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Historical fiction for Ancients (not Egpyt or Rome)


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Most ancient historical fiction for nations/peoples of the Americas, Oceania, and Africa (other than Egypt), tends to be set in the Middle Ages. But here are a few "not Egypt or Rome" historical fiction ideas:

ETA: Prehistory
Maroo of the Winter Caves (Turnbull) -- ice age, North America -- elementary
The First Dog (Brett) -- early elementary

Ancient Mesopotamia/Assyria
ETA: Ishtar and Tammuz: A Babylonian Myth of the Seasons (Moore) -- picture book
ETA: The City of Rainbows: A Tale from Ancient Sumer (Foster) -- picture book
Gilgamesh the King,  Revenge of Ishtar, Last Quest of Gilgamesh (Zeman) -- Mesopotamia; 3 picture book retelling
Gilgamesh the Hero (McCaughrean) -- late elementary/middle school level
Boy of the Painted Cave (Denzel) -- elementary/early middle school level
To Ride the God's Own Stallion (Wilson) -- Assyria; middle school level
The Golden Bull (Cowley) -- Mesopotamia; late elementary/middle school
Till We Have Faces (Lewis) -- Mesopotamia/Greece; re-telling of the myth of Cupid & Psyche in Mesopotamian-like culture; high school level

Ancient Crete/Minoa
The Lily and the Bull (Caldecott) -- middle school level
ETA: The Prince and the Golden Axe: A Minoan Tale (Lattimore) -- picture book

Ancient Greece
A Wonder Book: Heroes and Monsters of Greek Mythology (Hawthorne) -- middle school level
Ides of April; Beyond the Desert Gate (Ray) -- late middle school/high school level
Children of the Fox (Walsh) -- late elementary level
Theras and His Town (Snedeker) -- late elementary level
Young Heroes series (Yolen) -- elementary level -- adventures of Greek heroes as children/young adults
Lysius Goes to the Play (Snedeker) -- elementary level
ETA: Snake Hair: The Story of Medusa (Spinner) -- early elementary stepped reader
ETA: Monster in the Maze: Story of the Minotaur (Spinner) -- early elementary stepped reader
Magic Treehouse: Hour of the Olympics (Osborne) -- early elementary level
Magic Treehouse: Merlin Mission: Stallion by Starlight (Osborne) -- Alexander the Great; early elementary level
Tales from the Odyssey (Osborne) -- series of reader books of the story by Mary Pope Osborne
King Midas and the Golden Touch (Craft) -- picture book of the myth
Cupid and Psyche (Craft) -- picture book of the myth
Pegasus (Craft) -- picture book of the myth
Tales of Pan (Gerstein) -- picture book
ETA: Medusa (Lattimore) -- picture book
list of children's books of Greek myths, from the College of Arts and Sciences website

Ancient Israel
God King (Williamson) -- Israel/Egypt/Hittite -- late elementary/middle school level
Hittite Warrior (Williamson) -- Israel/Hittite -- middle school level
Behold Your Queen (Malvern) -- Israelite Esther and Assyrian King Xerxes -- late elementary/middle school level
Foreigner: The Story of Ruth (Malvern) -- late elementary/middle school level

Ancient Europe
Warrior Scarlet (Sutcliff) -- bronze age Britons; middle school level
Black Horses for the King (McCaffrey) -- Celts/early King Arthur -- middle school level
Sun Horse, Moon Horse (Sutcliff) -- ancient Celts; late middle school/high school level

Ancient Asia
A Grain of Rice (Demi) -- ancient China -- early elementary
Magic Treehouse: Day of the Dragon (Osborne) -- ancient China -- early elementary
Magic Treehouse: Merlin Mission: Season of the Sandstorms -- Bedouins/Middle East -- early elementary
The Chi'Lin Purse (Fang) -- ancient Chinese folktales -- late elementary
The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen (Alexander) -- ancient China; elementary/early middle school level
Royal Diaries: Lady of Ch'iao Kuo (Yep) -- China, A.D. 531 -- late elementary/early middle school level
Royal Diaries: Sondok, Princess of the Moon and Stars (Holman) -- Korea, A.D. 595 -- late elementary/early middle school level

ETA: Ancient India
The King's Warrior (Gunderson) -- early elementary
The Horse on the Hill (Gunderson) -- early elementary
"Five Books That Make History Fun for Children" -- web article of Middle Ages India historical fiction and nonfiction for children

Past Threads:
"Ancient Far Eastern History" -- resources for early elementary ages; most suggestions are myths and cultural info books
"Ancient Africa Resources?" -- most of the ancient kingdoms rose to power in the Middle Ages

 

 

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10 hours ago, Lori D. said:

Most ancient historical fiction for nations/peoples of the Americas, Oceania, and Africa (other than Egypt), tend to be set in the Middle Ages. But here are a few "not Egypt or Rome" historical fiction ideas:

Ancient Mesopotamia/Assyria
Gilgamesh the King,  Revenge of Ishtar, Last Quest of Gilgamesh (Zeman) -- Mesopotamia; 3 picture book retelling
Gilgamesh the Hero (McCaughrean) -- late elementary/middle school level
Boy of the Painted Cave (Denzel) -- elementary/early middle school level
To Ride the God's Own Stallion (Wilson) -- Assyria; middle school level
The Golden Bull (Cowley) -- Mesopotamia; late elementary/middle school
Till We Have Faces (Lewis) -- Mesopotamia/Greece; re-telling of the myth of Cupid & Psyche in Mesopotamian-like culture; high school level

Ancient Crete
The Lily and the Bull (Caldecott) -- middle school level

Ancient Greece
A Wonder Book: Heroes and Monsters of Greek Mythology (Hawthorne) -- middle school level
Ides of April; Beyond the Desert Gate (Ray) -- late middle school/high school level
Children of the Fox (Walsh) -- late elementary level
Theras and His Town (Snedeker) -- late elementary level
Young Heroes series (Yolen) -- elementary level -- adventures of Greek heroes as children/young adults
Lysius Goes to the Play (Snedeker) -- elementary level
Magic Treehouse: Hour of the Olympics (Osborne) -- early elementary level
Magic Treehouse: Merlin Mission: Stallion by Starlight (Osborne) -- Alexander the Great; early elementary level
Tales from the Odyssey (Osborne) -- series of reader books of the story by Mary Pope Osborne
King Midas and the Golden Touch (Craft) -- picture book of the myth
Cupid and Psyche (Craft) -- picture book of the myth
Pegasus (Craft) -- picture book of the myth
Tales of Pan (Gerstein) -- picture book

Ancient Israel
God King (Williamson) -- Israel/Egypt/Hittite -- late elementary/middle school level
Hittite Warrior (Williamson) -- Israel/Hittite -- middle school level
Behold Your Queen (Malvern) -- Israelite Esther and Assyrian King Xerxes -- late elementary/middle school level
Foreigner: The Story of Ruth (Malvern) -- late elementary/middle school level

Ancient Europe
Warrior Scarlet (Sutcliff) -- bronze age Britons; middle school level
Black Horses for the King (McCaffrey) -- Celts/early King Arthur -- middle school level
Sun Horse, Moon Horse (Sutcliff) -- ancient Celts; late middle school/high school level

Ancient Asia
A Grain of Rice (Demi) -- ancient China
Magic Treehouse: Day of the Dragon (Osborne) -- ancient China -- early elementary
Magic Treehouse: Merlin Mission: Season of the Sandstorms -- Bedouins/Middle East -- early elementary
The Chi'Lin Purse (Fang) -- ancient Chinese folktales -- late elementary
The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen (Alexander) -- ancient China; elementary/early middle school level
Royal Diaries: Lady of Ch'iao Kuo (Yep) -- China, A.D. 531 -- late elementary/early middle school level
Royal Diaries: Sondok, Princess of the Moon and Stars (Holman) -- Korea, A.D. 595 -- late elementary/early middle school level

Past Threads:
"Ancient Far Eastern History" -- resources for early elementary ages; most suggestions are myths and cultural info books
"Ancient Africa Resources?" -- most of the ancient kingdoms rose to power in the Middle Ages

Wow thanks Lori!  Off to do more book shopping.

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59 minutes ago, LauraBeth475 said:

Wow thanks Lori!  Off to do more book shopping.

Or your library -- check your library's online catalog for children's books on "ancient china" or "ancient india" or "Sumer" or "Babylon" (early Mesopotamian cultures)... Also, consider including some picture books of myths; even for older elementary students, those can be great short stories and give you the feel of the culture and often a taste of the art style, when the book is illustrated by an artist echoing the art style of the ancient culture. :)

Also, I ETA (edited to add) a few more titles for you.

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