Advice please- Historical Fiction Books

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lynnie

Puritan Board Graduate
Hi-

My darling niece Hallie fell and broke her t2,t3, and t4 vertebra. She is in a neck and torso brace but is expected to make a full recovery, thank God. She was showing somebody a birds nest and fell.

Hallie is 12, from a lovely Christian family, and is a voracious reader and very smart. Her Mom said she loves historical fiction. She has probably read the most well known books that come to mind, but if you have any ideas it would help me get her a present. Thanks!
 
Assuming that she has already read quantities of Henty and Ballantyne, I would go with Taylor Marshall's stuff. Pillar of Iron, Christie, etc.
 
Gone with the Wind. She would learn more real history from that than she would in a college course. She might be a bit young for The Clansman - good history but poor science. Parental review would probably be needed for the second to see if she is mature enough for the issues discussed. The Sherlock Holmes series.
 
Thanks! I will run these past her Mom in case she read any. Will check out a few for me too :)
 
Sir Walter Scott. The first Waverly novel is manageable. He keeps the Scottish brogue to a minimum. Of course, Dumas's novels are quite fun.

I also enjoyed Rora. Be warned, though, somewhat descriptive of some battle scenes. But a great testimony to Christian martyrdom.
https://www.amazon.com/Rora-James-B...1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494719188&sr=8-1&keywords=rora

I second Scott, I've read probably six or seven of his books. It's fantastic historical fiction with much more value as literature than most modern works. The ones set in the highlands (like Rob Roy) can be a bit difficult to follow due to the heavy use of local dialect but there is a glossary in most of the books which is necessary for us Americans. Waverly is good, Ivanhoe is a classic, and I'd also recommend Quentin Durward, Rob Roy, and, with some reservation, Old Mortality which is regarded as his work with the greatest literary achievement. I would note with respect to Old Mortality that Scott was a "moderate Presbyterian" and could be quite critical of the covenanters and their strictness. In Old Mortality in particular his depiction of the covenanters and a sympathetic portrayal of the royalists is somewhat skewed from a historical perspective. Thomas M'Crie wrote a fairly scathing review of Old Mortality to that effect. It's still good literature, however, and a window, if an imperfect one, into the life of Scots of the time.
 
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This book!

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My son enjoyed Douglas Bond books at that age, but my daughter found them too boyish. She adored the Mysterious Benedict Society books. Those aren't really historical fiction, but they seem to appeal to smart pre- and young teens who like to read smart stories.
 
The other advantage of the Mysterious Benedict Society books is that they are so thoroughly G-rated, that you don't have to worry about them. I would also recommend Brandon Sanderson's Alcatraz books, though they are not historical fiction, but fantasy lit. They are very entertaining, I have read them all to my kids out loud (he is writing a sixth book, which is good, as the fifth one does not seem like a good ending to the series).
 
Historical Fiction for an avid reader who is 12 years old? My kids like Jane Austen, and of course Jane Eyre was one of my favorites when I was a girl. Frankenstein is actually a deep, thought-provoking novel of the same time frame as Austen's books, which my teenage daughters also really liked. By the way, speaking of the classics, https://librivox.org/ has free audiobook downloads for many books, including classics--we listened to Frankenstein thanks to LibriVox. Perhaps since she's laid-up this might be a way to keep her mind busy when her eyes get tired.

I hesitate to say this, since I wrote it, but Trunk of Scrolls: A Family Adventure is made for older boys and girls and adults. You can see Goodreads for reviews. If she's reading Austen she'll be able to read this, since it's not young YA at all. But it's written from a Reformed perspective, dealing with the problem of pain and suffering and "where is God when it hurts." This might be what your granddaughter needs right now. Here's the link to find out more about the book: Trunk of Scrolls

Trunk of Scrolls is endorsed by Dr. Michael Horton and Joel Beeke, among others.

I hope your niece is feeling better soon. Sorry to hear about her breaking her neck. How frightening that must have been! May God bring about quick healing and a special time for her in the meanwhile.
 
Robert Graves "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God" are among the best historical fiction pieces written. It chronicles, as if written by the Emperor Claudius himself, his family history beginning with Augustus through his own death. It's incredible. Another marvelous book, that does the same sort of thing in a different context, is "I, Elizabeth" by Rosalind Miles. It does what Graves did with Claudius, except it traces the history of the Tutors from the perspective of Elizabeth. Both of these authors are/were historians and scholars in their topic, and their works are top-notch.
 
Anne of Green Gables by Montgomery is probably more wholesome than Jane Eyre.

Maybe she's ready for Master and Commander.
 
Has she read Treasure Island or Kidnapped by R.L. Stevenson? Also, Charlotte M. Yonge, a devout member of the Church of England in the nineteenth century, wrote a number of books that she might like. Dove in the Eagle's Nest, the Little Duke, and the Caged Lion are all books she might enjoy. Also, Anthony Hope wrote the Prisoner of Zenda which I enjoyed reading.
 
I sent this link to her Mom, and realized that I now have a great list for my own summer reading for several summers. So many good ideas.

"I hesitate to say this, since I wrote it " I am glad you did, it got wonderful reviews and I am going to order one.
 
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