Chapter 8: Historical Fiction

           Children need imagination and when they’re at school, children need a lot of it. One good way to help children understand the world around them, before they existed, is to expose to them the importance of living and being active in a world that is so diverse and fast-paced.  Historical fiction brings together the facts and the imagination to life. Since we can never experience the lives if the people and events of the past, we can come close through Historical fiction. It creates a world of wonder for children to know that there was life before them.  It creates a deliberately evoked world that is very different, but has strong connections to our own world. Historical fiction helps children appreciate that everyone places a role in shaping history. The benefits historical fiction has on children is very significant because it conveys a sense of life that was lived and that historical fiction happen to ordinary people. It also benefits children because it broadens their perspective on life and helps them understand that the present and future are linked to actions of the past.

            Historical fiction takes children back in time to places, times, and cultures. It's not about data and facts, but about people and their lives and their stories and as a teacher I want to instill that in my students, because one day, they’ll want to write about their lives and their stories. It will help them get a new perspective on the present and that they too, can create history. There are so many categories for Historical fiction that I know will be of good use to you and myself, in the classroom. Teaching children about:

• ·      Ancient Times
• ·      Medieval Times
• ·      Renaissance Times
• ·      Colonial Times
• ·      Revolutionary Era
• ·      Early Frontier Era
• ·      Civil war
• ·      Post-Civil War
• ·      World War I
• ·      Great Depression
• ·      World War II
• ·      Post-World War II
• ·      Civil Right Movement and so much more!