The BEST Nonfiction and Historical Fiction
Discover the BEST nonfiction and historical fiction books! Explore our curated list of top-rated titles that bring history to life, perfect for avid readers and history enthusiasts alike.
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The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents …
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
by John Boyne
Two young boys encounter the best and worst of humanity during the Holocaust in this powerful read that USA Today called "as memorable an introduction …
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Brooklyn Rose
by Ann Rinaldi
On St. Helena Island, South Carolina, fifteen year-old Rose meets and marries Rene, a Yankee from Brooklyn, New York, who takes her north to his …
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Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning classic about a boy who decides to hit the road to find his father—from Christopher Paul Curtis, …
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The Color Purple
by Alice Walker
Set in the period between the world wars, this novel tells of two sisters, their trials, and their survival.
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Copper Sun
by Sharon M. Draper
When pale strangers enter fifteen-year-old Amari's village, her entire tribe welcomes them; for in her remote part of Africa, visitors are always a cause for …
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The Distance from Normandy
by Jonathan Hull
Mead parachuted into Normandy on D-Day and fought his way to Germany, through some of the most brutal violence of World War II. But his …
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Fallen Angels
by Walter Dean Myers
Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry, just out of his Harlem high school, enlists in the Army in the summer of 1967 and spends a devastating year on …
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The Kitchen Boy
by Robert Alexander
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient), directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky (The Counterfeiters) Drawing from decades of work, …
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Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
by Gary D. Schmidt
Turner Buckminster is purely miserable. Not only is he the son of the new minister in a small Maine town, but he is shunned for …
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Maus I: A Survivor's Tale
by Art Spiegelman
The bestselling first installment of the graphic novel acclaimed as “the most affecting and successful narrative ever done about the Holocaust” (Wall Street Journal) and …
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To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep South -- and the heroism of one man in the face of blind …
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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by Betty Smith
The American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century. This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into …
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963
by Christopher Paul Curtis
During one of the most important times in the civil rights movement, one unforgettable family goes on a road trip in this Newbery and Coretta …
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The Devil's Arithmetic
by Jane Yolen
"A triumphantly moving book." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review Hannah dreads going to her family's Passover Seder—she's tired of hearing her relatives talk about the past. …
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Red Scarf Girl
by Ji-li Jiang
In 1966 Ji-li Jiang turned twelve. An outstanding student and leader, she had everything: brains, the admiration of her peers, and a bright future in …
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The Truth About Sparrows
by Marian Hale
Twelve-year-old Sadie promises that she will always be Wilma's best friend when their families leaves drought-stricken Missouri in 1933, but once in Texas, Sadie learns …
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Blue Fingers
by Cheryl Aylward Whitesel
The power and prowess of ninja never seem to lose their appeal to young readers, especially boys. Blue Fingers, a suspenseful, action-packed coming-of-age story set …
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The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn
by Dorothy Hoobler
While attempting to solve the mystery of a stolen jewel, Seikei, a merchant's son who longs to be a samurai, joins a group of kabuki …
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Worth
by A. LaFaye
After breaking his leg, eleven-year-old Nate feels useless because he cannot work on the family farm in nineteenth-century Nebraska, so when his father brings home …
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Milkweed
by Jerry Spinelli
A stunning novel of the Holocaust from Newbery Medalist, Jerry Spinelli. And don't miss the author's highly anticipated new novel, Dead Wednesday! He's a boy …
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Al Capone Does My Shirts
by Gennifer Choldenko
The Newbery Honor Book and New York Times Bestseller that is historical fiction with a hint of mystery about living at Alcatraz not as a …
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The River Between Us
by Richard Peck
During the early days of the Civil War, the Pruitt family takes in two mysterious young ladies who have fled New Orleans to come north …
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Kira-Kira
by Cynthia Kadohata
Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. When their family moves from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of …
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Catherine, Called Birdy (rpkg)
by Karen Cushman
"Corpus Bones! I utterly loathe my life." Catherine feels trapped. Her father is determined to marry her off to arich man--any rich man, no matter …
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One Thousand and One Arabian Nights
by Geraldine McCaughrean
This illustrated edition brings together all the Arabian Nights tales in an original retelling by award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean.