U.S. History I  U.S. History II  Books by Author  Author Links  Idaho Connections

Introduction
     This Web site is a tool to help Idaho American history secondary teachers stimulate student enthusiasm for history through the use of historical fiction.  It provides book reviews that match the best in American historical fiction with the course of study instructional objectives for U.S. History I and II, as determined by the Idaho Department of Education. 
     History is much more than dates, facts and figures.  It is about real people and how they lived.  Well researched historical fiction immerses students in the great adventures of history.  Winfred Blevins, in the preface to his book, Give Your Heart to the Hawks, explains what excites him about history:

What does interest me - fascinates me - is history as a rendering of felt experience.  When I read, I want to know what it felt like to be the first European to see the New World, or what it felt like to be a tinker in London during the Age of Enlightenment.  History does not exist as an abstraction; it exists, and existed, only in personal perspective, as actual people lived and experienced it.¹

     Historical fiction is one of our best tools to help us better understand how our predecessors lived.  What were their values, life styles and motivations?  Why did they make the decisions they did?  Historical fiction can help answer these questions.  It makes history come to life, and often helps instill a lifelong passion for history.  Furthermore, historical novels frequently trigger an interest in a specific facet of history that motivates a student to learn more.
     Of course, poorly written and/or researched historical fiction, like a poorly written traditional history book, can mislead or confuse us.  Thus, if an improved understanding of history is a key objective in reading historical fiction, teachers should be selective in the books they choose.  This site is intended to facilitate that process by providing teachers and students with suggestions for books that succeed in giving us a better understanding of the essential truth of history. 

How to Navigate this Site
     To use this site, look for a specific instructional objective.  They are listed in the same order as they appear in the Idaho Department of Education Social Studies courses of study for U.S. History I and II.  If one or more historical novels have been reviewed that support that objective, the objective will appear as a hot link.  Click on the link and it will take you to a list of those books.
     For more information on a specific book, click on the title of the book, and a review and an excerpt from the book will appear.  Click on the author, and information about the author as well as his or her other books that have been reviewed on this Web site will appear.  Reading and interest level, if available, are provided by Mackin Library Media at www.mackin.com.  If it is not available, I may offer an opinion, but it is noted in parentheses with a question mark.
     To begin, select either:

U.S. History I Course of Study

U.S. History II Course of Study

The Books
     The books reviewed on this site include a broad range of historical novels.  Some books adhere closely to documented historical facts introducing only fictional conversation.  Others combine fictional characters with real people and events in order to relate a great story within the context of an important historical setting. 
     These different approaches to historical fiction are one of the nuances that make reading these books so interesting.  This site features a list that describes these various styles and lists the reviewed books that fall into each category.  To view this list, click:

Historical Fiction - How Much Truth, How Much Fiction?

     Of particular interest to Idaho readers are several books that tell stories about Idaho, though many of them take place in a time that predates Idaho's admission to the Union.  For a list of these books, click:

Idaho Connections

Note to teachers:  I developed this Web site as partial fulfillment for a Master of Arts in History at Boise State University.  The project is not officially sanctioned by either the Idaho Department of Education or any specific Idaho school district.  Your suggestions and questions are welcome and appreciated.  History teachers who use historical fiction in their classes are invited to submit book reviews or make suggestions regarding books that should be added to this Web site. 
       Should you wish to submit an historical fiction book recommendation or book review, simply submit the text of the review, the learning objectives it supports, and if you wish, a brief excerpt from the book.  Please submit questions, suggestions and/or book reviews by e-mail to Blaine Davies at blainedavies@cableone.net

"The historian, if honest, gives us a photograph; the storyteller gives us a painting."  -  From "Historical Fiction for our Global Times", Leon Garfield

"Washington Crossing the Delaware" used with permission of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art at http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/gw/el_gw.htm 
Accessed June 5, 2002

^{1 Winfred Blevins.  Give Your Heart to the Hawks.  Los Angeles:  Nash Publishing, 1973, xiii}

^{Acknowledgements}

Historical Fiction and Idaho U.S. History Curriculum
U.S. History I  U.S. History II  Books by Author  Author Links  Idaho Connections
© Blaine Davies, All Rights Reserved
E-mail Blaine Davies at blainedavies@cableone.net