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Welcome to History Book By Book, Reading your way through history... one book at a time... > We are currently recommending a total of (1,100) books, divided into (65) specific booklists on this website.

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General Outline Prehistory Booklist (4,500,000,000-6000 BCE) Stone Age (2,600,000-3300 BCE) Early Civilization Booklist (6000-3000 BCE) Ancient China (6000-220 CE) Mesopotamian Civilization (3500–500 BCE) Indus Valley Civilization (3300–1900 BCE) Bronze Age (3300-1200 BCE) Ancient Egypt (3100-30 BCE) Classical Age Booklist (3000 BCE-400 CE) Mythology Ancient Greece (Athens and Sparta) (2700 BCE-600 CE) Maya Civilization (2600 BCE–900 CE) Ancient India (1500-500 BCE) Iron Age (1200-600 BCE) Ancient Rome (800 BCE-500 CE) Persian Civilization (550–331 BCE) Early Medieval Booklist (400–699 CE) High Middle Ages Booklist (700-1399 CE) Vikings (790–1100) Aztec Civilization (1345–1521) Renaissance Booklist (1400-1599 CE) Incan Civilization (1438-1532) Tudors (1485-1603) Shakespeare Enlightenment Booklist (1600-1699 CE) Age of Revolutions Booklist (1700-1839 CE) American Revolution (1775-1783) Industrial Age Booklist (1840-1899 CE) American Civil War (1860-1865) Modern Age Booklist (1900 CE - present) World War I (1914-1918) World War II (1939-1945) Holocaust (1939-1945) See also: American History | African American History | Indigenous American History | Jewish History List of All Booklists Other Booklists List of All Books (1,100) List of All Biographical Books List of All Graphic Novels List of All Historical Fantasy Books List of All Historical Fiction Books List of All Non Fiction Books Check out our Blog (5) Why is HBBB a thing? I am a list maker. I love organizing booklists, to-do lists, checklists of all kinds. I spend a great deal of my time researching books for my job and I’ve often found it frustrating that there isn’t one reliable resource where I can find an organized timeline of literature. So I’ve created one. I’ve set out to create a resource that will guide you on a literary adventure through history. You can find books here on just about every time period or historical topic and for any age level. I’ve done my best to research and vet each title to ensure that this list is filled with living books. I’ve noted content warnings when necessary and my daughters and I have reviewed many of the titles recommended. This has been and will continue to be a labor of love, as we continue to build this website and update these book suggestions. I hope you find it helpful! Thanks and Happy Reading, Emily Emily's Favorites

Book Suggestions Published in 2024 Safiyyah's War (2024, by: Noor Khan, Hiba, MG, UMG, WWII, Nazi Occupation, Muslim Resistance) The Night War (2024, by: Brubaker Bradley, Kimberly, MG, UMG, WWII, Resistance) Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II (2024, by: Gidwitz, Adam, MG, UMG, WWII, Kindertransport, Espionage) The Girl Who Sang (2024, by: Nadel, Estelle, Savos, Sammy, Strout, Bethany, MG, UMG, Holocaust, Nazi Occupation) Across So Many Seas (2024, by: Behar, Ruth, UMG, YA, Spanish Inquisition, Sephardic Jews, Diaspora) The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry (2024, by: Johnson, Anna Rose, UMG, Ojibwe Nation, Indigenous Americans) The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree (2024, by: Abendanon, Lucille, UMG, YA, WWII) Amil and the After (2024, by: Hiranandani, Veera, UMG, Partition of India) The Bletchley Riddle (2024, by: Sepetys, Ruta and Sheinkin, Steve, UMG, WWII, Code Breakers, Spies) Three Summers (2024, by: Sabic-El-Rayess, Amra, UMG, YA, Bosnian War) When We Flew Away (2024, by: Hoffman, Alice, UMG, YA, Holocaust) Heroes: A Novel of Pearl Harbor (2024, by: Gratz, Alan, UMG, YA, WWII, Pearl Harbor) One Big Open Sky (2024, by: Cline-Ransome, Lesa, UMG, YA, Westward Expansion) Code Name Kingfisher (2024, by: Kessler, Liz, UMG, YA, WWII, Jewish Resistance) Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix (2024, by: Novoa, Gabe Cole, YA, A, Regency Era, Retelling, LGBTQ+) Eleanore of Avignon (2024, by: DeLozier, Elizabeth, A, Plagues, Medieval Life, Bubonic Plague, Women in Science) The Berlin Letters (2024, by: Reay, Katherine, A, Berlin Wall, Spies, Cold War) The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern (2024, by: Cohen Loigman, Lynda, A, Jewish Life) King Nyx (2024, by: Bakis, Kirsten, A, gothic, Feminism) The Boy with the Star Tattoo (2024, by: Carner, Talia, A, Jewish Life, kibbutz, Youth Aliyah) The Underground Library (2024, by: Ryan, Jennifer, A, WWII) Songs for the Brokenhearted (2024, by: Tsabari, Ayelet, A, Jewish Life, Yemeni Jews, Mizrahi Jews) Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp (2024, by: Moran, Michelle, A, WWII, musical theater) The Familiar (2024, by: Bardugo, Leigh, A, Spanish Inquisition, Jewish Persecution, Sephardic Jews) James (2024, by: Everett, Percival, A, Antebellum South, Slavery, Escaped Slaves) See also: 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 Featured Weekly Book Suggestion - 03/04/2024 Modern Age Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II Author: Gidwitz, Adam Buy at Amazon | BookShop.org Time Period: Modern Age Time Frame: 1939 Geographic Area: Europe Country: Great Britain, Germany Topics: WWII, Kindertransport, Espionage Genre: Fiction Reading Age: Middle Grade, Upper Middle Grade Format: Chapter Book Published: 2024 World History > Modern Age > WWII “Max in the House of Spies is everything you could hope for in a book,” -R. J. Palacio, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wonder, White Bird, and Pony “Espionage! Secrets! Suspense! If you’ve ever dreamed of being a spy, this book is for you.” -Alan Gratz, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Refugee and Projekt 1065 Max Bretzfeld doesn’t want to move to London. Leaving home is hard and Max is alone for the first time in his life. But not for long. Max is surprised to discover that he’s been joined by two unexpected traveling companions, one on each shoulder, a kobold and a dybbuk named Berg and Stein. Germany is becoming more and more dangerous for Jewish families, but Max is determined to find a way back home, and back to his parents. He has a plan to return to Berlin. It merely involves accomplishing the impossible: becoming a British spy. The first book in a duology, Max in the House of Spies is a thought-provoking World War II story as only acclaimed storyteller Adam Gidwitz can tell it—fast-paced and hilarious, with a dash of magic and a lot of heart. Emily's Review I was RIVETED by this story. Spies and intrigue make for excellent reading, but even more so, I love that the author frames this story with a note at the beginning explaining that this is a book about asking and exploring two big questions - Why do people hate Jews? and How can a whole country believe a big lie? The author did a great job building a story that worked to enthrall readers while also getting them to ponder and think about these big questions. Max is a great protagonist to follow - he is smart but makes some very questionable choices. Sent to England to England on the brink of war on the Kindertransport, he is worried about his parents back in Berlin. Fitting in in England is also a challenge. He is still learning the language and his accent makes him stand out. But as I said, he is a smart and determined kid, so he puts all of his efforts into finding a way to prove that he is a capable spy so the government will send him back to Berlin. The adults in this book range in helpful to infuriating. Some want what is best for Max, while others, particularly those working for the government, see Max as nothing more than a useful tool in their mission to win the war. Oh, and did I mention that there is a fantastical element? When Max leaves Germany, he doesn't leave alone - he is followed by two mythical beings: a kobold and a dybbuk. No one but Max can see or hear them, and they are a sort of Statler and Waldorf, heckling and commentating on everything that is happening to Max. They lend some comic relief to a very distressing and sometimes disturbing story. And the cliffhanger at the end left me reeling! I need to know what happens next. I'm very much looking forward to the conclusion! While this is a middle grade book, I think I would recommend it for the older end of that range - 10 and up. There is a lot of nuance and background that is useful to understand and get the most out of this story. Other Similar Books Other suggestions on the subject of World War II (European Front). You Wouldn't Want to Be a Secret Agent During World War II (by: Malam, John, WWII, Great Britain, France, LE, MG) You Wouldn't Want to Be a World War II Pilot (by: Graham, Ian, WWII, Great Britain, LE, MG) Number the Stars (by: Lowry, Lois, WWII, Denmark, MG) Snow Treasure (by: McSwigan, Marie, WWII, Norway, MG) The War That Saved My Life (by: Brubaker Bradley, Kimberly, WWII, Great Britain, MG) Just a Girl: A True Story of World War II (by: Levi, Lia, WWII, Jews in Hiding, Nazi Occupation, Italy, MG) The Little Riders (by: Shemin, Margaretha, WWII, Nazi Occupation, Holland, MG) Genevieve's War (by: Reilly Giff, Patricia, WWII, France, MG) Max in the Land of Lies (by: Gidwitz, Adam, WWII, Kindertransport, Espionage, Nazi Germany, Great Britain, Germany, MG, UMG) Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II (by: Gidwitz, Adam, WWII, Kindertransport, Espionage, Great Britain, Germany, MG, UMG) The Night War (by: Brubaker Bradley, Kimberly, WWII, Resistance, France, MG, UMG) The War I Finally Won (by: Brubaker Bradley, Kimberly, WWII, Great Britain, MG) A Whale in Paris (by: Presley, Daniel, Polders, Claire, WWII, Nazi Occupation, France, MG) Safiyyah's War (by: Noor Khan, Hiba, WWII, Nazi Occupation, Muslim Resistance, France, MG, UMG) Twenty and Ten (by: Bishop, Claire Hutchet, WWII, Jews in Hiding, Nazi Occupation, France, MG) The Bletchley Riddle (by: Sepetys, Ruta and Sheinkin, Steve, WWII, Code Breakers, Spies, Great Britain, UMG) Code Name Kingfisher (by: Kessler, Liz, WWII, Jewish Resistance, Netherlands, Great Britain, UMG, YA) The Dollmaker of Krakow (by: Romero, R. M., WWII, Poland, UMG) Catherine's War (by: Billet, Julia, WWII, Jews in Hiding, Nazi Occupation, France, UMG) Salt to the Sea (by: Sepetys, Ruta, WWII, East Prussia, YA, A) Wrath Becomes Her (by: Polydoros, Aden, WWII, Jewish Resistance, Lithuania, YA, A) Seized by the Sun: The Life and Disappearance of World War II Pilot Gertrude Tompkins (by: Atwood, Kathryn J., WWII, Women's Aviation, Various, YA, A) Between Shades of Gray (by: Sepetys, Ruta, WWII, Lithuania, Russia, YA, A) All the Light We Cannot See (by: Doerr, Anthony, WWII, France, Germany, YA, A) The Paper Girl of Paris (by: Taylor, Jordyn, WWII, France, YA, A) The Boys Who Challenged Hitler (by: Hoose, Phillip, WWII, German Occupation, Denmark, YA, A) Kursed (by: Smith, Lindsay, WWII, Soviet Union, YA) The Rebel Girls of Rome (by: Taylor, Jordyn, WWII, Jewish Resistance, Nazi Occupation, Italy, YA, A) Code Name Verity (by: Wein, Elizabeth, WWII, Great Britain, France, YA) Leonora in the Morning Light (by: Carter, Michaela, WWII, Art, France, Great Britain, YA, A) Girl in the Blue Coat (by: Hesse, Monica, WWII, Nazi Occupation, Netherlands, YA, A) We Were the Lucky Ones (by: Hunter, Georgia, WWII, Poland, YA, A) X, Y & Z: The Real Story of How Enigma Was Broken (by: Turing, Dermot, WWII, Enigma Machine, Poland, Great Britain, YA, A) Code Name Pauline: Memoirs of a World War II Special Agent (by: Cornioley, Pearl Witherington, WWII, France, Great Britain, YA, A) The Postcard (by: Berest, Anne, WWII, Jewish Life, antisemitism, Holocaust Survivors, France, A) The Bookseller of Dachau (by: Ryan, Shari J., WWII, Germany, United States, A) Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp (by: Moran, Michelle, WWII, musical theater, Austria, United States, A) Light Perpetual (by: Spufford, Francis, WWII, Great Britain, A) The Kitchen Front (by: Ryan, Jennifer, WWII, Great Britain, A) The Underground Library (by: Ryan, Jennifer, WWII, Great Britain, A) What's New: Books. 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