In London, 1593, sixteen year old Will Hughes makes his living on Shakespeare’s stage, but after the famous playwright Christopher Marlowe is murdered, he teams up with young Lord James Bloomsbury, and together the two hunt the elusive assassin as their forbidden feelings for each other ignite.
Historical Fiction
Historical Fiction genre
The Cricket War
A gripping story of a boy’s escape from Communist Vietnam by boat, based on the author’s own experience. It’s 1980, and 12-year-old Tho Pham lives with his family in South Vietnam. He spends his afternoons playing soccer and cricket fighting with his friends, but life is slowly changing under the Communists. His parents are worried, and Tho knows the Communist army will soon knock on their door to make his brother, and then him, join them. Still, it shocks him when his father says that arrangements have been made for him to leave Vietnam by boat, immediately. Thọ tries to be brave as he sets out on a harrowing journey toward the unknown.
This book is part of the Worlds of Words Global Reading List for 2023/24.
Granny Came Here On The Empire Windrush
Ava is asked to dress up as an inspirational figure for her school assembly, but who should she choose? Granny suggests famous familiar figures such as Winifred Atwell, Mary Seacole, and Rosa Parks, and tells Ava all about their fascinating histories, but Ava’s classmates have already claimed them and she must choose someone else. But who? When Ava finds a mysterious old suitcase and Granny shares her own history, and how she came to England on the Empire Windrush many years ago. She tells her story through the precious items that accompanied her on the original voyage, each one evoking a memory of home. As Ava listens to how Granny built a life for herself in England, determined to stay against the odds and despite overwhelming homesickness, and she realizes that there is a hero very close to home, her very own brave and beloved granny.
In The Tunnel
Fourteen year old Myung-gi flees North Korea with his family during the height of the devastating Korean War, beginning an epic struggle for survival that pushes them to the brink.
Featured in October 2023’s WOW Dozen on Books by Contemporary Korean American Authors.
The Journal Of Etienne Mercier
In March 1853, Etienne Mercier, a 28-year-old explorer and trapper, is hired by the Hudson Bay Co. to explore the Queen Charlotte Islands. Mercier sets out most enthusiastically on this voyage in a canoe with the additional hope of finding an old friend, Clement. The two had been separated the year before, in the same territory during bad weather. Mercier scripts a journal in mesmerizing detail of words, illustrations and lyrics. His deep respect for the land, water, wildlife and the Haida Indians is present throughout.
Makoons (Birchbark House)
In this award-winning sequel to Chickadee, acclaimed author Louise Erdrich continues her celebrated Birchbark House series with the story of an Ojibwe family in nineteenth-century America.Named for the Ojibwe word for little bear, Makoons and his twin, Chickadee, have traveled with their family to the Great Plains of Dakota Territory. There they must learn to become buffalo hunters and once again help their people make a home in a new land. But Makoons has had a vision that foretells great challenges—challenges that his family may not be able to overcome.Based on Louise Erdrich’s own family history, this fifth book in the series features black-and-white interior illustrations, a note from the author about her research, and a map and glossary of Ojibwe terms.
Chickadee
In 1866, Omakayas’s son Chickadee is kidnapped by two ne’er-do-well brothers from his own tribe and must make a daring escape, forge unlikely friendships, and set out on an exciting and dangerous journey to get back home. Sequel to The Porcupine Year and continuation of the Birchbark House series.
Out Of Darkness
Naomi Vargas is Mexican American. Wash Fuller is Black. These teens know the town’s divisive racism better than anyone. But sometimes the attraction between two people is so powerful it breaks through even the most entrenched color lines. And the consequences can be explosive. Naomi and Wash dare to defy the rules, and the New London school explosion serves as a ticking time bomb in the background. Can their love survive both prejudice and tragedy?
Other Side Of The River
After her family fled the Mexican Revolution, twelve year old Petra summons all her strength and courage as she faces new opportunities and challenges in America.
Coming Up Cuban: Rising Past Castro’s Shadow
“Examines the impact of the 1959 Cuban Revolution on four children from very different walks of life. In the wake of a new regime in Cuba, Ana, Miguel, Zulema, and Juan learn to find a place for themselves in a world forever changed. In a tumultuous moment of history, we see the lasting effects of a revolution in Havana, the countryside, Miami, and New York. Their separate narratives build, overlap, and entwine to creat one inspiring story–an adventure that spans towns, cities, nations, and worlds. Through these stories, we are reminded that regardless of any tumultuous times, we are all forever connected in our humanity”–Adapted from publisher