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Best Historical Fiction for Middle Grade Readers

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Book: Small Beauties: The Journey of Darcy Heart O'Hara

By Elvira Woodruff

Small treasure explores Irish famine, emigration.

Review date: 11/26/2006

Age 5+

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Book: Morning Girl

By Michael Dorris

Lyrical historical fiction with a knockout punch.

Review date: 8/13/2004

Age 7+

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Book: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

By Brian Selznick

Spectacular book/film hybrid has lots of heart.

Review date: 5/28/2007

Age 8+

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Book: The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963

By Christopher Paul Curtis

A funny novel with a devastating emotional punch.

Review date: 9/20/2004

Age 9+

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See how 28 kids rated it

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Book: The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts

By Richard Peck

Funny, fascinating, and exquisite historical tale.

Review date: 10/20/2004

Age 9+

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See how 1 parents rated it

See how 9 kids rated it

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Book: Elijah of Buxton

By Christopher Paul Curtis

Humorous, powerful, masterful escaped-slave tale.

Review date: 11/18/2007

Age 9+

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Book: On the Wings of Heroes

By Richard Peck

Funny, poignant life on home front during WWII.

Review date: 1/6/2008

Age 9+

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Book: The Slave Dancer

By Paula Fox

Moderately graphic depiction of the slave trade.

Review date: 5/5/2004

Age 10+

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See how 1 parents rated it

See how 8 kids rated it

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Book: Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

By Gary D. Schmidt

A preacher's son stands up to a racist town.

Review date: 3/21/2005

Age 9+

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See how 1 kids rated it

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Book: The River Between Us

By Richard Peck

Civil War realism for young readers.

Review date: 9/16/2003

Age 11+

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