I remember distinctly the bookshelf near the window in the children’s section of my town library which was dedicated to historical fiction. As a child, I loved reading fictional accounts of girls and boys, often my age, who had lived through historical events. In this way, I felt that I experienced first-hand the dangers of the Oregon trail, the drama of the American Revolutionary war, and the poverty of Shtetl life. Below, we share with you 5 books of fiction which bring to life events from Jewish history through the eyes of a child.
The Boy from Seville
by Dorit Orgard, Avi Katz (illustrator), and Sondra Silverston (translator)
Grade Level: 4 and up
Manuel, an 11-year-old boy, and his family fled to Spain from Portugal to escape the Inquisition as conversos. Manuel tries to guard his family’s secret, but finds it increasingly difficult as he is recruited by a gang to spy on his next door neighbor. (excerpted from summary by Susan Dubin on Jewish Book Council website)
To read our other 4 suggestions, visit our blog.
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