Some children find it difficult to connect to history.
Historical fiction can help, by telling history through the lens of exciting
stories, full of action and adventure. If that is not enough to attract a young
reader, consider ghost stories.
Some ghost stories are also set in historical times, such as Ghosts I Have Been, by Richard Peck,
which is set in 1913. Still, the humor, chills, and spunky heroine will appeal
to contemporary readers. Blossom Culp has visions, and here they connect
her to the sinking of the Titanic.
Other books in the Blossom Culp series also feature
ghosts with history connections.
For even longer ago history, try Lady Margaret’s Ghost: A
Felicity Mystery (American Girl Mysteries), by Elizabeth McDavid Jones. Set
in the 1770s, 11-year-old Felicity must run the household while her mother and
siblings are way. Felicity has a sick horse, so this mystery will especially
appeal to young horse lovers.
Set Today, Ghost of
the Past
Many other ghost stories are set present-day, with a modern
child connecting to a ghost. In some of these, the ghost is not especially
historical – it simply a way to add mystery and chills. Peni R. Griffin wrote The Ghost Sitter about a girl killed in
a firework accident who haunts her suburban home. Finally a family with a girl
her age moves in, and the girl helps free her.
Laura Ruby wrote Lily’s Ghosts based on stories a
friend told her about her family’s “haunted” house. “As a kid, I adored
anything scary – ghosts, monsters, mummies, you name it,” Ruby says. “So, when
I sat down to write my own books, I wrote the ones I would have liked to read
when I was a kid.”
Ghosts at War
Other titles have ghosts strongly rooted in history. These
spectral figures provide a glimpse of the past, without requiring the reader to
be totally immersed in the historical setting. The Battlefield Ghost, by Margery Culyer, tells the story of a
ghost who was a soldier with Washington during the Battle of Princeton.
The Nina Tanleven Mysteries, by Bruce Coville, all feature
ghost adventures. The one with the strongest history hook is book 2, The Ghost Wore Gray: Nina and her
friend Chris meet the ghost of a Confederate soldier. What is he doing hunting
a hotel in New York State? A mystery as well as a ghost story, this fun novel
touches on both the Civil War and the Underground Railroad.
The Civil War is a popular error for ghosts, apparently. Two
books by Elaine Marie Alphin Ghost Cadet
and Ghost Soldier – also involve
Civil War ghosts.
Lois
Szymanski and Shelley Sykes wrote the Gettysburg Ghost Gang series of
six books. “We love the research that goes into writing civil war era ghosts,”
Szymanski says. The Gettysburg Ghost Gang uses a contemporary setting
with civil war era ghosts. “Our ideas come from our history research and our
experiences on actual ghost investigations,” Szymanski says. “For instance, in
our history research we found that hundreds of women fought in the Civil War
dressed as men.” This inspired A Whisper of War.
Ghost Who Can't
Forget the Past
In my Haunted
series, thirteen-year-old Jon and his eleven-year-old sister, Tania, are
typical modern kids – except for the fact that Tania can communicate with
ghosts. In The Ghost on the Stairs,
the kids help investigate a hundred-year-old tragedy in Colorado silver mining
country. The Riverboat Phantom puts
them on the Mississippi River on an antique riverboat. For The Ghost Miner’s Treasure, Jon and Tania travel to the
Superstition Mountains of Arizona, where the ghost of an old miner is still
looking for his lost mine. In this series, the ghosts are being held in this
world by something that happened in the past. In order to help free the ghosts,
Jon and Tania must understand that past.
Get a teaching guide to use
with The Ghost Miner's Treasure. It
includes discussion questions on topics from science to ethics, plus critical
thinking, writing, and mapmaking projects.
If you are considering using ghost stories to connect kids
to history, be sure to review the book first. In some cases the history connection
is strong and accurate. However, this is not always the case. Still, if you
have a very reluctant history reader, getting them started on ghost stories in
general could be a way to ease them toward historical ghost stories and then
other historical fiction.
While ghost stories are not usually the most historically
detailed of historical fiction, they can be a bridge for young readers who
prefer the paranormal to the historical.
What other middle
grade ghost stories can you think of that use realistic historical elements?
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Chris Eboch writes fiction and nonfiction for all ages, with
40+ published books for children. Her novels for ages nine and up include The Genie’s Gift, a middle eastern
fantasy; The Eyes of Pharaoh, a
mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of
Sacrifice, a Mayan adventure, and the Haunted series, which starts with The Ghost on the Stairs. Learn more at www.chriseboch.com or her Amazon page.
Chris is also the author of You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and
Books for Kids and Teenagers, available for the Kindle, in paperback,
or in Large
Print paperback.
