Nonfiction. Lay-dees!... and!... Gentlemen! Children of All Ages!! Step right up and be AMAZED by the story of a man who hauled himself up from the depths of poverty by fooling people for a fee--and making them like it! That's right: this self-avowed "humbugger" made preposterous claims about the wonders in his traveling exhibitions, but folks still clamored to see them. He was the infamous P.T. Barnum, and among other things, he founded the circus known as "The Greatest Show on Earth." This entertaining biography presents the facts--both flattering and appalling--of Mr. Barnum's life in stories, pictures, and memorabilia that are almost as much fun as the circus that still bears his name.


Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali, by Charles R. Smith, Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier (Candlewick Press) Nonfiction. As nimble with a rhyme as he was in the boxing ring, world-champion boxer Muhammed Ali is duly honored in this collection of poems and artwork that tell his life's story. Boldly illustrated, Twelve Rounds to Glory tells about some of Ali's most famous fights--not just his rounds against opponents like Joe Frazier and George Foreman, but also his resistance to racism, his refusal to be drafted into the Vietnam war, and his ongoing battle with Parkinson's disease.

Riot, by Walter Dean Myers (Egmont USA) Historical Fiction. Desperate for more Union troops, President Lincoln has instituted a draft requiring all able-bodied men--except those wealthy enough to pay a $300 waiver--to serve in the Civil War. This doesn't settle well with Irish immigrants who can't afford the waiver and who are already angry because they believe that black people are "stealing" their jobs. On July 11, 1863, the first names are drawn for the draft in New York City, and simmering racial tensions explode--Irish mobs loot stores, set fires, and attack black people in the streets. Told in a screenplay format like the author's book Monster, this powerful story centers on 15-year-old Clare Johnson, who, as the daughter of a black father and an Irish mother, is caught between the two warring sides.

A Season of Gifts, by Richard Peck (Dial Books) Historical Fiction. When 12-year-old Bob Barnhart's family moves in next door to Mrs. Dowdel -- aka Grandma Dowdel from A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way from Chicago -- he isn't sure what to think of his grumpy and odd new neighbor. But then Mrs. Dowdel helps Bob get back at the town bullies for pulling a humiliating prank on him, and their friendship is well on its way. Chock full of memorable characters and small-town Illinois charm, this homey story brings the late 1950s (when Elvis was king and not everyone had indoor plumbing) to vibrant life.

Murder at Midnight, by Avi (Scholastic Press) Historical Mystery. Orphan and former street-urchin Fabrizio, newly apprenticed to Mangus the magician, is eager to prove his worth to his master. When Mangus is accused of treason against the king, Fabrizio gets his chance to be useful by proving the charges false--before he and Mangus are executed. Set in Italy during the Renaissance, this fast-paced and suspenseful prequel to Midnight Magic includes fascinating history about the first printing presses, which were thought by some to run on the power of evil magic. [Would-be time-travelers, take note: don't show off any modern technology to citizens of the past--they're liable to burn you at the stake for it.]


The Omnivore's Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat, by Michael Pollan, adapted by Richie Chevat (Dial Books) Nonfiction. Do you know where your dinner came from? If you'd like to find out, this is the perfect book for you. It explains how many processed foods, like chicken nuggets, "are really corn wrapped up in more corn" and that, if you wash 'em down with a soft drink, "you are drinking corn with your corn." Breaking down what most Americans eat, where their food comes from, and why it matters, author Michael Pollan also answers a nagging and fascinating question: since human beings are omnivores and can eat just about anything, what should we eat? Environmentalists, foodies, and fans of the movie Super Size Me will find plenty of food for thought in this kid-friendly version of the best-selling book, The Omnivore's Dilemma.

Stories about history and far-away places

People read for a lot of different reasons -- but some people read because they like getting a mental picture of different places or times. The books below all have strongly-described settings that will make you feel like you've traveled to another world. Look for them at your library using the WorldCatalog link, or find copies in the Amazon search box, both here on BookBag.

The Falconer's Knot: A Story of Friars, Flirtation and Foul Play, by Mary Hoffman (Bloomsbury USA) Historical Fiction. Star-crossed lovers! Lies! Crimes of passion! Friars! Peril! And ... pigments! If you thought the Italian Renaissance couldn't possibly provide the setting for a rip-roaring romp of a mystery, think again. When gorgeous and wealthy Silvano is accused of killing a sheep farmer--the husband of the woman Silvano loves--he flees to Giardinetto, where the monks grind and mix pigments for a renowned fresco painter. But when people start dropping dead at the monastery, Silvano must find the true culprit and clear his name. Rich with detailed descriptions of medieval Italy (and about the process of making paints), this suspenseful tale will transport you back in time.


The Star of Kazan, by Eva Ibbotson; illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (Dutton Children's Books) Fiction. Instead of her birthday, Annika marks her Found Day, when Sigrid the housemaid and Ellie the cook discovered her abandoned in a church and took her home with them. Despite her happy life with Sigrid, Ellie, and many good friends, Annika still longs to meet her long-lost mother. When a glamorous, fine lady appears and claims Annika as her daughter, the girl is only too happy to be whisked off to her new-found family's estate...which turns out to be a big mistake. This richly imagined, suspenseful story is brimming with great characters and paints a vivid portrait of early-20th-century Vienna.

Lost Boy, by Linda Newbery (David Fickling Books) Fiction. Matt Lancaster is out riding his bike when a speeding car, nearly killing him, runs him off the road...where he finds a memorial to Martin Lloyd, a boy who was killed in a hit-and-run at the very same spot. Then Matt starts seeing Martin's ghost and meets the elderly man said to have been responsible for the boy's death, and the more questions Matt has about the past, the more complicated a puzzle it becomes to solve. This creepy and gripping mystery has a touch of the supernatural and gives readers a strong sense of its setting in the hills of Wales.


Over a Thousand Hills I Walk with You, by Hanna Jansen; translated from the German by Elizabeth D. Crawford (Carolrhoda Books) Historical Fiction. Eight-year-old Tutsi Jeanne d'Arc Umubyeyi lived a normal, happy enough life in Rwanda until the day in 1994 that her Hutu neighbors murdered her family and razed her home (Tutsis and Hutus are two groups of Rwanda's native peoples). This story details the unimaginable horrors that she witnesses and survives before being adopted by a German family. Descriptions of the time before the genocide give a clear picture of daily life in Rwanda, and accounts of the violence make Jeanne's experience painfully clear. Written by Jeanne's adoptive mother at the young girl's insistence, Over a Thousand Hills I Walk with You is an emotional and absorbing fictionalization of a true story.

Westminster Abby, by Micol Ostow (Speak) Fiction. Sheltered 16-year-old Abby Capshaw is traveling from New York City to London, where she hopes that her summer of study abroad will help her forget about her overprotective parents and her cheating boyfriend. Abby, who sees herself as "a little vanilla" (sweet, yet plain and not very exciting), hopes that the summer will be her chance to become more like a hot-fudge sundae. This 1st of 13 novels in the fun-and-fabulous Students Across the Seven Seas (S.A.S.S.) series brings the sights and sounds of London to life; readers who like to experience new places through reading will enjoy the rest of the books, in which students travel to places such as Italy, France, Spain, and China.

Night of the Howling Dogs, by Graham Salisbury (Wendy Lamb Books) Fiction. Dylan is excited about going camping with his scout troop at Halape, one of the most remote beach spots on Hawaii's Big Island, just beneath the Kilauea volcano. But when he learns that Louie Domingo, a thuggish older boy, will also be going on the trip, his excitement turns to worry. Louie is definitely intimidating--but he's no match for the earthquake and tsunami that strike after the boys reach their destination. Based on an actual 1975 disaster that the author's cousin experienced, this riveting survival tale incorporates Hawaiian legends and, with its vivid descriptions of the setting, makes readers feel as though they are on the Big Island right along with the characters.

Inspiring stories of American women in history

The books below feature just a few great women from American history, but your librarian can guide you to many more books about amazing women from all over the world. Look for copies at your local library by typing the title in the World Catalog search box, or use the Amazon.com link to buy any book you read about on BookBag.

A Whole New Ball Game: The Story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, by Sue Macy (Puffin Books) Nonfiction. During World War II, the U.S. workforce was depleted of men, and "more than 6 million women joined the work force for the first time." The baseball diamond was also emptied--more than half of major-league baseball's players were drafted--and women were for the first time allowed to play baseball professionally. A Whole New Ball Game is a fascinating read that gives insight into the day-to-day lives, struggles, and triumphs of the women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in addition to revealing a little-known yet important piece of sports -- and women's -- history.


Take-Off! American All-Girl Bands During WWII, by Tonya Bolden (Knopf) Nonfiction. Big-band swing music was the hottest thing going in the late 1930s and early 40s--and it was played almost exclusively by men. But when most of America's men were drafted into World War II, women stepped in to fill the void on the bandstand. This interesting and fun history of female orchestras (or "orks," in the slang of the day) is packed with photos, posters, and newspaper clippings that bring the bands' stories to life, and there's a CD of swing music included to give readers a taste of the "tunes that still make folks jump, jive, and wail today."

Vision of Beauty: The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker, by Kathryn Lasky (Candlewick Press) Nonfiction. This picture book for older kids tells the life story of the first African-American female entrepreneur. Born Sarah Breedlove Walker in 1867 to former slaves, Madame C.J. Walker would go on to own and operate an extremely successful beauty product company. And, after making her fortune, Mme. Walker used her money and influence to make life better for other African-Americans. Giving readers a vivid sense of the time during which Mme. Walker lived and a strong example of one person changing things for the better, Vision of Beauty is a powerfully inspiring story.

Mary on Horseback: Three Mountain Stories, by Rosemary Wells; illustrated by Peter McCarty (Puffin Books) Fiction. Mary on Horseback showcases the remarkable life of early 20th-century nurse Mary Breckinridge, a midwife and founder of the Frontier Nursing Service (which is still going strong today). After the deaths of two of her own children, Mary set up her medical practice in eastern Kentucky in order to save the lives of rural people who had no other access to doctors or medicine. The three dramatic stories in this book are based on Mary's autobiography and plainly show both how difficult life was for people in 1920s Appalachia--and how much Mary and the FNS helped them.

Books for Black History Month from The Washington Post

February is Black History Month. For inspiration and a personal sense of American history this month check out the following books, selected by Moira E. McLaughlin of The Washington Post. Look for copies of these books here on BookBag using the WorldCatalog and Amazon search boxes.

Marching for Freedom, by Elizabeth Partridge (Viking) Age 10 and older. In 1965, hundreds of people marched 54 miles in five days across Alabama to the capital in Montgomery to demand voting rights for African Americans. This book includes details about the march and the events that led up to it. King encouraged young people to get involved and question the rules. This nonfiction book tells of the kids who closely watched what was going on around them and then bravely joined the fight. The photos depict the peaceful strength of the marchers.

Back of the Bus, by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Floyd Cooper. (Candlewick) Age 6 and older. (Philomel Books) This sweet fictional story is told by a boy who is on the same bus as Rosa Parks in 1955 in Alabama when she sits down in the front of the bus. The boy is playing with a marble and doesn't realize at first what is going on. After he sees Parks arrested, he starts to look at the world differently. The story is about what it might have been like on that bus and how Parks inspired the people around her that day. The beautiful pictures alone tell a story of strength, hope and determination.

Sweethearts of Rhythm, by Marilyn Nelson and Jerry Pinkney. (Dial) Age 9 and older. This true story of an all-female jazz band from the 1940s is told through poetry and illustration. The band was made up of white and black musicians, which was rare at that time. The instruments themselves speak in the poems, telling a lively and rhythmic story about the beauty and power of music, and the passion of the musicians during a time of war. The colorful pictures make the book come alive.

The Hallelujah Flight, by Phil Bildner, illustrated by John Holyfield. (Putnam) Age 6 and older. James Banning is a forgotten man in the history books, but his story is inspirational and courageous nonetheless. He was determined to fly from Los Angeles to New York, and he wasn't going to let anyone (or any mechanical difficulty) get in his way. The author portrays the African American pilot as an easygoing, happy guy with a goal. This is a simply told story about defying the odds.

January's Sparrow, by Patricia Polacco (Philomel) Age 10 and older. Starting with the illustration on the second page of a bloody and tied-up slave named January, the book honestly depicts the horror of slavery. Written in the voice of a slave, this intense story follows 8-year-old Sadie, who escapes north to freedom with her family. They live safely for a while until slave trackers find them. It's a moving story about a strong, loving slave family that survives against the odds.

Henry Aaron's Dream, by Matt Tavares. (Candlewick) Age 8 and older. The book is as

much about Henry Aaron's dream as it is about baseball in America in the 1940s and '50s, with "whites only" baseball diamonds and separate sections at games for "colored." Aaron, inspired by Jackie Robinson, the first black man to play major league baseball, persevered and in 1954, his dream of playing in the major leagues came true. This book is about how Aaron remained focused on the ball -- and his dream.