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A "Series" Quandry

© Meg Greene Malvasi

Contrary to prevailing wisdom, children are reading history. Not only that, they are enjoying it! What's the secret? It may be the current crop of history series books. Certainly among the most popular books found on many middle schoolers' summer reading lists will be the titles available in a number of immensely popular historical fiction series. To date, there are at least eight series currently in print, with more sure to follow. For many young readers, this approach to history helps then to understand better the lives, minds, and hearts of children who have lived before them. When done well, these books may not only catch young readers up in the life of a particular historical character, even if fictionalized, but may also teach them some real history as well! Despite the growing popularity of historical fiction for young readers, nonfiction has not suffered. Relying on humor, interesting visual aids, and, as always, lively prose, authors and publishers continue to demonstrate that history can be fun, entertaining, and (ssshh) educational.

So what books have captured kids' imaginations? Here is just a sampling of what is currently available:

Among the longest-running, and certainly the most popular, historical fiction series is the American Girl Collection for girls ages 7-14. Published by the Pleasant Company, the series was the brainchild of a former New Jersey schoolteacher who was dismayed at the lack of interesting history text books for children. With the American Girl Collection, she made some history of her own. Today, the volumes in the American Girl Collection have sold more than 54 million copies and there is no sign of declining popularity. The series consists of books that feature several different characters, each a young girl living in a different period in American history. Each girl has her own series; the series, in recent years, have expanded to include young African-American and Hispanic girls. The Pleasant Company has also launched a new series entitled History Mysteries, written for the same age group. This series combines two tried and true formulas-historical fiction and mysteries- in a collection of stand-alone books that take the reader to the past through the adventures of a fictional 11-12-year-old girl.

Who wouldn't like the opportunity to read someone's diary? Scholastic Publications has created a number of highly engaging and well-written books in the fictional history series format using that very premise. For girls, there are Royal Diaries, a series of fictional journals kept by various female royalty throughout history. Titles include the "journals" of Queen Elizabeth I, Marie Antoinette, and Cleopatra. There is also the wildly successful Dear America series, which focuses on key events in American history, such as the traveling of the Oregon Trail or the Underground Railroad as seen through the eyes and words of a fictional diarist. Scholastic has also produced Teacher's Supplements that can be used in conjunction with these books.