Introduction. The following look at using novels to teach history consists of excerpts (with some modifications) from an article I wrote that appeared in “Homeschool Magazine” in May, 2024. If I haven’t mentioned this before, let me say that while the previous blog and this discussion both are taken from articles in homeschool publications, the information is equally meant for classroom teachers. After all, I was a classroom teacher for many years! In this conversation let’s take another look at two questions: Can students learn history from reading novels? Can novels be used as lessons in your home school or classroom?
I think most of us would answer “yes” to the first question. Did you read “Rifles for Watie” when you were a student? If so, you learned what life was like as a teen soldier during the Civil War. You learned about the less well-known arena of war in what is now Oklahoma — and what was then Indian Territory. It is a gripping novel, and because of my deep involvement with the characters, it’s a novel that I remember from my youth (which was quite some time ago!)
Now about the second question: Can novels be used as actual lessons, even the foundation for curriculum, in a home school or classroom? Certainly novels can serve as launch pads for focused research and discussion, and that is a rich way to experience history. But what would it take to create a lesson built on the novel?
In this article we’ll take a look at research about why you might want to use novels to teach history. Then we’ll investigate the difference between reading a novel and using a novel to teach history. We’ll discuss how a study guide, also called a literature guide, can make a difference. We’ll close by looking at an easy process you can use to convert novels into a part of your curriculum.
Why Use Novels To Teach History? Research suggests that using novels can:
- engage student interest
- invite students into a deeper emotional involvement with history
- aid student retention
By dictionary definition an historical novel uses a period of history as the story’s setting and may bring in historical people and episodes. An historical novel also “… attempts to convey the spirit, manners, and social conditions of a past age with realistic detail and fidelity …to historical fact” (the editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica online).
In his study “Why Historical Fiction Matters: The History That Lies Beyond Pure Fact,” Steven Mintz of the University of Texas writes that novels “lay bare history’s human side, enter into the past’s emotional interior and psyche, and explore people’s motives.” He quotes two novelists who say novels “transport us to another era” and show us “history’s vast panorama” (Margaret George) and—this wonderful quote—“The historian will tell you what happened. The novelist will tell you what it felt like.” (E. L. Doctorow).
How To Choose the Novels. Working from the premise that novels are a good way teach history, let’s turn to selecting novels. A visit to your local library or bookstore—or a few minutes spent online—will spread before you a smorgasbord of kids’ historical novels. They range from picture books for young readers to chapter books (ages 7-10) to middle grade novels (ages 8-12) to novels for young adults (ages 12-18).
If you want to use books that a division of the American Library Association selects as the best juvenile literature of each year, you can look up Newbery Medal winners. The Newbery Medal has been awarded to the author of “the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children” since 1922. Fortunately for this article, many Newbery winners are historical novels! Please note that there are also other local and national book awards. You might want to check out those lists.
State Departments of Education often post recommended reading lists. If you have favorite influencers, you might check their recommendations. A widespread variety of organizations publish their recommendations for juvenile novels. Search on “organizations that recommend juvenile novels” or, if you have a specific type of book you are looking for, search on “organizations that recommend Christian novels” or “organizations that recommend award-winning juvenile literature.”
The challenge is to make a choice among the plethora of options. Reading the books first (or reading reviews by reviewers you trust) is wise, as all books manifest some kind of values in them, and you may want to be sure the standards align with your family’s values. Some juvenile books may surprise you. Whatever the values, an Internet search most likely will turn up a list of appropriate historical novels for your kids.
How To Use Novels as Lessons To Teach History. The easy answer is to use a study guide or literature guide with the novel. Search on the Internet whether your favorite novel already has a literature guide. For example, the website teacherspayteachers.com sells a broad range of study guides from “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” to “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” “The Giver,” etc., written by classroom and homeschool teachers. Prices vary. Amazon also offers “literature guides” for an extensive choice of novels. They cost $7-$11. The study guide, of course, will be a separate purchase in addition to buying the novel.
Some few novels include study guides within their covers. I have always read tons of children’s novels because I’m both a teacher and a writer (and a parent). Over the years I’ve discovered occasional novels that include a study guide. Usually, the study guide is a series of questions to guide students’ comprehension or to be used by the teacher as an assessment. Sadly, there usually is no answer key.
Then I started writing novels. I wanted to make it easy for teachers and homeschool parents to use my novels to teach history. First, I decided to incorporate social studies standards within each storyline. For example, in my novel “Mesopot-What?” about an identical triplet, Maddy (call her “Madeline” at your risk), I include facts about ancient Mesopotamia as an integrated and funny part of the story. “Mesopot-What?” is the third in a nine-book series titled The Triplet Adventures in which identical triplets explore sites with their archaeologist father—and learn all about ancient history. All the books include study guides. A companion series The Ancient World Alive! explores what life was like when those archaeological sites were thriving cities with real preteens living in them.
In my 6-book Time Flies series, tiny time travellers are tasked with photographing the founding documents of the United States. While Klax and Zia are flying back and forth to snap pictures of, say, the Declaration of Independence, they fall into danger because their time ship looks like an insect (“time flies,” get it?). They also “translate” the old-fashioned language (“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands…”) into modern easy-to-understand-the-concept language. I include the whole primary document in the book. Also integrated into the stories is seeing the founding documents in action, when Zia and Klax’s people decide to do as the Americans did.
The Young Benjamin Franklin investigates what happened during his youth to turn Ben into the man he became—printer, scientist, inventor, writer, diplomat, and patriot. The six novels (“Ben at Ten,” “Ben at Twelve,” etc.) include descriptions about what life was like during colonial times and excerpts from Dr. Franklin’s autobiography.
Complete study guides are included within all Carol Kerney Books that teach history. If you want to take a look at the novels, they are available at amazon.com and teacherspayteachers.com (search on “Carol Kerney.”)
But what happens when you want to use a novel that doesn’t have a study guide? Then you can create your own!
Turn Novels into Lessons. My study guides consist of the following sections, and I invite you to use this outline with any novel you want to use with your children:
- Learning Objectives—what do you want your students to remember about the book and the history? Writing objectives helps you to define and reinforce what you want your children to learn.
- Teaching Hints—What other resources can you incorporate to increase student knowledge, such as maps, globes, nonfiction books, encyclopedias, textbooks, and other resources you want to use alongside the novel?
- Creative Activities—As a teacher I always want to deepen and reinforce basic knowledge by doing something fun and creative…such as using clay to build warriors like the Terracotta Army of ancient China or writing a letter using Egyptian hieroglyphics or turning construction paper into early American hats, etc. See my website for additional ideas at http://www.carolkerneybooks.com.
- Student Assessments—Assessments help you know what your student didn’t understand and what you may want to go over again.Answer Keys—obviously!
I have uploaded a blank form of my study guide to my website at carolkerneybooks.com plus a sample study guide. Feel free to download it for your use.
Conclusion. I choose to write novels for middle grades that embed history instruction inside the storylines, then reinforce the history with study guides. The reason I do that is because I want students to enjoy and develop a lifelong love for history. Using novels is fun and appealing. Novels deepen student engagement, get them inside characters’ minds and motives, make historical events and people real, and aid retention. It doesn’t get much better than that—especially when it’s so easy to turn an exciting novel into an exciting history lesson!
Carol Kerney Books are available at some libraries and at amazon.com and teacherspayteachers.com. Search on “Carol Kerney.”
Carol Kerney
Carol Kerney Books
carolkerneybooks@gmail.com
Carol Kerney Books 
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