Historical fiction is by far my favorite genre to read. I know it might seem slow and boring to most, but I love to read a story about characters and their experiences based on real life events. Unfortunately, as an English major, I spend most of my time reading assigned work and novels, so I don't get very much time to read for enjoyment. Reading Countdown gave me a chance to read a genre that I really enjoy, and as a result, it made me think about some of my favorite novels that I had read in the past. This got me thinking, when I graduate in just a few months, I won't be forced to read 12 novels and 50 scholarly every semester. I'll be able to read whatever I want in my spare time. There must be so many more historical fiction books out there for both adults and teens that I've never even heard of!
This got me really excited, so I went online to search for sites that offered booklists for the best historical fiction for teens and I found one that I thought was very interesting. There is an article from the ALAN Review (granted it's from 99, so it's a bit dated) that contains a list of the best historical fiction for YA 'through the decades.' Each list contains books written during and/or about each decade of the 20th century, which reminded me of Countdown. I've pasted the link below so that you guys can check it out if you get the chance or if you are looking for some suggestions for a good piece of YA historical fiction. Enjoy!
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/spring99/brewbaker.html
-Katie
This is a great resource you've found, Katie. It is dated, but it features a lot of titles that would be considered YA classics, plus many I haven't read.
ReplyDeleteIf you want other recommendations, a few of my personal favorite 20th century historical fiction books from the past year or two are ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams-Garcia; TEN CENTS A DANCE by Christine Fletcher; and FLYGIRL by Sherri Smith. For the American Revolution you can't beat CHAINS and FORGE by Laurie Halse Anderson and the OCTAVIAN NOTHING books by M.T. Anderson. For the Holocaust, THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak is basically mind-blowing!
Countdown was the first historical fiction book I can ever remember reading. I used to think they would all be slow and boring but then I opened Countdown and couldn't put it down! I can see why you love historical fiction. This book not only has a good story but puts it in a real time in the past with accurate facts and timelines. I really enjoyed the book and think more teachers, especially history teachers, should use books like Countdown to introduce their students to the past.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, I am actually looking forward to reading more historical fiction and hope Wiles finishes the rest of her 60s trilogy soon.
When I was a kid I used to LOVE historical fiction. I was fascinated by stories from another era. It is an especially interesting tool because it uses characters that are relateable to a modern reader, against a time period that is perhaps out of grasp. It takes the reader beyond the one dimensional "history-book" style of knowledge and gives the reader a true sense of what that time period might have been like.
ReplyDeleteIn a lot of ways I relate to this genre even today, in a similar way that I latch on to dystopian literature. It transports you to another world, and if done correctly comments on modern-happening is an important and subtle way.
That being said Countdown is probably one of the best historical fiction that I have read in a long time. Wile's complex interweaving of personal relationships as political allegory, and powerful images gives this book the complete package that I think some historical fictions lack.