We had an incredible summer of reading, with so many wonderful books to choose from. I personally spent some time reading more historical fiction middle-grade chapter books so I could put together this list for you. Historical fiction is my daughter’s favorite genre, and I love that it gives kids a wonderful way to learn about history without actually picking up a history book.
In this list, you’ll find 10 middle-grade chapter books spanning 10 different historical settings, so there is plenty to choose from depending on what interests your child. From World War II and the Vietnam War to India’s independence, the Gulf War, and other lesser-known moments in history, these stories give kids a chance to experience history through the eyes of characters their own age.
And if you’re looking for even more ideas, be sure to check out my first historical fiction book list, where you’ll find 10 more middle grade historical fiction novels to add to your reading pile.
#1 Reconstruction Era (post–Civil War, 1866)
Title: This Opening Sky
Author: Kelly Hollman & Charlotte Watson Sherman
I love this book because it is a short read yet so well told. This Opening Sky takes place in Virginia shortly after the Civil War. It is written in verse form through the perspectives of two girls – Aurelia, who is white, and Sary, who is Black. Both girls have experienced loss and discover each other as they go on a journey to find their families. Initially, the girls do not trust one another, but as they travel together, they slowly form a friendship and learn to depend on and care for each other. By the end of their long journey, they have found true friendship and gained a new perspective on each other’s lives.
#2 World War II & Bletchley Park (1940)
Title: The Bletchley Riddle
Author: Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin
This story is set in England during World War II and takes readers inside Bletchley Park, Britain’s secret codebreaking operation. Nineteen-year-old Jakob works alongside some of Britain’s greatest codebreakers, trying to crack the Nazi Enigma cipher, while his fourteen-year-old sister, Lizzie, is a very smart kid who is determined to solve a mystery of her own: their mother’s disappearance. This book is a sneak peak into the world of codebreaking during WWII.
#3 World War II & Zoot Suit Riots (1943)
Title: Jazz Owls: A Novel of the Zoot Suit Riots
Author: Margarita Engle
Jazz Owls is also written in verse and set in Los Angeles during World War II. It follows a Mexican American family during the Zoot Suit Riots of 1943, when racial tensions between white servicemen and Mexican American youth erupted into violence. The story is told through multiple voices, including two sisters who work long hours in a cannery supporting the war effort while spending their evenings dancing to jazz and swing music. Their brothers, however, become targets simply because of the clothes they wear (Zoot Suits) and the color of their skin. This is a short but powerful introduction to a part of American history that many kids may never have heard of.
#4 Gulf War / Operation Desert Storm (1991)
Title: Playing Atari with Saddam Hussein
Author: Jennifer Roy & Ali Fadhil
I was 10 years old when the Gulf War took place, and I still remember hearing about it on the news and through the conversations of the grown-ups around me. Reading Playing Atari with Saddam Hussein brought me back to that time, but this time through the eyes of a child experiencing the war firsthand. It is based on the real childhood experiences of Ali Fadhil, Playing Atari with Saddam Hussein tells the story of an eleven-year-old boy growing up in Iraq during the Gulf War. Ali loves soccer, comic books, video games, and American television. But when Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait and the United States and its allies begin bombing Iraq, his everyday life changes dramatically. Ali and his family live through air raids, food shortages, fear, and uncertainty about whether his father will return home.
#5 Armenian Genocide & Its Aftermath (1920)
Title: The Honey Jar
Author: Joan Schoettler
The Honey Jar is a short novel written in verse and based on the true story of an Armenian family. Eight-year-old Bedros flees Armenia with his three younger sisters, grandmother, and uncle as Turkish soldiers invade their town. When he becomes separated from the adults, Bedros suddenly finds himself responsible for keeping his little sisters safe. His journey forces him to make an incredibly difficult decision involving his youngest sister, one that he carries with him for years. If you have not heard about the Armenian Genocide, this book will take you through the struggles of one family escaping it.
#6 Expulsion of Asian Ugandans (1972)
Title: Orange for the Sunsets
Author: Tina Athaide
Orange for the Sunsets takes place in Uganda in 1972 during the rule of Idi Amin. Asha is Indian Ugandan and her best friend, Yesofu, is Black Ugandan. Their differences have never mattered much to them until President Idi Amin orders tens of thousands of people of Asian descent to leave Uganda within ninety days. As fear and division spread through their community, the two friends begin to experience the events very differently. Their friendship is tested as Asha’s family faces the possibility of losing the only home she has ever known. Told from both perspectives, this story gives kids a glimpse into a period of African history that is rarely covered in middle grade historical fiction.
#7 World War II in Iran (1941)
Title: The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story
Author: Daniel Nayeri
World War II stories often focus on Europe, which is one reason I found the setting of this book so interesting. The Teacher of Nomad Land takes place in Iran in 1941, when the country was occupied by British and Soviet forces while Nazi spies operated within its borders. After losing their father, thirteen-year-old Babak and his younger sister fear that they will be separated. Babak decides to take over his father’s old job as a teacher to Iran’s nomadic tribes, and the siblings set off across the mountains with a chalkboard and books. Along the way, they encounter a Jewish boy hiding from a Nazi spy, turning their journey into a fight for survival. It offers kids a very different perspective on a war they may think they already know.
#8 Indian Independence Movement (1942)
Title: Ahimsa
Author: Supriya Kelkar
Ahimsa takes place in India in 1942, during Mahatma Gandhi’s Quit India movement against British rule. Ten-year-old Anjali is shocked when her mother decides to become a freedom fighter, giving up the comforts of their family’s life to work toward independence through nonviolent resistance. As Anjali becomes more involved, she begins to understand that fighting for freedom from British rule is only part of the struggle. She is also forced to confront the deeply rooted discrimination of the caste system within her own community. The story gives young readers a glimpse into the British rule in India, the outdated caste systems, and early struggles before Independence.
#9 Contemporary India & Immigration
Title: The Freedom Seeker
Author: Ruchira Gupta
The Freedom Seeker follows twelve-year-old Simran, whose life changes when her father is attacked because of his interfaith marriage. Fearing for their safety, he leaves for America, hoping to eventually bring his family there as well. When Simran and her mother are unable to get the official paperwork they need to enter the country, they make the dangerous decision to travel through Mexico and cross the border, becoming separated in the process.
This story will open your eyes to the difficult choices families make when they flee their countries and seek asylum in the United States. Through Simran’s experience, you get a glimpse into life inside an immigration detention center, the uncertainty children face when separated from their parents, and the complicated process of trying to reunite a family.
#10 Vietnam War & Fall of Saigon (1975)
Title: Inside Out & Back Again
Author: Thanhhà Lại
Inside Out & Back Again follows ten-year-old Hà, who lives in Saigon with her mother and three older brothers during the Vietnam War. As the war gets closer to their home, Hà and her family are forced to leave Vietnam just before the fall of Saigon. After a difficult journey, they eventually arrive in Alabama, where Hà must adjust to a new country, a new language, and a life that feels very different from the one she left behind. Written in verse and inspired by the author’s own childhood experience, this is a quick but powerful read about war, becoming a refugee, and starting over in a place where you don’t quite feel like you belong.
A word about building a home library
I love having books in our home, and expanding our home library is always a goal of mine. I often think that someday, when my kids are grown and have left home, I’ll finally have all the time in the world to sit down and read and reread — all the books we have collected over the years.
In this new era of AI and digital everything, I think there is something even more special about holding on to physical books and building a collection of our own. I hope our kids learn to value books simply by growing up surrounded by them, seeing us read, pulling a favorite off the shelf, and discovering stories they want to return to again and again. I know my kids love to reread books, and I am glad that I have them on the bookshelves.
All the books I recommend here are books I think are wonderful to own. And building a home library doesn’t have to be expensive. I love finding secondhand books too, especially when I can add a great book to our shelves for just a few dollars.
I hope you find something new to read from this collection of stories spanning so many different places and moments in history.
Now tell me — which book will you be reading next?