Evaluative Criteria for Historical Fiction Books

Curtis, Christopher. 1995. The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963. New York: Delacorte Press.

Here come “The Weird Watsons”! as Kenny and their family refer to themselves in comical way. Narrated by middle brother Kenny in Flint, Michigan in 1963 his mother Wilona, father Daniel, younger sister Joetta and older brother Byron live humble yet comfortable day to day lives. Trouble starts to stir up when Byron’s behavior starts to get worse and worse to the point where their parents don’t think they can control him anymore. The Watsons decide it is time to give Grandma Sands in Birmingham, Alabama a visit with the hope that Byron will learn his lesson of how living in a troubled area is really like. During that time period was when the South was becoming dangerous for African Americans in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement. Based on a true event, the climax heightens when in Alabama a church bombing in a predominately black neighborhood occurs resulting in 4 deaths and many injured. The incident impacted all the Watson family whom immediately returned to Michigan. Byron changed his ways almost immediately. It is Kenny who is most affected to the point where he has difficulty coping but fortunately Byron comforts him and tells him that things will be okay.

 

Schlitz, Laura. 2007. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Massachusetts: Candlewick Press

Set in Medieval Village in England Schlitz, a school librarian, wrote the book to contain miniature plays written as short poems that would be one for each actor. The idea came about after Schlitz was working with students at Park School where she is a librarian at. The students were studying about the middle ages. She got the idea of writing a play in which each of her seventeen students would get a part of equal length so that each child could perform and no one’s part was more than the other.  The book itself is quite accurate with its information and makes for a fun way for children to read about medieval times with characters such as the Barbary the mud slinger, Jack the half-wit, and Hugo the lord’s nephew amongst many others. The book would also make for a great school play.