Historical Fiction for Nursery-Age Children (8)

HISTORICAL FICTION FOR NURSERY-AGE CHILDREN

History tells a story all on its own. Natural heroes, villains, settings, plots, and exciting scenarios stem from historical events. These characters, places, and experiences are excellent for authors to establish a story grounded in facts but enhanced with creativity. Literature and the Child (2017) defines historical fiction as "stories [that] reconstruct life in the past, using realistic actual or fictional characters, events, and historical setting (Galda et al., 2017, p. 13)." This literary genre is a simple and age-appropriate way to introduce young learners to historical figures.

 

BOOK SUMMARY

One Giant Leap by Robert Burleigh explores the July 20, 1969 moon landing that took the world by storm. The children's book follows the famous astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as they embark on their journey in space. The book is grounded in facts by incorporating the actual astronauts and their words as they stepped onto the moon. 

BOOK EVALUATION

The book fits into historical fiction because Robert Burleigh uses creativity to enhance the overall experience and appeal to young readers. One Giant Leap is quality literature for its cohesive setting, language use, and authentic plot and characters based on facts. Literature and the Child (2017) states, "events [in historical fiction] must be plausible, if not actual (Galda et al., 2017, p. 288)." With the support of illustrator Mike Wimmer, Robert Burleigh creates an age-appropriate children's book with a believable plot based on the lunar landing of 1969. The illustrations incorporate a unique design element that with the color and textures that enhance the overall reading experience. 

MOTIVATIONAL ACTIVITIES

1. DO THE MOONWALK- Encourage children to act out the moon landing by dressing up as astronauts, walking like there's no gravity, and talking with recycled walkie-talkies or phones. 

2. NOTES & WONDER- Encourage students to take notes of interesting ideas from the book. When the book is finished, ask them to write down two questions they wonder about the moon landing, space, or astronauts. Together you can research factual information to answer their questions. 

READER RESPONSE QUESTIONS

1. What would you take with you on a trip to the moon?

2. What kind of training do you think astronauts need before going to space?

3. Would you want to travel to space? Why or why not?

SIMILAR BOOKS

1. Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed

2. Astronaut Training by Aneta Cruz

3. My First Book of Planets by Bruce Betts

References

Ahmed, R. (2018). Mae among the stars. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers. 

Betts, B. (2021). My first book of planets: All about the solar system for kids. Rockeridge Press. 

Burleigh, R. (2014). One giant leap. Penguin Group (USA). 

Cruz, A. A. (2021). Astronaut training. Penguin Distribution Childrens. 

Galda, L., Liang, L. A., & Cullinan, B. E. (2017). Literature and the child. Cengage Learning.