Interested in history, recent or ancient? Try some of these books, which range from nonfiction to realistic fiction to fantasy, to get your time-travel fix.
CHILDREN'S
Released: Nov. 6, 2012
"A rare, rewarding, sumptuous exploration of artistic passion. (author's note) (Historical fantasy. 12 & up)"
Giulia is bright, curious and a gifted artist, born to a noble father and his humble mistress in 15th-century Renaissance Italy. Now her fate rests with her father's widow, who's sending Giulia to a Padua convent.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 23, 2012
"A solid and captivating look at these remarkable pioneers of modern fiction. (notes and a comprehensive bibliography) (Biography. 12-16)"
The wild freedom of the imagination and the heart, and the tragedy of lives ended just as success is within view--such a powerful story is that of the Brontë children.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 9, 2012
"Absorbing, compelling and unforgettable. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 12 & up)"
War has been declared, and the young, royal, exiled FitzOsbornes are immediately in the thick of things as Cooper's Montmaray Journals trilogy comes to its conclusion.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 25, 2012
"Unexpected, drily funny and full of the pathos and wonder of life: Don't miss it. (Historical fiction. 12 & up)"
Pratchett leaves Discworld to bring us something that is quite nearly--but not exactly--actual historical fiction.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 18, 2012
"Not for the faint of heart due to both subject and length, but the intricate plot and magnificently imagined details of character, dialogue and setting take hold and don't let go. Not to be missed. (Historical/paranormal thriller. 14 & up)"
1920s New York thrums with giddy life in this gripping first in a new trilogy from Printz winner Bray.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 4, 2012
"Readers will be captivated. (Steampunk. 12 & up)"
Two teens race against time to thwart the forces of evil in this prequel to
The Boneshaker (2010).
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2012
"Thorough, deeply researched and stylistically clear, this is a necessary, exemplary book. (pronunciation guide, chronology, notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10 & up)"
In a book that is the very model of excellence in nonfiction, Rappaport dispels the old canard that the Jews entered the houses of death as lambs led to the slaughter.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 28, 2012
"A well-written, compelling trip to a past not often portrayed in children's literature. (Historical fiction. 8-12)"
The Black Panthers seem to have the answers for Maxie and her friends, so when a traitor to the group is suspected, she is determined to find who is leaking information to the Chicago police.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 21, 2012
"A standout sequel and engrossing ghost story. (Horror. 14 & up)"
He failed to save his twin brother through alchemy, but young Victor Frankenstein eagerly delves back into the sinister sciences in this sequel to 2011's
This Dark Endeavor.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: July 10, 2012
"Who knew the biography of a germ could be so fascinating? (acknowledgments, picture credits, index [not seen]) (Nonfiction. 9-14)"
Murphy and Blank chronicle the story of the tuberculosis microorganism, the greatest serial killer of all time.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: July 3, 2012
"A solid addition to what is turning into a swell series. (Historical mystery. 12 & up)"
Teen detective Iris Anderson struggles to solve parallel mysteries while coming to terms with her Jewish identity in World War II–era New York City in this engrossing follow-up to
The Girl is Murder (2011).
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 26, 2012
"This cracking good mixture of magic and place will leave readers eagerly awaiting the sequel. (Fantasy. 12-14)"
A mixed-race girl in Dust Bowl Kansas discovers her long-lost father isn't just a black man: He's a fairy.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 19, 2012
"Among the most historically and culturally significant battles ever fought, Marathon gets righteous due--and so does its greatest hero. (Graphic historical fiction. 12-15)"
Retold in expressionistic blurs of action, this account of the battle of Marathon chronicles at once a glorious win for the underdogs and an awe-inspiring personal achievement.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 14, 2012
"While the happy ending comes as no surprise, the path to it is funny as well as satisfying, with many nods to Jane Austen along the way. (Fiction. 13 & up)"
A romp of a Regency romance told through the discerning voice of a witty teenage beauty whose family needs her to marry for money.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 15, 2012
"A vivid, disturbing and all-too-real topical story. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)"
When 14-year-old Teddy is classified as troublesome, disrespectful and defiant of authority, his despised stepfather sends him off to St. Ignatius Academy for Boys, an isolated Roman Catholic boarding school.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 15, 2012
"A carefully researched, precisely written tour de force; unforgettable and wrenching. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)"
Breaking away from Arthurian legends (
The Winter Prince, 1993, etc.), Wein delivers a heartbreaking tale of friendship during World War II.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 17, 2012
"Brilliant: a vision of history before the victors wrote it. (historical note) (Historical fiction. 12 & up)"
Two girls of very different degree are brought together unwillingly by the English conquest of Wales.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 17, 2012
"An engrossing exploration of how a murder affects a community. (Historical thriller. 12 & up)"
The high school year is almost over, there's a party in the park, and Mister Death will soon be there, rifle in hand.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 3, 2012
"A page turner--with grace. (map, list of characters) (Historical thriller. 14 & up)"
Fiction and history coalesce in a rich, ripping tale of assassinations, political intrigue and religion in 15th-century Brittany.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 2, 2012
"An impressive blend of biography and magical realism. (author's notes; select bibliography) (Fantasy. 14 & up)"
A 20th-century teen artist and 19th-century French poet Arthur Rimbaud transcend time and place in this luminous paean to the transformative power of art.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2012
"Written with the authority of a fine writer with an inquiring mind, this dramatic story is history writing at its best. (Nonfiction. 14 & up)"
In fascinating detail, Aronson tells the story of America during J. Edgar Hoover's reign as head of the FBI and "the nearly fifty years of criminal activity that was his legacy."
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CHILDREN'S
Released: March 20, 2012
"Infused with nostalgia and affection, this celebration of the deliberately constructed self will hold readers in its spell from beginning to end. (Historical fiction. 13 & up)"
Fourteen-year-old Portia joins a circus freak show looking for the father who abandoned her, but she finds much more.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2012
"A thorough and absorbing recreation of the ill-fated voyage. (Nonfiction. 8-16)"
In what's sure to be a definitive work commemorating the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS
Titanic, Hopkinson offers a well-researched and fascinating account of the disaster.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 7, 2012
"Rich with detail and emotion, a sophisticated read for teens and adults alike. (Fiction. 14 & up)"
Set in rural Montana in the early 1990s, this lesbian coming-of-age story runs the gamut from heart-rending to triumphant, epic to mundane.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2012
"A stirring and thought-provoking account of an unsung figure in 20th-century American history. (author's notes, source notes, bibliography, index) (Fictional biography. 12-18)"
Lewis Michaux provided a venue for his fellow African-Americans to have access to their own history and philosophy at a time when the very idea was revolutionary.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 17, 2012
"A dark journey well worth taking—engrossing, disturbing, illuminating. (author's note) (Fiction. 14 & up)"
A tale of two Haitis—one modern, one historic—deftly intertwine in a novel for teens and adults.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 10, 2012
"A classy read that repays reader effort. (historical note) (Thriller. 12 & up)"
Here's something refreshing: a religious-historical thriller with a nifty Mobius strip of a plot—think Nancy Werlin channeling Dan Brown—serving up shivery suspense, sans fangs or fur.
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