Harmonizing with History, a guest post by Monisha Blair

“Music is the best means we have of digesting time.”  – W.H. Auden

By blending historical facts and creative storytelling, historical fiction readers are transported to different eras, gaining insight into the lives of people who came before us. While we as librarians often point to historical fiction to help readers contextualize the past, a multimedia approach to the past can further elevate the reading experience – specifically, music. Music can set a tone, evoke emotions, and provide context to the characters’ lives in historical fiction novels.

Music has a unique way of triggering memories and emotions. Just like a familiar scent can transport us back in time, a particular piece of music can evoke memories of a specific point in our lives. While middle grade readers may not have lived through some of these periods, music can still help readers connect more deeply with the time period being depicted. Imagine reading a novel set during the Roaring Twenties while listening to jazz music from that era. The syncopated rhythms and lively melodies can transport readers to the speakeasies and dance halls of the 1920s, enhancing their understanding and appreciation of the story.

One of the unique aspects of historical fiction is its ability to bring history to life in a way that textbooks often cannot. Through compelling narratives and richly drawn characters, historical fiction novels offer readers a window into the past. By pairing these novels with music from the corresponding time period, librarians can provide readers with a multi-sensory experience that enriches their understanding of history.

Allison Harris, a seventh-grader at Key Middle School in Springfield, VA, shared, “I feel like listening to music from a certain place, a certain time. It helps you feel what the characters or the time is.” For Allison, matching the mood of a book to her musical choices is essential. “I feel like listening to music that connects with the way that the characters are acting… helps you be in the moment.”

As librarians, we can curate playlists that complement the historical fiction novels in our collections. By selecting music that reflects the novels’ time period, mood, and themes, we can enhance our patrons’ reading experience. Alternatively, we can guide them into creating playlists of their own.

I recently had the opportunity to work with students on our Battle of the Books book trivia team. Part team building, part book exploration, we dove into two historical fiction middle grade novels set in the 1980s where music features prominently – Moonwalking by Zetta Elliott and Lyn Miller-Lachmann, and Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca. Working together in small groups, these students got a chance to share their musical tastes as they created modern mixed tapes. “I got to share the music I like with my friends,” noted Key Middle School Seventh-Grader Malia Calfee. “In Moonwalking, J.J. got to share his musical style with his friends, and I connected with that.”

Calfee said she found it difficult to think of songs on the spot but found the collaborative discussions got her to think deeper about what she likes to listen to and when.

After reviewing the introduction from their librarian and using the prompts to create their own mixed tapes, students at Katherine Johnson Middle School in Fairfax, VA, were so intrigued by the idea of mixed tapes that their school librarians tracked down a box of cassette tapes. In a minute-to-win-it style race, their students tried to fix an unspooled tape using a variety of instruments, only to find the correct tool for the job – a pencil.

While our students focused on books set in the 1980s, there are numerous historical middle grade fiction novels where music features prominently:

Elliott, Zetta and Lyn Miller-Lachmann. Moonwalking. Square Fish. ISBN 9781250866516. Gr 5 Up – Set in 1982 Brooklyn, this dual-perspective novel features characters who discover themselves – and art – as a form of rebellion. Like J.J., readers will be inspired by The Clash and punk rock.

Kidd, Ronald. Lord of the Mountain. Albert Whitman & Company. ISBN 9780807547519. Gr 4-8 – In 1927, the “big bang” of country music occurred in a hotel in Bristol, TN, when folk artists like Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family were recorded for the brand new Victrola record players. For 13-year-old Nate Owens, these recording sessions open up a new world of technology and music, both forbidden by his preacher father’s strict beliefs.

LaRocca, Rajani. Red, White, and Whole. Quill Tree Books. ISBN 9780063047426. Gr 5 Up – References to musicians such as Pat Benatar, the Beach Boys, and Cyndi Lauper pepper this story about Indian American middle schooler Reha, who navigates growth and loss in this 1980s coming-of-age novel in verse.

Meyer, Susan Lynn. A Sky Full of Song. Union Square Kids. ISBN 9781454947844. Gr 4–8 – In 1905, 11-year-old Shoshana, her mother, and sisters leave anti-Semitic violence in Ukraine for North Dakota to join her father and brother. Shoshona’s connections to her faith, family, and father’s fiddle give her the confidence to be fully herself.

Nesbet, Anne. The Orphan Band of Springdale. Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763688042. Gr 4-6 – Due to financial strain and worldwide tension from World War II, 11-year-old Augusta “Gusta” Hoopes Neubronner leaves her parents in New York City for her grandmother’s orphanage in Springdale, Maine. The only thing of value she brings with her is a beautiful French horn, an instrument she got from her father, which she refuses to sell no matter what.

Parry, Rosanne. Second Fiddle. Yearling. ISBN 9780375861666. Gr 5-8 – Growing up in military families in the 1990s has unique challenges and expectations for Jody, Giselle, and Vivian. Based in Germany during the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reuniting of the East and West, the girls become best friends through their classical strings music lessons with the maestro.

Sekaran, Shanthi. Boomi’s Boombox. Katherine Tegen Books. ISBN 9780063051584. Gr 3–7 – After Boomi’s dad dies, a family friend gives her an old boombox that her father asked him to pass on to her. After discovering a mixtape and a message from her father inside that tells her she can change her life, Boomi plays the tape and is instantly teleported back in time to 1986 and her father’s childhood home.

Tashjian, Janet. For What It’s Worth. Henry Holt & Company. ISBN 9780805093650. Gr 7 Up – Living in Los Angeles’ Laurel Canyon neighborhood, 14-year-old Quinn’s life has been consumed by music and the famous musicians who live nearby, but in 1971, his first girlfriend, a substitute teacher, and a draft dodger helped open his eyes about the Vietnam War.

Walters, Eric and Kathy Kacer. Broken Strings. Puffin Books. ISBN 9780735266247. Gr 5 Up – Shirli was born with music in her blood, so landing a lead role in her middle school’s Fiddler on the Roof production is an amazing opportunity. In preparing for the role, she discovers her grandfather’s old violin and his past experiences playing in a concentration camp.

Welldon, Christine. Kid Sterling. Red Deer Press. ISBN 9780889956162. Gr 5 Up – In 1906, New Orleans, shoe shiner Sterling Crawford is the 11-year-old son of a washer woman who aspires to be a great trumpeter like his hero, King Buddy Bolden.

Meet the author

Monisha Blair is the Head Librarian at Key Middle School in Springfield, VA. She also reviews graphic novels, middle grade fiction, picture books, and young adult fiction for School Library Journal. She served on the SLJ Best Books Committee for Middle Grade Fiction from 2020-2023. You can find her on all social media platforms as @monishablair

Filed under: Guest Post