Young Adult Historical Fiction (YAHF)
One definition (put forward by Novel Novice) of YAHF that sums up this genre is, it presents history in a manner that connects with readers on a personal and emotional level. The definition further states that the focus is usually on an important historical theme that helps readers deal with the present.
There are as many sub-genres of YAHF, as there are readers. These include romance, ancient history, U.S. history, ancient Greece, Roman Empire, French Revolution, Medieval Europe, the Renaissance and the World Wars.
YA Historical Fiction Authors
Gary Blackwood has written a series about Shakespeare and the theater, subtitled The Shakespeare Stealer. The stories are set in Elizabethan London, in 1601 and focus on a 14-year-old orphan Widge, who is sent to steal a Shakespeare play so the theater owner can produce it without paying royalties.
One of the most famous YAHF series is Jean Auel's Earth's Children books, the first titled The Clan of the Cave Bear. These novels are set in pre-historic Europe and explore the interactions of the Cro-Magnon people with the Neanderthals. As of 2010, the series has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide.
Stephanie Dray writes about Cleopatra Selene, daughter of the famous Cleopatra and Mark Antony and fraternal twin to Alexander Helios. The first novel, Lily of the Nile, introduces Selene. Her parents have committed suicide and she and her brothers have been taken by Octavian to Rome, as hostages.
Sharon Kay Penman writes a series of novels about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitane, set in twelfth century England. The first book in the series, When Christ and His Saints Slept introduces Maude, the only legitimate heir to King Henry I. The trilogy traces Maude's life and her battle to wear the crown during the bloody years of fighting Stephen, Henry's nephew, for control of the throne.
Gail Langer Karwoski has written a YAHF novel that will appeal to young male readers. Quake is based on the real earthquake that struck San Francisco in 1906. The hero is 13-year-old Jacob Kaufman, who saves a young Chinese boy. Together, they search for their families, food, and shelter.
YA Historical Fiction Blogs
Finding recommendations on what YAHF to read is as easy as checking out blogs on this topic. Young adult historical fiction (YAHF) is becoming very popular. So popular, in fact, there is even a novel challenge aimed at young adult readers. Find more information on the challenge at Books are a girl's best friend. The challenge is directed at both male and female YAHF readers.
To address the lack of people of color in YA literature, Reading In Color, reviews YA books, including YAHF, that showcases blacks, Latinos, and other ethnic groups.
Many YAHF authors blog about their work and other subjects of interest to their readers. Y S Lee, author of the The Agency series, blogs at her website. Lee, from Singapore, writes about the Victorian era in London. Her heroines are spies for The Agency, an ultra-secret investigation firm that operates under the guise of a girl's academy.
Eileen Schwab blogs on her website, also. Her novel, Shadow of a Quarter Moon, takes place in 1839, on a Southern plantation and concerns a young woman who finds out the secret to her true identity.
For further reading and recommendations on YAHF, contact your school librarian, your local public library or search online.
Debbie Whittemore - I've been blogging for the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) since 2006. SIBA is a trade association which represents over ...
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