I was not aware of all of the books that are based on history. I always assumed that a history story was always a non-fiction book. I did not even think about the fact that an author could use the aspects of history to create a story that could have happened in a previous time and place. There are several books in this chapter that I would like to read. I actually have wanted to read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books for some time and just have not gotten the chance. This series is so popular yet I only aware of the tv show not the books. I hope that sometime in the near future (probably over the summer) I will get a chance to read this series.
I remember feeling like Laura Ingalls Wilder was one of my best friends! Watching the TV shows and reading the books are fond memories for me. I believe that this is one of the great gifts of historical fiction. Children have the opportunity to experience a lifestyle and specific events of the past. These experiences help them form a background and value system as they experience their own life. Children today have many things and participate in many activities. Historical fiction presents a different view of childhood. Often children worked hard on the family farm or in factories. They also had simple toys and simple meals. Our literature circle study of Bud, Not Buddy discussed the importance of the setting and how it shows the reader a new world. Without the historical setting of the book, the story would not be the same.
Historical fiction can be a great tool to introduce and experience cultural diversity in a classroom. The book gave several examples. I especially enjoyed the section about the Little House books. Celebrating a pioneer day would be a great way to end a read aloud of a pioneer book or the celebration of reaching AR goals. Older students would enjoy a book report project included reading a book and then dressing up as a character. My daughter's class enjoyed a similar research and drama project last year in the 5th grade. Historical fiction creates a wonderful environment for students to learn and create!
Chris, I agree that doing the pioneer day would be a great way to end a discussion about historical fiction. The 4th graders in my town go to a one room school house each year. They get to have a teacher that would be like they were in the pioneer days, churn butter, and many other activities. My son loved it when he went.
I never realized how much research goes into historical fiction. This making the writings accurate and fictional at the same time. I like that the Literary Elements make historical fiction easy to imagine what life in the past was like. Also very interesting that Historical fiction came after contemporary realistic fiction in these chapters.
Historical fiction allows the readers to use thier creative and imagenation skills to experience and bring the past to life. I don't remember reading these types of books when I was a small child. Historical fiction is a great way to gain understanding about history.
Kristi, My daughter, got into reading Laura Ingalls Wilder. She really enjoyed these books and has read all of them. I helped her read through many of them as well. I'm like you, growing up I didn't miss a Little House on the Prairie show. I loved this show! And Chris, I too thought your ideas of doing a pioneer day would be very beneficial for children to have hands on activity at the end of such readings.
History has always been one of my favorite subjects so I absolutely loved reading this chapter. I was not away how they used history to make these children books so that kids can learn history but at there own level. I recently read A Family Secret which was a book that was written in a very peculiar way. When I opened the book I thought that I must have gotten the wrong book because there were so many pictures with writing that were in the format of comics seen in the Sunday paper. When I began reading it I was appalled when I find out it was about the Jewish and Hitler. I could not but the book down once I started reading. I would have never thought about talking to kids about what Hitler did with all these people and all the lives that were lost. It just goes to show that authors can pretty much introduce just about anything to kids, even topics like the Holocaust. I would have to say that the Little House books. Having kids do the drama part in historical story would be a fun thing for children to do.
I also don't recall ever reading Historical Fiction books when I went to school. They are a great way to bring history in the life of children as opposed to waiting until they study it at a higher grade level. These books bring historical events to the minds of children and I think it opens there ways of thinking to a more broader level. It definately is a great way to gain understanding about history
Hisorical Fiction, does allow the reader to use their imagination, but also combining realistic information in a "past tense" sort of way. Historical fiction books are interesting to myself. I believe that it has to be the right type of historical fiction book to relate to a child or interest could be lost quickly.
This chapter was interesting but definitely not one of my favorites. Historical fiction can be very somber. It seems like most of the books they talked about were depressing, talking about death, and I don't enjoy reading these types of books. Yes they do some important stories and I have read some of them but it is hard to believe that children would want to read about some of these instances. Some of these events definitely need to be discussed and people need to read about them. It is just hard to imagine that young people enjoy reading about some of the more mature material.
I too don't remember reading anything like this as a young child although I'm sure at one point I did. I will say you are right in how much has to go into writing books of this nature. Although they are fiction they must also have accurate background. And yes it is a different way of learning about history.
Chapter 10 was full of insight and resources much like all the other chapters in this text. Historical fiction is more common than what I perceived. I never thought about the how important an historical setting was as a child. I use to read numerous books set at previous time period and I loved it. I think historical fiction opens the doors for children and allows them to learn a piece of history in a entertaining way in comparisons to just listening to history lecture. I also believe it allows the students to relate to a historical character and the life experiences they had. A book set at a later date where there was no running water and children were asked to work for a living just no attend school, would hopefully illustrated the picture of our current culture and how fortunate we are. The section towards the end of the chapter addressing application and teaching just continues to be a favorite of mine. I liked all the ideas for applying historical fiction. A book I read for my reading log addressed the Oregon Trail I can remember a game I use to play on the computer in school called the Oregon Trail. It was my favorite game. I need to find that game for my free time, when I get some.
Maria C- Wow! I never thought about children reading about Hitler either. What reading level did the book target? The book does sound interesting however. Of course children these days find out much more from television and peers than I want to imagine as well.
I am not a big fan of Historical Fiction, so this was a hard chapter for me to read. I understand how important the stories are in teaching students about past events. Children need to know what life was like from a character similar in age. History is hard, to read, because it is an unknown to young students. Asking them to imagine an event such as the Holocaust is very difficult. It is very important to choose a story that can paint a setting on different comprehension levels. . I remember reading Little House on the Prairie, and imagining myself in that particular setting. I still think it would be interesting to visit simpler times depicted in that series. I think these scenes were easier for me to picture, because I had seen the television show. I read an Orphan Train book a couple of weeks ago. Before reading it, I looked at the photos in the back of the book, and searched for more photos on the internet. It is easier for me to visualize the story when it feels a little familiar to me. I expected to read about the American Revolution and Civil War in this chapter, but I never thought to classify the Salem Witch Hunts in this category. The themes involved in books on this subject have many values. To me, it is along the same lines as the Holocaust. There is no good that comes out of either event, so applying this to a lesson plan will be very hard for me to do. This chapter was packed full of information, but I had a hard time retaining most of it. I have not had a lot of experience with Historical Fiction, so it felt more like a history lesson. Reading about the Teutonic people of the medieval period, and the early pioneer expansion in Children Literature was difficult. I will definitely have to reread this chapter for a better understanding and appreciation of Historical Fiction.
Danica, I agree with you, this was not an exciting chapter to focuss on. I have never been a fan of history, because it is very depressing. You already know that there will be no happy endings. I don't know how I am going to teach students about subjects that I have a hard time reading myself.
Chapter 10 did a great job of listing many books in the genre of historical fiction that sound interesting and would be great to incorporate into several different kinds of lessons. When I was in fourth and fifth grade, I read every Laura Ingalls Wilder book that had been written and used to imagine what it would be like for me to live the pioneer lifestyle. As an adult, I haven’t found historical fiction to be a genre that I enjoy as much as others; however I can definitely see the importance in teaching it to children.
My oldest son loves historical fiction, which originally surprised me, but after reading this chapter, I was able to understand that historical fiction allowed him to experience life in the past and it tapped in on his imagination. I thought the book did a good job of explaining all the different time periods that many authors represent in their books as well as gave some very creative ways to incorporate those books into teaching. There are many books that I plan to check out on my next trip to the library and look forward to expanding my literary horizons.
Shadra - I agree that the chapter felt a lot like a history lesson and I was also suprised when I read about the Salem Witch trials. I think I had always classified those into fantasy and never really considered that was such a huge part of the early life of many settlers. I think my avoidance of historical fiction has always been because history was never a favorite topic of mine, but after reading this chapter I've realized that maybe I never gave the genre a fair shake. I enjoyed your post!
Jade, I remember the Oregon Trail game! I don't think I ever made it to the end. I agree with your comment about these books being different than a lecture. Historical fiction is another tool to use to share a unique time and place with children. It also helps them imagine a place differs from the present. History helps us all shape our views on the present and our effect on the future.
While reading this chapter, I kept thinking that reading historical fiction is a really good way to keep students interested in history. I remember reading the “American Girl” series books when I was in 5th grade, and I still remember that each character was portrayed in a different time period. All of my friends were reading them, too, but I don’t remember our teachers reading us very many historical fiction books. I think in every grade, kids are probably exposed to certain time periods like those of pilgrims and pioneers, especially when learning about Thanksgiving or Johnny Appleseed. Why don’t we incorporate more of these books into our history lessons? I also remember that my 4th grade teacher would read books to us all the time. I remember having a celebratory day, much like the one described in the text, where we all got to dress in pilgrim costume and make crafts and snacks relative to the time period. We did this with different cultures for Christmas, also. We were each assigned a different culture to write a report about their holiday customs, and then we brought artifacts we had created and dressed up like a character from that culture. I would love to use a historical fiction book to read to a class and then have them create projects and do research on the time period.
I actually commented to one of my coworkers while I was reading this chapter that there's nothing more boring than a text book about text books :). I can relate to not being able to enjoy a pretty good chunk of this chapter (and it looks like also the next two). I agree, also,that there was some value to this chapter. If we're so bored reading it, then we know our students are probably bored reading their history text books. Why not add a fun historical fiction book to liven things up? I liked your suggestion about looking up pictures on the internet to help develop the imaginative setting of what the time period was really like. I bet doing that would help the students to get some enjoyment out of reading history!
I want to be a history teacher and I think that historical fiction would be one way of teaching it. The ways that the authors describe a time period in fiction is so real; I never really pay attention to if it’s non-fiction or fiction, I just read if the title sounds interesting or if a book has been recommended to me. For my reading on this topic, I read My America: Freedom’s Wings – Corey’s Underground Railroad Diary, it was so real, and you would never think it was fiction. The author Sharon Dennis Wyeth did her research so well and wrote it so well that you would never know it was fiction. There are two more books that follow this one that I will be reading them at the first chance I get. They are called: My America: Flying Free – Corey’s Underground Railroad and My America: Message in the Sky – Corey’s Underground Railroad Diary. I have watched on the Little House shows, but I have not yet read the books. I have wanted to, just never get that far. My son doesn’t like to read, so I am have trouble getting him to read, but when I get him to read, he reads weird books. There are a few books that I have read for this class, and I hope to get to read the books that I listed on this report. I think when he does; he’ll understand history a little better and want to read more of this type of reading.
I really like Chris’s idea of kids reading a book and doing research on it and then presenting it in and presenting it in a drama project. I think if they were able to present it in that way, maybe this would help them to understand the life of the characters.
I really liked this chapter and I really like the books that are listed. I can’t wait to be able to read some of them as soon as I have the extra time.
I completely enjoy historical fiction. I have discovered the My America and Dear America books for grades 3-5. Or above like me who enjoys reading it. These books are journals and full of interesting historical happenings. Being able to tie in reading, language and social studies through out lessons is priceless. Historical Fiction books can do this. You can teach third graders about pioneer times and at the same time read with them stories about pioneer life. Such as Sarh Plain and Tall.
Mianda I remember reading the American Girl series all the time when I was little. I fell in love with those books. I did not even realize I was reading about history at that time. I think these types of books are an excellent way to keep young readers involved with history. I think it's sad how history is just slipping right through the cracks. I really enjoyed this chapter surprisingly. I did not think I would like it becasue i am not much into history. I liked how they broke it down and how must of the stuff I have read I didn't realize I was reading about history. Another one of my favorite books when growing up was the diary of Anne Frank. We read that book as a class in 8th grade and I absolutely loved it.
After reading this chapter, I realized that a lot of books and classics I read as a child are historical fiction. One of my favorite's is Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan. I was glad to find that they mentioned this book in here! In school, I remember reading a lot of salem witch trial and pioneer books. Historical fiction books were some of my favorite to read in elementary school. Learning about the past while having a plot to follow was very informative!
Maria- I have also read A Family Secret and thought the same thing about it when I first opened it! It is a very great book to read though. It is crazy to have such young kids read about these things but it is was real and I think it's great that children have a chance to learn about these events.
Kristi Fletcher - I think that is awesome that the school in your town lets kids experience how school use to be. As a society we are getting more and more spoiled with all the new technology. I think it would be a great experience for all children and some adults spend a day like that.
I didn’t realize how many books would be considered Historical fiction. I think these books will help children get a better idea how life was in the past and how much harder it was to even survive in those days. Its one thing for children to hear about the differences between now and just 100 years ago. When they read a book that is from a persons (real or not) perspective the get to a more personal look into that time and live through the character in a older time.
I think this has absolutely been my favorite chapter. I got a list of books that I want to read now. I love historical type books, even historical fiction. I think these are the books that have really drawn me, because I can relate something to them easier than any other type of book. I like how the book talked about authors using an ordinary person to tell historical fiction stories instead of using someone like Paul Revere or John Adams. It talked about how they typically do this to help make the story relate to people reading more easily. Has anyone ever read "Circle of Fire" by William H. Hooks? That book sounded very interesting and I look forward to reading it.
I like how you talk about historical fiction teaching kids about history in an entertaining way. I think that is what used to draw me to history, and reading. I liked both and when it is entertaining, it is very easy to get into.
I agree with many of you who said that Historical Fiction is a great tool to use for many themes like diversity and language. I have to agree that historical fiction can be very boring at times. I can read it if the story is interesting though. I guess thatis why authors try to grab kids attention with their stories they tell. For me to be able to teach this with excitement I am going to have to figure out which books can be exciting and a good teaching tool at the same time. this chapter did help me think about the importance of historical fiction. It also listed a ton of books that I do not recognize.
Chapter 10 was full of new things I didn’t know about. Historical Fiction isn’t something I really got into. After reading this chapter I think Historical Fiction is very important. They values Historical Fiction gives a child are crucial, they can imagine themselves in that situation, and they also gain an understanding of their own heritage. The most interesting Historical Fiction I think is the Salem witch-hunts. I remember learning about that long ago, but I have never actually read a book about it. Most of these books mentioned in this chapter I have never heard of, except Sarah, Plain and Tall I read once long ago and it was very good.
I really like the kind of books that are talked about in this chapter. They might be better suited for older children though. The book discussed in the chapter are stroies that are more realistic to true life events. I think history comes more to life when you are reading about it from a persons point a view and they are not just facts from a history text book. Although the facts are important, you are able to paint a better picture of what actually happened when you are telling or reading a story about it. The books are not just great sotries, I see them as examples. In order to fully understand something that you were taught, you need examples of situations to fully grasp the concept of what people were going through during that time period. I know I always say I love the books listed, but this book has really opened my eyes to the different kind of literature out there. I especially enjoy the "Through The Eyes Of A Child" seciton in each chapter and how you see what the students interpretion of the book is.
shadra I was never a big fan of historical fiction either until after high school. I hate that I was not more into it when I was younger. I agree that history IS hard to read and understand for a lot of children. That might be why I did not enjoy is so much but after watching a few show on the history channel I cant get enough of it.
I used to think that historical information was boring as a child, but as I've grown up, I've come to realize that it's truly interesting. After reading this chapter, I'm even more convinced that's it is highly valuable important for children. As our book mentioned, historical fiction helps children gain an understanding of their own heritage. It also may help them face and overcome their own problems through reading history. This chapter gave some great examples of historical fiction books as well. I had only heard of a couple of them, but it opened my thoughts to others and gave me great insights to others!
Danica, I find myself not particulary enjoying books about such mature information as death; I truly agree with you that children aren't likely to enjoy these types of books either. However, on the other hand, I suppose it's great literature for children to read, because it exposes them to real-life situations.
I was not aware of all of the books that are based on history. I always assumed that a history story was always a non-fiction book. I did not even think about the fact that an author could use the aspects of history to create a story that could have happened in a previous time and place. There are several books in this chapter that I would like to read. I actually have wanted to read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books for some time and just have not gotten the chance. This series is so popular yet I only aware of the tv show not the books. I hope that sometime in the near future (probably over the summer) I will get a chance to read this series.
ReplyDeleteI remember feeling like Laura Ingalls Wilder was one of my best friends! Watching the TV shows and reading the books are fond memories for me. I believe that this is one of the great gifts of historical fiction. Children have the opportunity to experience a lifestyle and specific events of the past. These experiences help them form a background and value system as they experience their own life. Children today have many things and participate in many activities. Historical fiction presents a different view of childhood. Often children worked hard on the family farm or in factories. They also had simple toys and simple meals. Our literature circle study of Bud, Not Buddy discussed the importance of the setting and how it shows the reader a new world. Without the historical setting of the book, the story would not be the same.
ReplyDeleteHistorical fiction can be a great tool to introduce and experience cultural diversity in a classroom. The book gave several examples. I especially enjoyed the section about the Little House books. Celebrating a pioneer day would be a great way to end a read aloud of a pioneer book or the celebration of reaching AR goals. Older students would enjoy a book report project included reading a book and then dressing up as a character. My daughter's class enjoyed a similar research and drama project last year in the 5th grade. Historical fiction creates a wonderful environment for students to learn and create!
Chris,
ReplyDeleteI agree that doing the pioneer day would be a great way to end a discussion about historical fiction. The 4th graders in my town go to a one room school house each year. They get to have a teacher that would be like they were in the pioneer days, churn butter, and many other activities. My son loved it when he went.
I never realized how much research goes into historical fiction. This making the writings accurate and fictional at the same time. I like that the Literary Elements make historical fiction easy to imagine what life in the past was like. Also very interesting that Historical fiction came after contemporary realistic fiction in these chapters.
ReplyDeleteHistorical fiction allows the readers to use thier creative and imagenation skills to experience and bring the past to life. I don't remember reading these types of books when I was a small child. Historical fiction is a great way to gain understanding about history.
Kristi,
ReplyDeleteMy daughter, got into reading Laura Ingalls Wilder. She really enjoyed these books and has read all of them. I helped her read through many of them as well. I'm like you, growing up I didn't miss a Little House on the Prairie show. I loved this show!
And Chris,
I too thought your ideas of doing a pioneer day would be very beneficial for children to have hands on activity at the end of such readings.
History has always been one of my favorite subjects so I absolutely loved reading this chapter. I was not away how they used history to make these children books so that kids can learn history but at there own level. I recently read A Family Secret which was a book that was written in a very peculiar way. When I opened the book I thought that I must have gotten the wrong book because there were so many pictures with writing that were in the format of comics seen in the Sunday paper. When I began reading it I was appalled when I find out it was about the Jewish and Hitler. I could not but the book down once I started reading. I would have never thought about talking to kids about what Hitler did with all these people and all the lives that were lost. It just goes to show that authors can pretty much introduce just about anything to kids, even topics like the Holocaust. I would have to say that the Little House books. Having kids do the drama part in historical story would be a fun thing for children to do.
ReplyDeleterrballuch
ReplyDeleteI also don't recall ever reading Historical Fiction books when I went to school. They are a great way to bring history in the life of children as opposed to waiting until they study it at a higher grade level. These books bring historical events to the minds of children and I think it opens there ways of thinking to a more broader level. It definately is a great way to gain understanding about history
Hisorical Fiction, does allow the reader to use their imagination, but also combining realistic information in a "past tense" sort of way. Historical fiction books are interesting to myself. I believe that it has to be the right type of historical fiction book to relate to a child or interest could be lost quickly.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter was interesting but definitely not one of my favorites. Historical fiction can be very somber. It seems like most of the books they talked about were depressing, talking about death, and I don't enjoy reading these types of books. Yes they do some important stories and I have read some of them but it is hard to believe that children would want to read about some of these instances. Some of these events definitely need to be discussed and people need to read about them. It is just hard to imagine that young people enjoy reading about some of the more mature material.
ReplyDeleterrballuch
ReplyDeleteI too don't remember reading anything like this as a young child although I'm sure at one point I did. I will say you are right in how much has to go into writing books of this nature. Although they are fiction they must also have accurate background. And yes it is a different way of learning about history.
Chapter 10 was full of insight and resources much like all the other chapters in this text. Historical fiction is more common than what I perceived. I never thought about the how important an historical setting was as a child. I use to read numerous books set at previous time period and I loved it. I think historical fiction opens the doors for children and allows them to learn a piece of history in a entertaining way in comparisons to just listening to history lecture. I also believe it allows the students to relate to a historical character and the life experiences they had. A book set at a later date where there was no running water and children were asked to work for a living just no attend school, would hopefully illustrated the picture of our current culture and how fortunate we are. The section towards the end of the chapter addressing application and teaching just continues to be a favorite of mine. I liked all the ideas for applying historical fiction. A book I read for my reading log addressed the Oregon Trail I can remember a game I use to play on the computer in school called the Oregon Trail. It was my favorite game. I need to find that game for my free time, when I get some.
ReplyDeleteMaria C-
ReplyDeleteWow! I never thought about children reading about Hitler either. What reading level did the book target? The book does sound interesting however. Of course children these days find out much more from television and peers than I want to imagine as well.
Chapter 10 Blog
ReplyDeleteI am not a big fan of Historical Fiction, so this was a hard chapter for me to read. I understand how important the stories are in teaching students about past events. Children need to know what life was like from a character similar in age. History is hard, to read, because it is an unknown to young students. Asking them to imagine an event such as the Holocaust is very difficult. It is very important to choose a story that can paint a setting on different comprehension levels.
. I remember reading Little House on the Prairie, and imagining myself in that particular setting. I still think it would be interesting to visit simpler times depicted in that series. I think these scenes were easier for me to picture, because I had seen the television show. I read an Orphan Train book a couple of weeks ago. Before reading it, I looked at the photos in the back of the book, and searched for more photos on the internet. It is easier for me to visualize the story when it feels a little familiar to me.
I expected to read about the American Revolution and Civil War in this chapter, but I never thought to classify the Salem Witch Hunts in this category. The themes involved in books on this subject have many values. To me, it is along the same lines as the Holocaust. There is no good that comes out of either event, so applying this to a lesson plan will be very hard for me to do.
This chapter was packed full of information, but I had a hard time retaining most of it. I have not had a lot of experience with Historical Fiction, so it felt more like a history lesson. Reading about the Teutonic people of the medieval period, and the early pioneer expansion in Children Literature was difficult. I will definitely have to reread this chapter for a better understanding and appreciation of Historical Fiction.
Danica,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, this was not an exciting chapter to focuss on. I have never been a fan of history, because it is very depressing. You already know that there will be no happy endings. I don't know how I am going to teach students about subjects that I have a hard time reading myself.
Chapter 10 did a great job of listing many books in the genre of historical fiction that sound interesting and would be great to incorporate into several different kinds of lessons. When I was in fourth and fifth grade, I read every Laura Ingalls Wilder book that had been written and used to imagine what it would be like for me to live the pioneer lifestyle. As an adult, I haven’t found historical fiction to be a genre that I enjoy as much as others; however I can definitely see the importance in teaching it to children.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest son loves historical fiction, which originally surprised me, but after reading this chapter, I was able to understand that historical fiction allowed him to experience life in the past and it tapped in on his imagination. I thought the book did a good job of explaining all the different time periods that many authors represent in their books as well as gave some very creative ways to incorporate those books into teaching. There are many books that I plan to check out on my next trip to the library and look forward to expanding my literary horizons.
Shadra - I agree that the chapter felt a lot like a history lesson and I was also suprised when I read about the Salem Witch trials. I think I had always classified those into fantasy and never really considered that was such a huge part of the early life of many settlers. I think my avoidance of historical fiction has always been because history was never a favorite topic of mine, but after reading this chapter I've realized that maybe I never gave the genre a fair shake. I enjoyed your post!
ReplyDeleteJade,
ReplyDeleteI remember the Oregon Trail game! I don't think I ever made it to the end. I agree with your comment about these books being different than a lecture. Historical fiction is another tool to use to share a unique time and place with children. It also helps them imagine a place differs from the present. History helps us all shape our views on the present and our effect on the future.
While reading this chapter, I kept thinking that reading historical fiction is a really good way to keep students interested in history. I remember reading the “American Girl” series books when I was in 5th grade, and I still remember that each character was portrayed in a different time period. All of my friends were reading them, too, but I don’t remember our teachers reading us very many historical fiction books. I think in every grade, kids are probably exposed to certain time periods like those of pilgrims and pioneers, especially when learning about Thanksgiving or Johnny Appleseed. Why don’t we incorporate more of these books into our history lessons? I also remember that my 4th grade teacher would read books to us all the time. I remember having a celebratory day, much like the one described in the text, where we all got to dress in pilgrim costume and make crafts and snacks relative to the time period. We did this with different cultures for Christmas, also. We were each assigned a different culture to write a report about their holiday customs, and then we brought artifacts we had created and dressed up like a character from that culture. I would love to use a historical fiction book to read to a class and then have them create projects and do research on the time period.
ReplyDeleteShadra-
ReplyDeleteI actually commented to one of my coworkers while I was reading this chapter that there's nothing more boring than a text book about text books :). I can relate to not being able to enjoy a pretty good chunk of this chapter (and it looks like also the next two). I agree, also,that there was some value to this chapter. If we're so bored reading it, then we know our students are probably bored reading their history text books. Why not add a fun historical fiction book to liven things up? I liked your suggestion about looking up pictures on the internet to help develop the imaginative setting of what the time period was really like. I bet doing that would help the students to get some enjoyment out of reading history!
I want to be a history teacher and I think that historical fiction would be one way of teaching it. The ways that the authors describe a time period in fiction is so real; I never really pay attention to if it’s non-fiction or fiction, I just read if the title sounds interesting or if a book has been recommended to me.
ReplyDeleteFor my reading on this topic, I read My America: Freedom’s Wings – Corey’s Underground Railroad Diary, it was so real, and you would never think it was fiction. The author Sharon Dennis Wyeth did her research so well and wrote it so well that you would never know it was fiction. There are two more books that follow this one that I will be reading them at the first chance I get. They are called: My America: Flying Free – Corey’s Underground Railroad and My America: Message in the Sky – Corey’s Underground Railroad Diary.
I have watched on the Little House shows, but I have not yet read the books. I have wanted to, just never get that far.
My son doesn’t like to read, so I am have trouble getting him to read, but when I get him to read, he reads weird books. There are a few books that I have read for this class, and I hope to get to read the books that I listed on this report. I think when he does; he’ll understand history a little better and want to read more of this type of reading.
I really like Chris’s idea of kids reading a book and doing research on it and then presenting it in and presenting it in a drama project. I think if they were able to present it in that way, maybe this would help them to understand the life of the characters.
I really liked this chapter and I really like the books that are listed. I can’t wait to be able to read some of them as soon as I have the extra time.
I completely enjoy historical fiction. I have discovered the My America and Dear America books for grades 3-5. Or above like me who enjoys reading it. These books are journals and full of interesting historical happenings.
ReplyDeleteBeing able to tie in reading, language and social studies through out lessons is priceless. Historical Fiction books can do this. You can teach third graders about pioneer times and at the same time read with them stories about pioneer life. Such as Sarh Plain and Tall.
Mianda I remember reading the American Girl series all the time when I was little. I fell in love with those books. I did not even realize I was reading about history at that time. I think these types of books are an excellent way to keep young readers involved with history. I think it's sad how history is just slipping right through the cracks. I really enjoyed this chapter surprisingly. I did not think I would like it becasue i am not much into history. I liked how they broke it down and how must of the stuff I have read I didn't realize I was reading about history. Another one of my favorite books when growing up was the diary of Anne Frank. We read that book as a class in 8th grade and I absolutely loved it.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this chapter, I realized that a lot of books and classics I read as a child are historical fiction. One of my favorite's is Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan. I was glad to find that they mentioned this book in here! In school, I remember reading a lot of salem witch trial and pioneer books. Historical fiction books were some of my favorite to read in elementary school. Learning about the past while having a plot to follow was very informative!
ReplyDeleteMaria-
ReplyDeleteI have also read A Family Secret and thought the same thing about it when I first opened it! It is a very great book to read though. It is crazy to have such young kids read about these things but it is was real and I think it's great that children have a chance to learn about these events.
Kristi Fletcher - I think that is awesome that the school in your town lets kids experience how school use to be. As a society we are getting more and more spoiled with all the new technology. I think it would be a great experience for all children and some adults spend a day like that.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t realize how many books would be considered Historical fiction. I think these books will help children get a better idea how life was in the past and how much harder it was to even survive in those days. Its one thing for children to hear about the differences between now and just 100 years ago. When they read a book that is from a persons (real or not) perspective the get to a more personal look into that time and live through the character in a older time.
ReplyDeleteI think this has absolutely been my favorite chapter. I got a list of books that I want to read now. I love historical type books, even historical fiction. I think these are the books that have really drawn me, because I can relate something to them easier than any other type of book.
ReplyDeleteI like how the book talked about authors using an ordinary person to tell historical fiction stories instead of using someone like Paul Revere or John Adams. It talked about how they typically do this to help make the story relate to people reading more easily.
Has anyone ever read "Circle of Fire" by William H. Hooks? That book sounded very interesting and I look forward to reading it.
Jade,
ReplyDeleteI like how you talk about historical fiction teaching kids about history in an entertaining way. I think that is what used to draw me to history, and reading. I liked both and when it is entertaining, it is very easy to get into.
I agree with many of you who said that Historical Fiction is a great tool to use for many themes like diversity and language. I have to agree that historical fiction can be very boring at times. I can read it if the story is interesting though. I guess thatis why authors try to grab kids attention with their stories they tell. For me to be able to teach this with excitement I am going to have to figure out which books can be exciting and a good teaching tool at the same time. this chapter did help me think about the importance of historical fiction. It also listed a ton of books that I do not recognize.
ReplyDeleteChapter 10 was full of new things I didn’t know about. Historical Fiction isn’t something I really got into. After reading this chapter I think Historical Fiction is very important. They values Historical Fiction gives a child are crucial, they can imagine themselves in that situation, and they also gain an understanding of their own heritage. The most interesting Historical Fiction I think is the Salem witch-hunts. I remember learning about that long ago, but I have never actually read a book about it. Most of these books mentioned in this chapter I have never heard of, except Sarah, Plain and Tall I read once long ago and it was very good.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Miranda about Historical Fictioin helps keep children interested in history.
ReplyDeleteI really like the kind of books that are talked about in this chapter. They might be better suited for older children though. The book discussed in the chapter are stroies that are more realistic to true life events. I think history comes more to life when you are reading about it from a persons point a view and they are not just facts from a history text book. Although the facts are important, you are able to paint a better picture of what actually happened when you are telling or reading a story about it. The books are not just great sotries, I see them as examples. In order to fully understand something that you were taught, you need examples of situations to fully grasp the concept of what people were going through during that time period. I know I always say I love the books listed, but this book has really opened my eyes to the different kind of literature out there. I especially enjoy the "Through The Eyes Of A Child" seciton in each chapter and how you see what the students interpretion of the book is.
ReplyDeleteshadra I was never a big fan of historical fiction either until after high school. I hate that I was not more into it when I was younger. I agree that history IS hard to read and understand for a lot of children. That might be why I did not enjoy is so much but after watching a few show on the history channel I cant get enough of it.
ReplyDeleteI used to think that historical information was boring as a child, but as I've grown up, I've come to realize that it's truly interesting. After reading this chapter, I'm even more convinced that's it is highly valuable important for children.
ReplyDeleteAs our book mentioned, historical fiction helps children gain an understanding of their own heritage. It also may help them face and overcome their own problems through reading history.
This chapter gave some great examples of historical fiction books as well. I had only heard of a couple of them, but it opened my thoughts to others and gave me great insights to others!
Danica,
ReplyDeleteI find myself not particulary enjoying books about such mature information as death; I truly agree with you that children aren't likely to enjoy these types of books either.
However, on the other hand, I suppose it's great literature for children to read, because it exposes them to real-life situations.