Historical Realism

Rinaldi, Ann. My Heart Is on the Ground: The Diary of Nnnie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl. Scholastic, 1999.

Rinaldi’s My Heart Is on the Ground is a fictionalized diary of a young girl, Nannie Little Rose, who is documenting a real event in the 19^th century. While the events in the book did happen, this is far from an accurate recording of history and relies very little on fact. The majority of the details are incorrect, even down to the pacing of the story. Events such as children being forced to learn English seem to happen in a year, when that is not accurate or even realistic. Dates of significant events are wrong. The conflict resolution is inaccurate and insulting to Indigenous people. It seems as if there was little research done before Rinaldi began writing this book.

The inaccuracies continue when you look at the setting, characters, and style. Historically, inaccuracies are all over the place. One example is the positive view of these boarding schools. Families did not want their children to attend these schools, but they were forced to by the government. Nannie Little Rose also refers to herself as Sioux in the book. She would not have identified this way. Politically, this book also missed. It does not discuss the brutal reality that Indigenous children have faced for centuries and still face today. The characters are whitewashed and stereotyped heavily. Several harmful stereotypes are used throughout the book: wrong names, assigning incorrect values to the group as a whole, and the “noble savage” are just a few examples. It is not believable that Nannie Little Rose would have spoken or behaved the way that Rinaldi portrays her. It does seem like Rinaldi attempted to convey a sense of life in this period, but she did not do so successfully.  A reader would face a challenge if they were attempting to find authentic storytelling in this book.

Fact and fiction are blended in this story in a way that could be harmful to both the reader and the survivors of this part in US history. There is a brief historical note which, unsurprisingly, is not accurate and distasteful to the victims of this brutal treatment. There are images and maps in the back of the book which may be helpful or interesting to young readers.

Values that the protagonist hold are not consistent with reality. Since this is written as a diary, the issues and events may appear real to a reader, especially when that reader is a child. For this reason, the book lends itself to a larger discussion of this part of US history. If an adult knows that a child is reading this book, it would be wise to encourage the young reader to view this media with a critical lens while also taking the time to explore more accurate historical documentation of this time.

Rhodes, Jewell Parker. Will’s Race for Home. Little, Brown and Company, Hachette Book Group, 2025.

In Rhodes’ Will’s Race For Home, a reader is transported to late 19^th century Texas and follows Will and his father as they race to  Oklahoma for a land rush. The themes in this story include freedom, home, survival, land ownership, and family. It is clear that Rhodes did her research in this story, as there are several factual events throughout the book. With a clearly stated reason for this story to be told, a reader understands the drive and determination behind Will’s decisions to pursue the Oklahoma Land Rush with his father.

Told as an action-packed Western, many readers will gravitate towards the accurate pace of the urgency for this time. It truly was a race to Oklahoma. Readers will also understand the risks that many Black families took to find freedom. These risks include crossing a dangerous river and meeting suspicious characters along the journey.

Overall, this is an accurate picture of this time and place. Geographical details about the land and the people that live there are accurate. While overwhelmingly accurate, Rhodes did not include the historical and political details regarding the Indigenous people that were displaced during this time and place in history. There is a brief mention of it in the afterword, but not throughout the story itself. It is not clear why she chose to exclude this from the narrative. Aside from this, the rest of the story is authentic regarding what we know of the Oklahoma Land Rush.

Additionally, the characters seem to reflect the time period. The relationship Will has with his family is accurate for the time. They are close and protective of each other, but Will and his father do not speak frequently or in depth. Both Will and his father will do anything to help their family finally gain the freedom they deserve. You get a feel for what it was like to be a typical family living in Texas as sharecroppers at this time. The mannerisms and speech are mostly accurate to the time, but there does seem to be a hint of modernization. The motivation behind this change is to make Will the protagonist and hero of the story. While he may be motivated to act this way, in reality, it might not have actually happened as depicted. They are ordinary people portrayed in an extraordinary way.

The issues of the past will appear real to today’s readers. Historical facts are not outright stated in the book but are instead weaved naturally throughout the narrative. The reader is transported to this time in a way that feels authentic. This is done through both dialogue and writing style. Readers will also enjoy the graphic novel style illustrations placed throughout the book. The family values of the time are also reflected throughout. While there are many books that center around this time period and event, there are not many with a Black protagonist. This book is an important title to include in a historical fiction collection for a school or public library. Utilizing this as a tool for discussion with adults is encouraged. A reader may also reference the afterword for accurate historical information as a supplement to the story.

Behar, Ruth. Across so Many Seas. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025.

Fans of both history and poetry will enjoy diving into Ruth Behar’s Across So Many Seas to discover the story of one Jewish family spanning 500 years and focusing on four generations. This family has lived through historical events including the Spanish Inquisition, Turkish War of Independence, and Castro’s revolution. Readers will learn more about family, acceptance, and what it means to belong through factual and historical storytelling. This story lends itself well to discussion. Through this read, a child may become interested in exploring any of the historical events in more depth or in discussing how to keep family history alive through storytelling.

Ruth Behar is an anthropologist, and her work is clearly documented in this story. Motivations for each move the family makes are clearly noted and historically accurate. Readers will feel that the events are real due to the vivid lyrical writing of Behar. Despite the story being filled with action and major historical events, the pacing never feels overwhelming to the reader. It feels like a natural progression that is accurate to the time. While the details are accurate, since the book covers so many events in so few pages, it does lead to the stories being tied up with a bow, which might not be the reality for families of this time. The happy ending seems inauthentic.

Historically speaking, this book is overall accurate. The dates, people, and geography are all correct. Based on what is known from each of these time periods, the setting was portrayed well. Similarly, the characters seem to reflect the historical period they are representing. Their speech and dress are accurate. The mannerisms and attitudes seem to be modernized. They also do not show much cultural growth over the span of 500 years. In fact, the characters are so similar that sometimes it is easy to mix up their storylines! The protagonists are all warm, inviting, relatable, ordinary people living through extraordinary times. Through their storytelling, the reader gets a picture of life in that period. Unfortunately we do not get to spend much time with each character before we move on to the next generation, so we are not getting too in-depth of a view for each protagonist.  

Additional material in this book includes an author’s note, sources, and acknowledgements. This is a welcome addition to the book because fact and fiction are blended together so well throughout the stories in an authentic way. It is beneficial to have additional resources for readers, helping them to view this media with a critical lens. This book would be an excellent addition to any school or public library!