Historical Fiction

A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez / María Dolores Águila

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A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez
By: María Dolores Águila
Genre: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 304
Published: September 16, 2025
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Dates Read: February 17, 2026 - February 18, 2026
Format: Library Book / Hardcover	ISBN: 9781250342614

This middle grade, novel-in-verse is based on the true story of Roberto Alvarez and the Lemon Grove Incident.

Twelve-year-old Roberto Alvarez is the first one in his family born on US soil. He’s el futuro.

When the Lemon Grove School Board and Chamber of Commerce are moved by anti-immigrant and anti-Mexican propaganda, they create a separate “Americanization” school in an old barn for the Mexican children who originally were attending the Lemon Grove Grammar School.

Amidst threats of deportation, the Comité de Vecinos risk everything to stand their ground on getting their kids back to the regular Grammar School. With the help of the Mexican Consulate, the committee chooses Roberto as the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit against the school board.

Who else came here to read about another part of history that was left out of history lessons back in the day?

The author did a fantastic job at showing the growth of Roberto from being an innocent twelve-year-old who basically just got kicked out of school, to then someone who was more and more aware of the injustices around him and his community.

As an English speaker, who took French in high school, and then has become semifluent in American Sign Language, I did struggle a little bit with the Spanish that was sprinkled into the verses. Sometimes I could use context clues to figure out what was being said, but other times I would grab my phone to use the camera option of Google translate. That was okay with me, because it helped me become more submerged in the story, but, I can see some people getting frustrated with that.

Overall, a beautiful novel in verse for middle grade readers (and older to be real!) who would enjoy learning about a time in history that is probably not told very often and that was two decades before Brown v. Board of Education.

Night Watch / Jayne Anne Phillips, Karissa Vacker (Narrator), Theo Stockman (Narrator), Maggi-Meg Reed (Narrator)

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Night Watch
By: Jayne Anne Phillips, Karissa Vacker (Narrator), Theo Stockman (Narrator), Maggi-Meg Reed (Narrator)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 304
Published: September 19, 2024
Publisher: Vintage
Dates Read: February 7, 2026 - February 16, 2026
Format: Paperback / Library Book / Audiobook
ISBN: 9781101972793

Trigger Warnings: rape, PTSD, war, trauma, abuse, mental health

In 1874, twelve-year-old ConaLee just arrived at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia with her mother, Eliza, who hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. They were dropped off by a war veteran who had forced himself into their world. He had made them leave behind family, their loving Dearbhla, and their mountain home. Now, they’re there to heal.

Meanwhile, the Night Watch has a story all his own, or rather, what he remembers from before the war. Now, he’s on his way to his own healing as the Night Watch at the same asylum. 

I had a really really hard time reading this because there were no quotes around spoken words. Everything was one paragraph or a sentence mixed in with descriptors. Sometimes it would have a descriptor, spoken words, and then more descriptors, making it extremely difficult to know when someone stopped talking, it was super frustrating. The timeline also jumped around quite a bit and it was sometimes hard to keep straight if we were in the past or present.

So, I switched and went over to listening to it on Audiobook and let me tell you, the narrators did a spectacular job at keeping everything sorted and understandable. It was then I was able to understand how complex the characters were and appreciate the story a lot more.

I appreciated the little tidbits of information about asylums back in the 1800s and how easily it was to basically get dropped off there and forgotten.

Overall, while this historical novel will challenge the everyday reader, if you can get past the unique style choice of no quotation marks, you may very well discover the emotional and intellectual depth this novel has to offer.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store / James McBride (REREAD)

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The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store (Reread)
By: James McBride
Genre: Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 400
Published: August 8. 2023
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Dates Read: January 23, 2026 - January 28, 2026
Format: ARC / Paperback		ISBN: 9780593422946

In 1972, workers were digging a new foundation in Pottstown, Pennsylvania when they found a skeleton at the bottom of a well. To figure out who it is, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store goes back 40 years to the secrets of the neighborhood of Chicken Hill, a dilapidated neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side.

This book was ultimately about the community of Chicken Hill, rallying together in order to protect a young deaf boy they’ve named Dodo, from being taken by the state to an institution. It starts off with a murder mystery, but to be honest, that wasn’t at all the most interesting part of the story.

Below is my second time reading it’s review:

This time around, I physically read this book verses listening to it in audio and doing this definitely changed my mind about it. Chuna is still one of my favorite characters, but I now also have a soft spot for Monkey Pants. But also, since I was really slowing myself down to pay attention, the list of characters is so long! I gained more respect for a lot of characters that, during the first read through, I didn’t even remember! Characters like Moche, or Malachi, or Paper!

Above all though, it really made me think about justice and how it’s served and does taking it into your own hands count?

Overall, I’m glad I gave this a second chance. It is rich and full of characters that are there for their community and get things done.

If you want to re my first review, you can below. A lot of changed since I physically read it this time around.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store / James McBride

A Year Without Home / V.T. Bidania

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A Year Without Home
By: V.T. Bidania
Genre: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 432
Published: January 1, 2025
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Dates Read: January 12, 2026 - January 19, 2026
Format: eBook / ARC		ISBN: 9780593697207

Eleven-year-old Gao Sheng’s beloved home sits on top of a hill in the highlands of Laos. Here she can roll down the grassy hill with her younger siblings after her chores, walk to school, and pick peaches straight from her family’s trees.

But when U.S. troops pull out of the Vietnam War, the communists will be searching for any American allies, like Gao Sheng’s father. If he’s caught, he and his family could be killed.

As the adults make frantic plans, Gao Sheng does what any good, oldest daughter would do: doesn’t ask questions or complain and watches over the younger siblings and cousins. Even though she wishes she could roll down the hill at home or run around like her brother.

After a treacherous voyage by foot, by taxi, and a canoe, Gao Sheng’s family finally arrive across the river at an overcrowded refugee camp in Thailand. As a year passes at the camp, Gao Sheng learns that home doesn’t technically mean the physical place and somewhere in between, she finds her voice.

In this novel in verse, middle grade book inspired by V.T. Bidania’s own family history the author shows the long, difficult journey many Hmong refugees faced after the Vietnam War and shines light on experiences of refugees around the world. 

I greatly appreciate Gao Sheng’s personal journey through this novel as well. As the oldest girl in her family (just even just her immediate family, but from her cousins as well), Gao Sheng was kind of forced to put her childhood away a lot sooner than her younger brother and it wasn’t really on her terms. But, she showed her family she could do more than just watch the kids and for her age and what she’s gone through, that was amazing.

Overall, this is an amazing book for middle grade and adults alike. There’s not a lot of books out there from the Hmong’s perspective, especially during the end of the Vietnam War. This book could bring up great discussions on refugees and being without a home.

*Thank you NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

James / Percival Everett

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James
By: Percival Everett
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 303
Published: March 19, 2024
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday
Dates Read: January 2, 2026 - January 10, 2026
Format: Hardcover		ISBN: 9780385550369

Trigger Warnings: slavery, racism, racial slurs, rape, violence, murder

A reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn told through the voice of Jim.

When Jim overhears he’s about to be sold and separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can think of a plan to get his family together. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his abusive father. The two meet up while hiding and thus begin their adventure down the Mississippi River.

Full disclaimer, I have never read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but I know of the story and generally what happens in it because it’s kind of hard not to, especially growing up in Kansas and now living in Missouri and the fact that Mark Twain is highly talked about. I have, however, read Tom Sawyer, so I knew a little going into this.

I put off reading this because I read The Trees by Percival Everett and just remembered I needed to really focus on it to understand it all. And, I’m going to be honest, this book started off a bit hard to read because of the dialect written in it first thing and I didn’t know if I was ready for it. But, it reminded me of one of my favorite sci-fi writers, P. Djélí Clark, and how I just need to not speedread it to fully enjoy it. I slowed down my reading and it finally “clicked” and I could enjoy it and appreciate it! Especially once you learn what that dialect really is.

I think one of the craziest parts of this was the blackface minstrel troupe… like, that was a real thing?? The history of racism really baffles me sometimes and what people had as “entertainment” back in the day would cause heart attacks nowadays.

Overall, I really enjoy this retelling/changed perspective of Huckleberry Finn. I don’t read a lot in this timeline but appreciate what this brought about freedom, race, and the enduring impact of slavery. 

North for the Winter: A Christmas Graphic Novel / Bobby Podesta

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North for the Winter: A Christmas Graphic Novel
By: Bobby Podesta
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 352
Published: September 2, 2025
Publisher: First Second
Dates Read: December 25, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Virginia’s not entirely sure how to explain she did see a reindeer fly in the forest while her Dad was fixing the car. But, a lot has changed for her – she’s just lost her mom, she’s in a new city, and everything is just hard, no one’s going to believe her. But, when she reluctantly confesses what she saw to her neighbor, Benny, he doesn’t question it and is convinced there’s a mission they must partake in. Little do they know that not only is a hunter after the reindeer, but so is the US Government!

You know what’s funny about this? I had just talked with my brother-in-law about the misprint of the Santa phone number and how that’s what started the Santa Tracker on Christmas morning. I then went home and read this graphic novel! How fun!

The first thing that drew me into this was the artwork, which the author and artist, Bobby Podesta, is a Pixar animator so that totally makes sense as to why I was immediately drawn to this (I love anything Pixar), but also I wanted something Christmasy to read and what’s more Christmas than saving Christmas?

The artwork overall, including the color palette, really sells the setting of the 1950’s – the clothing, the cars, the decorations of the department store (was really comparing it to my favorite Christmas movie, A Christmas Story). It overall has a very cinematic feel to it while reading – almost storyboard-y.

The story itself was of course about saving Christmas, but also dealing with changes and grief.

Overall, super cute and fun Christmas graphic novel with eye catching illustrations. I think this would be perfect for middle grade readers, even if they may be in the age group where Santa doesn’t exist anymore, I still think they would have a good time reading it.

Mona’s Eyes / Thomas Schlesser, Hildegarde Serle (Translator)

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Mona’s Eyes
By: Thomas Schlesser, Hildegarde Serle (Translator)
Genre: Fiction, Art
Number of Pages: 432
Published: August 26, 2025 (1st Published January 31, 2024)
Publisher: Europa Editions
Dates Read: September 11, 2025 - October 18, 2025
Format: ARC / Audiobook / Hardcover

Mona may not have her eyesight for much longer, so her grandfather wants her to learn about beauty while she still can. So, every Wednesday for the next year, her grandfather takes her to see a new masterpiece. Only one, and they discuss it in detail, giving Mona the opportunity to learn the meaning of generosity, doubt, melancholy, loss, and revolt.

I started listening to this as an audiobook and then quickly went out and purchased a copy of it because I loved how the author would describe the works of art – and then to find out the artwork was in the inside of the book’s dust jacket! It did take me looking up the author to make the connection he’s an art historian, which is why he was able to write about the artwork the way he was.

I’m not the biggest art museum lover. I can absolutely appreciate artwork and look at pieces, but not to the extent Mona and her Dadé did on their visits. They would break down the technique used and Henry would give Mona historical context for the pieces as well.

As much as I enjoyed the visits to the museums, you also get a glimpse of Mona and her homelife as well as her school life – both of which I wish we dug more into. 

Overall, a beautiful book art lovers are sure to enjoy but I also think this is a book where those who may not have a deep connection with art, would still enjoy and maybe begin to appreciate art.

*Thank you Europa Editions and Edelweiss+ for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tall Water / S.J. Sindu, Dion MBD (Illustrator)

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Tall Water
By: S.J. Sindu, Dion MBD (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 256
Published: August 12, 2025
Publisher: HarperAlley
Dates Read: September 2, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: civil war, violence, death

Ever since Nimmi turned sixteen, she’s yearned to meet her mother in Sri Lanka to ask her why she refuses to leave the island. Her father is going back there for the first time since the war as a reporter on assignment, but he refuses to take her, telling her Sri Lanka is too dangerous.

But when Nimmi has a dream about her mother asking to come find her, Nimmi knows she must go. Sneaking a purchase of an airplane ticket, her father is livid when he sees her at baggage claim in Sri Lanka – but by then it’s too late and he agrees to help Nimmi make contact with her mom. Nimmi tags along with her father and his guide, past checkpoints and armed soldiers, increasing the knowledge of war that rages there.

The day after Christmas, disaster strikes and a tsunami hits the island. Now, stranded amid the destruction, Nimmi must try and reunite with her family.

Besides this graphic novel having interesting characters and plot, this also offers a lot in the cultural and historical context of Sri Lanka. Because, okay, I knew about the 2004 tsunami and the devastation it caused throughout the Indian Ocean, but I don’t think I realized that Sri Lanka was going through a Civil War at the exact same time. It’s also just kind of crazy. It’s brought up that there are tourist areas and then there are the war areas and that people would still go on vacation there?! That’s wild to me.

Overall, this is a beautifully done graphic novel that brings up the themes of emotional, physical, and mental ramifications of both civil war and the tsunami as well as empathy, bearing witness, and coming of age.

*Thank you HarperAlley and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Under the Same Stars / Libba Bray

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Under the Same Stars
By: Libba Bray, January LaVoy (Narrator), Jeremy Carlisle Park (Narrator), Major Curda (Narrator)
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 480
Published: February 4, 2025
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Dates Read: June 13, 2025 - June 16, 2025
Format: Library Book / Audiobook / eBook

The Bridegroom Oak is a magical tree where if you leave a note for the love of your life in its knot, your love will answer back.

In 1940s Germany, Sophie is excited to discover a message in the Bridegroom Oak from a mysterious suitor. Meanwhile, her best friend, Hanna, is also sending messages, but not to leave in the Oak’s knot. As WWII rolls into their small town of Kleinwald, the oak may very well be a key to resistance against the Nazis.

In 1980s West Germany, American teen Jenny feels out of place until she finds herself falling for Lena, a punk-rock girl who hates the government. She also befriends Frau Hermann, an old lady downstairs who most people call her a witch, but Jenny finds her to be kind.

In Spring 2020 New York City, Miles and Chloe are struggling with virtual senior year when an unexpected package from Chloe’s grandmother leads them to investigate a cold case about two teenagers who went missing under the Bridegroom Oak over eighty years ago.

I love how connected everything was in this book with how Libba Bray was able to highlight both current and past forms of fascism in history and oppressive governments while also showing characters trying to do the right thing, even under dangerous circumstances.

I wasn’t as into the Covid storyline as the others, but I honestly think it’s because that’s probably still, “too soon” for me – maybe in another ten (or twenty) years I would be more invested. The historical narratives were a lot stronger for me, and I cared about the characters a lot more. All three of the narratives were connected of course, but I really really enjoyed the WWII storyline the most.

Overall, though this is marketed as being Young Adult, I can see adults enjoying it as well (even with the teenage angst a bit). Bray has amazingly strong prose that she showcases in all three narratives.

*Thank you Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

A Language of Dragons / S.F. Williamson

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A Language of Dragons
By: S. F. Williamson, Henrietta Meire (Narrator)
Genre: Fantasy
Number of Pages: 432
Published: January 5, 2025
Publisher: HarperCollins
Dates Read: April 28, 2025 - April 30, 2025
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

Trigger Warnings: death, war, physical assault, violence, classicism, sexism

In London 1923, dragons begin soaring through the skies and chaos has erupted. Vivian Featherswallow isn’t worried though, she’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to worry about dropping down to Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.

With her parents arrested and her little sister missing, everything Viv has worked for is crumbling. So when a mysterious “job” is offered to her, Viv takes it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, she finds out her mysterious job is codebreaking to help in the war effort. If she succeeds, her family can be whole and safe again. If she doesn’t, they all die.

But, the more Viv learns while codebreaking, the more she realizes what she grew up believing isn’t as safe as it seems. Eventually she must decide if the side of the war she’s working for is the one she really wants to fight.

I really enjoyed the linguist aspect of this novel and the amount of world building Williamson did with it. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Viv, but she is a morally gray character at times, so that makes sense. I did appreciate her growth throughout the series though. 

I originally wanted this because of the dragons, and that part definitely did not disappoint. I also enjoyed the fast pace of the plot and the high stakes of Viv’s (and everyone at Bletchley Park) situations. It kept me turning the pages to find out more.

*Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review