Historical Fiction: Ancient Asia

[Part of an ongoing series of historical fiction book lists for students and teachers. For the full list and to see more info, click here.]

Lower Grades (K-3)

1. Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac-Young (3.3/0.5)
2. Day of the Dragon King-Osborne (3.3/1)
3. The Empress and the Silkworm-Hong (4.4/0.5)
4. The Emperor’s Army: A Mathematical Adventure-Pilegard (5.4/0.5)
5. The Emperor’s Painting: A Story of Ancient China-Gunderson (3.8/0.5)
6. Fa Mulan-San Souci (4.8/0.5)
7. The Jade Dragon: A Story of Ancient China-Gunderson (3.2/0.5)
8. The Long Silk Strand-Williams (4.1/0.5) (Japan)
9. Piecing Earth and Sky Together: A Creation Story from the Mien Tribe of Laos-Day (2.8/0.5)
10. The Silk Princess-Santore (5.5/0.5)
11. Stranger on the Silk Road: A Story of Ancient China-Gunderson (3.4/0.5)
12. The Terracotta Girl: A Story of Ancient China-Gunderson (3.5/0.5)
13. The Warlord’s Fish-Pilegard (4.6/0.5)
14. The Warlord’s Kites-Pilegard (4.7/0.5)
15. The Warlord’s Messengers-Pilegard (4.6/0.5)
16. What the Rat Told Me: A Legend of the Chinese Zodiac-Sellier (4.6/0.5)

 Middle Grades (4-8)

1. Building the Great Wall of China: An Isabel Soto History Adventure-Collins (3.9/0.5)NF (graphic novel)
2. The Ch’I-Lin Purse:  A Collection of Ancient Chinese Stories-Fang (5.3/3)
3. Five Heavenly Emperors: Chinese Myths of Creation-Zhang (5.7/1)
4. Guan Yu: Blood Brothers to the End-Jolley (4.7/1) (Graphic Novel)
5. Horse Road-Harrison (7.1/13)
6. Life in Ancient China-Challen (7.3/10)NF
7. You Wouldn’t Want to Work on the Great Wall of China!-Morley (6.2/0.5) NF

 Upper Grades (9-12)

1. Oracle Bones, Stars, and Wheelbarrows-Ross (9.7/7) NF

Photo of Lhasa River courtesy of Anne Roberts