History Gives Us Wings!

 

You may recall in my last post, I admitted that I do not write poetry. But every writer worth their salt and pepper reads and studies the mechanics of poetry.  And I discussed Heidi Stemple’s The Poetry of Car Mechanics, offering some ideas on why should writers study poetry.  

This week I look at another treasure as I discuss a topic near and dear to my own writing. Historical fiction.

“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” -- Martin Luther King, Jr. (Strength to Love. Harper & Row, 1963.)

 

Why should teachers teach historical fiction?

History is more than dates. History is people, too. In the best of historical fiction, as with any story, a child becomes a hero who gains power over her situation, a theme that contemporary readers appreciate.

Stories make us more human. Stories allow a child to navigate complex emotions, looking at diverse perspectives, and learning to leverage relationships for collaboration and progress. Historical fiction “… helps young readers develop a feeling for a living past, illustrating the continuity of life,” says Karen Cushman, master writer of historical fiction. Historical fiction, “like all good history, demonstrates how history is made up of the decisions and actions of individuals and that the future will be made up of our decisions and actions.”

Historical fiction introduces readers to different points of view.  Reading different perspectives can build a reader’s “emotional sensitivity.” As Amy von Heyking (Scholastic Canada) says, “their moral and social awareness grows as they consider reasons for people’s behavior in other times, other places or specific situations.” Such stories provide the “insider’s perspective,” allowing readers to reach a new, deeper understanding of the other’s experience.

 

Tina Athaide and her Wings To Soar!

Tina Athaide’s book, Wings To Soar (Charlesbridge Moves, 2024) is a middle-grade novel told in verse about a girl's resiliency when faced with hatred towards refugees. Set during the turbulent reign of the military officer and authoritarian Ugandan president Idi Amin in 1972,  the story is set against the backdrop of the refugee crisis of the Ugandan Asians.  Viva and her Goan Indian family have been expelled from Uganda and sent to a resettlement camp in England.  Their father has yet to join them. As the family waits for him, all the while dreaming of a new home, Viva struggles to make the best of their life underscored by racism, alienation, and upheaval, discovering  “little cups of happiness.”  Using first person and present tense, Viva stands out as a compelling character who unabashedly says what she believes. Readers will connect to Viva on a deeply emotional level, bearing witness to Viva’s perseverance during the darkest moments. And in her determination, the reader finds hope.

For a video that celebrates Wings to Soar: 

An excellent interview conducted by Valerie Bolling of Kidlit in Color, in which Tina talks about her process in writing this book:

"Wings to Soar is more than a story—it's a healing gift to “little Tina,” a way to process the early childhood experiences that shaped my life. The decision to write this novel in verse, with white space on the pages, is deliberate; it mirrors the pauses, the breaths, and the moments of silence that are so much a part of navigating trauma and uncertainty." -- Tina Athaide

For more information about Tina and her books, visit her website here: https://www.tinaathaide.com/

 Be sure to pick up her book, Wings to Soar, at your favorite bookstore!

Thank you for reading!

-- Bobbi Miller