Recreating the Past: A Guide to American and World Historical Fiction for Children and Young Adults [Hardcover]

Lynda G. Adamson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0313290083 | ISBN-13: 978-0313290084 | Edition: annotated edition

Spanning grades 1-10+, this annotated bibliography of 970 recommended American and world titles published through early 1994 includes adult titles suitable for young readers; at least 200 of the titles are award winners. In support of interdisciplinary English and social studies curricula, librarians and teachers can easily assemble a basic list of books on a geographical place and time period. Geographical sections are divided into historical time periods within which entries are organized alphabetically by author. Each entry contains both reading and interest grade levels, a short incisive annotation about the historical event, setting, plot, protagonist and theme, current publication availability, and awards won. Seven reference appendices allow for easy searching. These helpful appendices and an authors, a titles, and an illustrators index help to make this volume a critical professional tool.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Adamson returns to historical fiction, this time with an annotated bibliography for grades 1-10. (Her Reference Guide to Historical Fiction for Children and Young Adults [Greenwood, 1987] profiled 80 authors of historical fiction and their works.) "The 970 works selected are insightful, historically accurate, and for the most part, well written. At least 200 are award winners." The first two chapters cover "Prehistory and the Ancient World" and the "Roman Empire to 476 A.D." The remaining chapters switch to a geographic approach: Europe, South and Central America and the Caribbean, Africa, China, etc. Each of these chapters is subdivided by time period and then arranged alphabetically by author. Bibliographic information and an annotation are given for each work. The annotations try to incorporate date; setting; "a description of the protagonist according to age, sex, and situation"; and a statement about the theme. Seven appendixes and an author-illustrator-title index complete the volume. The appendixes include an index of titles by readability and interest levels; a list of works with protagonists of or plots concerning minority groups; famous groups and people in the works; works with sequels, same characters, or in series; and country and date of setting in Europe.

Though she discusses the historical fiction genre in an introductory essay, Adamson never really sets forth her criteria for inclusion. Lacking a clear statement, questions arise about the omission of such titles as Mazer's The Last Mission, Lunn's The Root Cellar, and Uris' Mila 18, as well as classics such as The Scarlet Pimpernel. As might be expected, books on the American colonies and the U.S. dominate the guide. While copyright dates from earlier in this century appear, most are from the late 1970s through early 1994.

This book belongs on all professional shelves in elementary through high schools where it will help identify sequels and aid in collection building. As always with a well-done bibliography, there's the joy of meeting old friends as well as the challenge of attempting to identify those books omitted.

Review

“In her introduction, Adamson states, `This annotated bibliography provides an easy reference to appropriate fiction which conveys historical ideas in a particularly meaningful way by adding the dimensions of character.' Indeed, the author has accomplished this and more. She has provided the readers with 20 separate annotated bibliographies under one cover, from `Prehistory and the Ancient World' (with four subsections) through sections such as `The American Colonies' that cover most of the contemporary world....Recreating the Past stands as one of the best resources of its kind I have encountered. It will be especially useful for teachers and media specialists in interdisciplinary and whole language settings.”–School Library Journal

“Recreating the Past is a valuable tool for students, classroom teachers and librarians.”–VOYA

“This book belongs on all professional shelves in elementary through high schools where it will help identify sequels and aid in collection building. As always with a well-done bibliography, there's the joy of meeting old friends as well as the challenge of attempting to identify those books omitted.”–Reference Book Bulletin

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 520 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press; annotated edition edition (June 30, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313290083
• ISBN-13: 978-0313290084
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,220,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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