I just finished a really good book called Emperor: Gods of War. It is a “historical fiction” book, meaning that it is a fiction book based on real historical events. This book is the third in a series that tells the story of Julius Caesar - from his childhood to his death - in a very intriguing way.
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The book takes events from actual history, and weaves an interesting story around them. You go behind the scenes and read what it might have been like to be in Caesar’s trusted circle of Generals. These type of books represent a very engaging way to explore history. I remember learning about the Roman Empire and Julius Caesar in school, but I don’t remember many of the details. But now after reading this series of books I feel like I know a *lot* about Roman history and times, including details about how the government evolved, the various characters like Sulla, Pompey, Crassus, and a good understanding of why some members of the sentate, led by Brutus assassinated Caesar in an attempt to end his dictatorship.
The obvious question or criticizm is: what if you remember fictional events from the story instead of the real history? Well, it turns out that isn’t as much of a problem as you might think. The author of these books, and most other historical fiction that I’ve read, includes a section at the end discussing where he deviated from the actual history. At the end I’ve been left with the high points of the actual history, crystalized in my memory in a way that a typical history text book could not do.
A few years ago, I became fascinated with Alexander the Great and read a lot of books about him as well. One of the books I read was a historical fiction book called “Virtues of War: A Novel of Alexander the Great.” This book spurred my interest in many other factual history books about Alexander, and as a result I’ve learned so much about Alexander and the ancient Greek and Persian times that I can tell you a great deal about each of the major battles he fought in his 10-year campaign and the influences that his era has on events even today.
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On this site we’ve been advocates of how certain video games can provide new ways to engage children in learning. And I see this type of “historical fiction” as similar in some ways. It is a lot of fun to read these stories, and you learn a lot along the way.
I’m not recommending these books for kids. I’m pointing them out as an example of how learning is facilitated in different ways than traditional textbooks and classes. When learning is wrapped in an interesting exercise, story or game it becomes a lot more fun, and much more memorable. I wonder if there are books like this for children, that teach them history in an engaging way?
If you know of any, please let me know, I’d like to review them as something that I might share with my kids, and the other parents who come to KidConfidence!