From Norton (2011), I derive the meaning of historical fiction as follows: it is essentially a

highly-likely story about some historical figure based in a setting that aligns with what is known
about that period of time. At least, the details of history in the story should be authentic and the
main character, although they may be completely fabricated, should be believable within the
time frame and/or setting of the story. Even if the main character was a modern time traveler,
the reader should expect the depictions of history to be accurate. However, it seems that the
accuracy of historical facts lies in the hands and perspective of the author. One author may
romanticize the journey of the first American settlers while another may depict the struggles of
Native Americans being uprooted from their homeland to accommodate those setters. So the
question is posed, how do we present historical settings and events in a balanced manner so
young readers are not mislead about the real facts of history? Also, what impact does historical
fiction have on a young learner's ability to accurately understand biographical and informational
text correctly later in life?
I believe several of the historical fiction evaluation criteria questions from the Norton
textbook apply well in this discussion. Characters experiences, conflicts, and conflict resolution
should accurately represent what we know about the time period. Character actions should
express realistic values and beliefs of the time period. Finally, the setting should be authentic in
every detail. Given those ideals, it is my opinion that misrepresented, historical fiction is
basically just plain old fiction and should be identified as such. But, who gets to police accuracy
for stories set in by-gone times? Certainly, public watch groups can provide feedback and
awareness about the bias or inaccuracy of topics. But, in the end, publishers decide how to
market and label books. It is up to educators and media specialists to be aware of how these
concepts may impact the factual learning taking place.
Desai (2014) references one experts belief that it is increasingly impossible to
conceptualize childhood as a protected time and place of play when millions of the worlds
children experience life quite otherwise. This concept is known as protectionism. Desai goes on

to state that assumptions, avoidance, event selection and omission of truths lead to painting
history with a rose-colored brush and shield children from the harsh realities of history. As a
parent, I have a hard time convincing myself that just because the world is full of horrors both
past and present, then I should push them on my children at a really young age. Early
elementary students should be protected from horrific scenes and descriptions. That is my
opinion. Again, I am reminded of how movies have ratings and calls for guidance. Some topics,
no matter how true, are simply not appropriate for young children. As children grow and mature,
I feel that are prepared to handle more of the injustices and gruesome aspects of history.
Desai (2014) states, What we teach children matters and it sticks. The article is about a
study of how people learned about Christopher Columbus growing up and whether their
recollection of the story is historically true. Most people remember trivial facts and have no
concept of the negative side of the story. People remember the way they learned it when they
were young despite revisiting the issue in a more accurate way in high school or college. Desai
concludes that these sorts of hero stories were told in a way that glorified white supremacy and
domination over non-white cultures. Bickford (2014) explores the same sentiments regarding
the inaccuracies of books about the Civil Rights Movement.
I believe that as children get older, they should be introduced to multiple perspectives on
historical issues, fiction or nonfiction. For example, Desai (2014) references an author named
Thomas King who wrote A Coyote Columbus. This book uses a mix of creative fiction, history,
humor, and myth to convey a Native American perspective on Columbuss impact. I believe
there is a way to bring students along to the more tragic and gruesome parts of history. Young
readers do not need to learn the details of how Columbus men used terror tactics on natives
and how many people were murdered. These young readers should be introduced early on to
the timeline of events and as they get older, begin to deepen their understanding of the critical,
historically accurate details. One of the most important pieces of our Georgia Standards of
Excellence in the area of reading and writing is that students need to be able to compare texts

and draw conclusions about facts and discrepancies. The idea that there are unbalanced views
in historical fiction provides teachers with an opportunity to share these other perspectives with
young people and teach them that history will always have more than one perspective. It is
important to ask questions about that and respect all sides.

Works Cited
Bickford III, J. H. (2015). Assessing and Addressing Historical Misrepresentations within
Children's Literature about the Civil Rights Movement. History Teacher, 48(4), 693-736.
Desai, C. (2014). The Columbus Myth: Power and Ideology in Picturebooks About Christopher
Columbus. Children's Literature In Education, 45(3), 179-196. doi:10.1007/s10583-0149216-0
Norton, D. E., & Norton, S. E. (2011). Through the eyes of a child: An introduction to children's
literature. Boston: Pearson.