The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands is a thriller/mystery/fantasy that takes place in mid-1600s London. In the book, Christopher, the main character, is an apprentice to Benedict Blackthorn, an apothecary. An apothecary is a person who makes helpful remedies out of many exotic and rare materials. In the book, there is a chain of apothecary murders spreading throughout London. Christopher teams up with his best friend Tom to find the culprit/s. While they are doing this, they find out that Benedict was working on something shady, something mysterious. And when the murders come closer to the Blackthorn shop than ever before, Christopher's life is thrown into peril.... I like this book because it has so many twists and turns and it is full of mystery. It is also super interesting and time will fly by super quickly while reading this book. I think mystery and thriller readers will love this book.

The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
Grades: 4th - 6th
Reviewed by Jude B.
Tags: adventure, fantasy, fast-paced, historical fiction, mystery

This book was so amazing. It is about a girl who was born in the late 1700's. An old woman warns Addie that if she prays to the gods after dark there will be serious consequences. One day she does it out of desperation. She asks for more time in the world. The gods gift her with immortality but after you meet her you immediately forget her. 300 years later a boy remembers her. The book starts of pretty slow but it picks up very fast. The book is a romance mixed with history. This book is definitely for ages 14+ because of mature scenes.

The invisible life of Addie Larue by VE Schwab
Grades: 7-8
reviewed by: Ava
tags: historical fiction, romance
​

Resistance is a book about Chaya, a 16 year old courier in 1943. Chaya starts out as just a courier, trying to smuggle food, blankets, and even kids out of ghettos. However, after one fateful night she gets separated from her group of fighters. Now she must find a way to not only survive but avenge the Nazis for all they've took from her. It's not just about survival, it's about staying alive in order to keep fighting the Nazis.

Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Grades 4-7
Tags: adventure, historical fiction
Reviewed by Lila D.

I liked this book because I really liked the book blood on the river the book before it, and it was the same characters from blood on the river. I also loved this book because it was filled with very cool things to learn about what the people did back in the 1600's.

Poison in the Colony by Elisa Carbone
Grades 4 & 5
Tags: historical fiction
Reviewed by Mira

I liked this book because it grabs you and does not let your attention let go. It is based on world war 2 and it is a great, scary, and mysterious story. Read this book if you like mystery and want to read a book with a background of the history. This is a great book.

Stolen Girl by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Grades 5-6
Tags: historical
Reviewed by Ria T.

This is a book I couldn’t put down (and, bonus, there are quite a few books in the series). It was set in the 1930s, at an English boarding school. When someone is murdered, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong’s Detective Society now has a real case to investigate. A puzzling mystery and intrigue made this book one of my favorites. The author keeps the book turning corners and adds suspense very effectively. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery with clever and diverse characters.

Murder is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens
Grades 4-6
Tags: historical fiction, mystery
Reviewed by Chloe K.

Amazing my favorite book in the world I have read it 7 times! Great for people who like World War 2!

Resistance ​by Jennifer Nielsen
Grades 5 &6
Tags: historical fiction
Reviewed by Lyla G.

Mercy Wong is a teenage girl living in Chinatown in the year 1906. Her education in Chinatown was not enough for her smarts, so she sets off to get an education at the prestigious school for wealthy white girls, Saint Clare's. Being Chinese in San Francisco at that time was hard enough, but being Chinese in a school of girls unlike her is even harder. Teased, mocked, and bullied by room mates for being Chinese, Mercy struggles to find her place in this strange school. Disaster strikes when the infamous 1906 Earthquake hits, and Mercy has to work together with her classmates to help others and stay alive.
This action packed story from the past will move you while keeping you on "the edge of your seat." It educates you about the shocking event from the historical point of view, but more importantly, the human point of view. Stacy Lee poignantly describes the lives of people affected by the earthquake. It is a story about how love, courage, bravery, and hope triumph.

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee
​Grades 6th, 7th, 8th
Tags:​ Friendship, Historical Fiction
Review by Skye S.