Historical fiction to read my 7-year-old girl?

February 27, 2015 11:00 AM

Hi, my daughter seems to really like two things in the books I read her: (1) a historical setting and (2) a main character who is a girl. She loved Laura Ingalls Wilder, Caddie Woodlawn, Sarah Plain and Tall, and even one of those American Girl doll books. Can you recommend other books to read her? I was thinking of Anne of Green Gables, but I have no other ideas and I'm not sure if she is the right age.
posted by Area Man to Media & Arts (63 answers total)

Little Women, maybe? It's free on Kindle or at Project Gutenberg.

(h/t Eyebrows McGee!)
posted by divined by radio at 11:11 AM on February 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

My all-time favorite from when I was your daughter's age was "Little Women." The book we know of today is actually two books put together. I think the first half of it would be great for your daughter. It ends when Meg gets engaged.

The second half is lovely, too, but the little girls are grown women then, and there is much more love/loss/marriage.
posted by kimberussell at 11:11 AM on February 27, 2015

Definitely, absolutely Anne of Green Gables!
posted by cecic at 11:12 AM on February 27, 2015 [2 favorites]

I remember liking Black Star, Bright Dawn when I was in about the same phase.
posted by dorque at 11:12 AM on February 27, 2015

Anne of Green Gables would be a great series in my mind, I actually came to recommend it just from reading the title of your question, before I saw you were considering it.
posted by wwax at 11:12 AM on February 27, 2015

I remember really liking The Royal Diaries series when I was around that age. Each is a "diary" written by a famous historical female figure like Cleopatra, Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I, Victoria, etc.
posted by astapasta24 at 11:13 AM on February 27, 2015 [2 favorites]

Loved the Mandie series when I was that age.
posted by greta simone at 11:13 AM on February 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

I would whole-heartedly recommend Anne of Green Gables! It's a classic that can be re-read on a bunch of levels.

Although its based on her childhood, in a not entirely happy time, the 'Booky' books by Bernice Thurman Hunter might also appeal to her, being slightly more modern, but still not contemporary. And available online for the win....


I also enjoyed Noel Streatfeilds books at that age...White Boots (skating), Ballet Shoes, etc.

I can't wait to get into some of these with my little peanut!
posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy at 11:17 AM on February 27, 2015 [3 favorites]

The True Adventures of Charlotte Doyle is about a girl from an upper crust family who ends up joining a ship's mutiny against a dastardly upper crust captain. One of my all time favs as a child.
posted by congen at 11:17 AM on February 27, 2015 [9 favorites]

I can't seem to add links right now, but the Dear America series is really good: http://www.scholastic.com/dearamerica/
posted by mareli at 11:20 AM on February 27, 2015 [5 favorites]

Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
SeeSaw Girl by Linda Sue Park
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
posted by wsquared at 11:22 AM on February 27, 2015

The Boxcar Children
posted by biscuits at 11:22 AM on February 27, 2015 [2 favorites]

Dear Canada, written by Canada's best contemporary children's writers. Source: I'm a children's librarian.
posted by saucysault at 11:25 AM on February 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

I loved Sydney Taylor's All-of-a-Kind Family books when I was around that age. They're about a Jewish immigrant family who live in the Lower East Side in New York City around the the turn of the century.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:25 AM on February 27, 2015 [9 favorites]

The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett were favorites when I was that age.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 11:30 AM on February 27, 2015 [2 favorites]

Heidi! - One of my all time favorites as a child.
posted by brainmouse at 11:33 AM on February 27, 2015 [3 favorites]

Consider reading more of the American Girl series? They aren't just cheap-o throw-aways to advertise dolls, they're legit books.
posted by bleep at 11:34 AM on February 27, 2015 [2 favorites]

Also, though, I know you mention "one of those American Girl doll books" - Those are fabulous books, at least the ones that were around when I was a child (Felicity, Molly, Kirsten, Samantha, Addy) - good stories and honestly taught me a lot of history. And at 7 she can probably read them herself.
posted by brainmouse at 11:36 AM on February 27, 2015 [5 favorites]

On further reflection, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle might have material that's too old for a 7 year old - I'm not a good judge. It's been awhile since I've read it, but I think there's a pretty graphic flogging scene. (Not the fun kind)

I really enjoyed The Secret Garden at that age, though I remember having to see a movie adaptation before I could be convinced to dive into such weird, dense prose. Heidi, Swiss Family Robinson, and Five Little Peppers and How they Grew were also well loved. I think Five Little Peppers may do some unfortunate moralizing about class and women.
posted by congen at 11:36 AM on February 27, 2015

Katherine Paterson wrote a couple of books set in historical Japan that have female main characters, which I remember loving as a kid. Might be a little advanced for her, maybe more like 3rd grade? But possibly worth checking out. 1, 2
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:37 AM on February 27, 2015 [2 favorites]

Eight Cousins.
posted by Adridne at 11:40 AM on February 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

When I was little I loved the What Katy Did series.
posted by billiebee at 11:42 AM on February 27, 2015

So many good ideas! My mom read The Secret Garden and A Little Princess to me when I was about that age and I loved them, along with Anne of Green Gables a year or two later. I also thought the Emily of New Moon books by the same author were super.

I don't see The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Speare) or Johnny Tremain (Forbes) listed here, and I adored them. Both were Newberry winners.
posted by charmedimsure at 11:48 AM on February 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

Hmm. Seven is a bit young for Anne. I say that as someone who recommends LMM to kids of most ages, but ... nine or ten is usually about the right time for a girl to meet Anne Shirley. (On the other hand, if she already loves Laura Ingalls Wilder, she's probably ready for the first three Anne books AND the Emily trilogy. I read all those books at about the same time.)

The American Girl books were actually pretty fun for a little while. The books are short, but the content is about right age-wise. They're also good books to read in one sitting. (Felicity and Samantha were my personal favorites.)

You might also look into:

- A Little Princess and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
- Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson
- Chains (first in a trilogy) by Laurie Halse Anderson
- Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (CW: WWII, Holocaust)
- Mathilda by Roald Dahl
- The Sally Lockhart books by Philip Pullman, which are for a slightly younger set than The Golden Compass trio and which are not fantasy but historical mystery. The first is The Ruby in the Smoke.
- The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (CW: WWII, Holocaust, IMHO better than the Lowry, but intended for an older audience whereas the Lowry is more on target age-wise)

Some authors whose work skews older but is in the ballpark thematically: Cynthia Voigt (specifically the Tillerman cycle, which shifts from the 80s back to the 60s and forward again), Dodie Smith, Chaim Potok, Harper Lee, Betty Smith.
posted by brina at 11:50 AM on February 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

Anne of Green Gables, definitely, and I second the Burnett books, A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. (N.B. As an American little girl who knew nothing of the British Empire, the whole India origin story in Secret Garden confused the heck out of me. Be prepared to explain that a little bit.)

Also, try Strawberry Girl
posted by gladly at 11:56 AM on February 27, 2015

At that age, my daughter loved the Melendy books by Elizabeth Enright (book 1 is The Saturdays). It's a family of kids, but the girls definitely get a good chunk of the story.

More fantasy, but with historical elements are the Edward Eager books; Half Magic is a good place to start.

Almost everybody loves The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall.

Has she read the Ivy & Bean series (Annie Barrows), the Clementine series (Sara Pennypacker), and the Judy Moody series (Megan McDonald)? They're not historical, but they've got girl main characters, and there are lots of them to read.

The Noisy Village books by Astrid Lindgren are about a group of kids, narrated by a girl. Very enjoyable for kids.

She might enjoy the Marguerite Henry horse books; horses are the main characters, but there are girls involved in their care.
posted by mogget at 11:56 AM on February 27, 2015 [3 favorites]

Red Scarf Girl - A memoir of a girl's involvement in the Mao's Cultural Revolution in China
posted by Flood at 12:00 PM on February 27, 2015

My 7 year old liked Bo at Ballard Creek , though it had SOME grown up language and themes, but not enough to make an impact. It is about the gold rush in Alaska and has a similar feel of the "Little House" books. Bo is a good, strong female character.
posted by lil' ears at 12:01 PM on February 27, 2015

N-thing Anne of Green Gables, and hurdy gurdy girl beat me to the punch of suggesting All-of-a-Kind Family!

Kate's House and Kate's Book by Mary Francis Schura were two that hit the Oregon Trail spot for me as a kid. Not sure how they've held up.
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sydney
Do the 1960s count as historical? A Wonderful, Terrible Time by Mary Stolz
A little more fantastical than strictly historical, but she may enjoy Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren.
posted by prewar lemonade at 12:02 PM on February 27, 2015

I loved Hitty: Her First Hundred Years. The main character is a doll, not a girl, but I think it will work just as well for you.
posted by JanetLand at 12:02 PM on February 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

I loved "A Girl of the Limberlost" by Gene Stratton-Porter back in the day. Also free on Kindle or Project Gutenberg.
posted by rdnnyc at 12:04 PM on February 27, 2015

In a few years, True Grit.
posted by H21 at 12:06 PM on February 27, 2015

If you run out of ideas and need more, the combination of search terms "historical fiction" and "homeschool" will get you a great many ideas... or use "homeschool" plus "fiction" plus a period of history.

One more good search set, though it will get you both fiction and non-fiction, is "living books" "history" "homeschool". Here's one link that has many suggestions, sorted by time period.

If you're not sure about level, any novel that's listed on amazon as being for middle grades (8-12) should be fine content-wise, and even some young adult, though you'd want to check description and reviews for things to be wary of.

Remember, kids almost always read UP, meaning that they read about kids that are their age, or older by a few years. The "middle grades" designation is for general reading level - what ages should be able to read that level on their own. If you're reading aloud to her, you can get away with books that are more challenging.
posted by stormyteal at 12:08 PM on February 27, 2015

Seconding the Dear America books. I can't speak for the new books since the series' relaunch, but I read a bunch of the original series as a kid and loved them, especially Voyage on the Great Titanic and I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly. I also liked Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell at that age. There's also Zilpha Keatley Snyder's The Egypt Game, which isn't strictly historical fiction but isn't quite contemporary either.

Also, I love The Book Thief and highly recommend it in general, but think seven is too young for it. It was marketed as an adult book in its native Australia, and it's not exactly an easy read for someone under 10 in either style or content. Death is the narrator, which I feel like might be a hard sell for a seven year-old. Your daughter would likely get more out of it when she's at least 11.
posted by yasaman at 12:09 PM on February 27, 2015 [3 favorites]

The Flambards series is wonderful and focuses on a girl in the midst of social/class upheavals in turn of the century England.

The Sally Lockheart books mentioned above are great (they were actually my first thought), but the plots may be too mature for 7; I seem to recall they involve the opium trade and human trafficking.
posted by susanvance at 12:57 PM on February 27, 2015

Seven Little Australians and the rest of the series (also on Amazon), but you should read it yourself first to know what's coming.

here are some ideas, several with little girl protagonists: Australian history for young readers.
posted by the agents of KAOS at 1:17 PM on February 27, 2015

A couple books that might good in a year or so:
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
Number the Stars
posted by the agents of KAOS at 1:19 PM on February 27, 2015

I read Janet Lunn as a child, but perhaps a little older than your daughter.
posted by girlpublisher at 1:28 PM on February 27, 2015

Along with the Dear America series, there is a Royal Diaries series of 20 books.
posted by soelo at 1:33 PM on February 27, 2015

Pulling from my best-loved books from childhood...

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
The Saturdays (The Melendy Quartet)
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Julie of the Wolves
The Secret Garden
posted by erst at 1:47 PM on February 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

Betsy-Tacy!
posted by brujita at 2:13 PM on February 27, 2015 [3 favorites]

Catherine Called Birdy! I think she's about the right age for it?
posted by jetlagaddict at 2:13 PM on February 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

The Fairchild Family series by Rebecca Caudill. Happy Little Family is the first one.

Day of the Blizzard by Marietta Moskin
posted by Redstart at 2:38 PM on February 27, 2015

a bit outside the boundaries of your question -

Pippi Longstocking - a bit fantastical but definitely girl-friendly.

Black Beauty - it's about a horse, I'm sure she'll like it.
posted by lizbunny at 3:08 PM on February 27, 2015

Seconding the Betsy-Tacy books. I loved them!

Also Two Are Better Than One by Carol Ryrie Brink
posted by SisterHavana at 3:09 PM on February 27, 2015

Seconding like crazy All of a Kind Family and Catherine Called Birdy (which I read at the same time as Ella Enchanted, and even though it's not historical fiction I can't imagine any kid who loves spunky female heroines not loving Ella Enchanted and then getting really mad at the movie).

Also, Eva Ibbotson wrote some historical fiction set in Vienna. The Star of Kazan has both spunky heroine and Lippizzaners or however you spell it.
posted by theweasel at 3:27 PM on February 27, 2015

The Betsy-Tacy books are wonderful!
What about Mary Poppins and Peter Pan?
posted by jrobin276 at 5:21 PM on February 27, 2015

I loved the "Shoes" books by Noel Streatfeild when I was a kid. Ballet Shoes is her most famous. Most of them are about girls in show biz/performance.
posted by zoetrope at 5:48 PM on February 27, 2015

To echo above suggestions: Betsy-Tacy books, Catherine Called Birdy, Secret Garden, A Little Princess, Number the Stars (in a few years...I think we read this in fourth grade).

I loveloveloved Zilpha Keatley Snyder's books when I was a kid. Many of her books are set in the past and many have female protagonists. I started reading them in second grade or so. The Velvet Room (depression era) is my favorite. And Condors Danced is also great (turn of 20th century), as is Cat Running (depression)

I agree she might enjoy the American Girl books - maybe good for her to read on her own?
posted by radioamy at 5:50 PM on February 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

Harriet the Spy - Oh wait - that's not historical, but great for young girls.
posted by knolan at 5:51 PM on February 27, 2015

Oh my gosh NANCY DREW.

It was historical when I read it...I had to ask my mother about many quaint customs and items.

I loooooved Nancy Drew.
posted by Punctual at 6:39 PM on February 27, 2015 [3 favorites]

The great brain books if she's ok reading about boys.
posted by brujita at 6:53 PM on February 27, 2015

I just remembered the Five Little Peppers books, set in the 1800s. Doesn't really have a main character, it's about all the children. Enjoyable with a moralistic edge.
posted by the agents of KAOS at 7:29 PM on February 27, 2015

Milly Molly Mandy
posted by the agents of KAOS at 8:21 PM on February 27, 2015

Try Fog Magic and Gone-Away Lake.
posted by gudrun at 9:43 PM on February 27, 2015

Robin Moore was written some books about a girl living on the Pennsylvania frontier in the 1770s. He makes his living as a storyteller and the books were written specifically to be read aloud. I remember my kids enjoying the books.
posted by maurice at 5:07 AM on February 28, 2015

Ann Rinaldi - basically historical fiction with female heroines is what she does, if I remember correctly. May be a bit mature for a seven year old, though . . .
posted by knownfossils at 9:32 AM on February 28, 2015

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Joan Aiken
posted by Cocodrillo at 1:48 PM on February 28, 2015 [1 favorite]

Try Luvvy and the Girls by Natalie Savage Carlson. It's a sequel to The Half Sisters, which I haven't read, but it's a good stand alone book as well.

The Trolley Car Family by Eleanor Clymer- it's about the whole family but I believe the main character is a girl.

Also The Sky is Falling. It's the first book in a trilogy by Kit Pearson. The other books are great as well.
posted by Lay Off The Books at 4:15 PM on February 28, 2015

I want to nth many of these books (though I would recommend reading them before you give them to her - many of them have bits that are probably inappropriate or you want to talk through with her). This is not historical fiction, but please, please please read her Dealing with Dragons. Cimorene is as much a part of grown up me as Laura and Caddie Woodlawn! Historical fiction books include In The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (a 10 year old immigrates to the US from China in 1947, and TOTALLY LOVES baseball), Jar of Dreams (and the other books by Yoshiko Uchida, but many of them focus on the Japanese-American experience during WWII. My favorite was The Invisible Thread), Molly's Pilgrim (immigration, Ellis Island, focused on a third grader), Bud Not Buddy (10 year old hits the road in search of his father and falls in with a bunch of musicians! There's jazz and the depression)... When she is a little older, she may like Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and the other books by Mildred D. Taylor.
posted by ChuraChura at 8:14 PM on February 28, 2015

The Good Master by Kate Seredy
posted by Coaticass at 10:01 PM on February 28, 2015

I have a lot of fond memories of my mother reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes and the subsequent discussions we had. If you're not sure it's age appropriate because of the mature themes, I'll say that I was closer to 5 when we read this together.

Lots of great suggestions in this thread!
posted by Violet Femme at 12:03 PM on March 2, 2015

Oops, just saw you said FICTION.
posted by Violet Femme at 12:04 PM on March 2, 2015