Summer Reading Game Book Recommendations (Historical Fiction and Manga)

Here are a few suggestions for historical fiction and manga to help you along on your game board:

Historical Fiction

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (YA FIC Zusak)
Narrated by Death himself, this powerful story focuses on a young girl living in Germany during WWII.  Although her life is very difficult and bleak, she finds pleasure through the books that she must steal and hide.

Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel (NEW YA FIC Oppel)
It's 1973 and Ben's parents have just moved him across Canada, uprooted his life, and introduced him to his new "half-brother"--a chimpanzee that the family will be raising for an animal language experiment!  Will man and chimp ever be able to peacefully coexist under one roof?

Bloodline by Katy Moran (YA FIC Moran)
Set in seventh century Britain, Essa and his father happen upon a village during their travels across ancient lands.  Essa soon finds himself alone amongst the villagers after his father disappears, and lands himself in the middle of tribal disputes and warring kingdoms after being sworn as a servant to the king.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (YA FIC Donnelly)
Depressed and broken by a tragic event, Andi is livid when her father forces her to accompany him on a trip to Paris.  What awaits her there is beyond the realm of belief after she discovers the diary of a teen girl from the French Revolution and becomes a part of the story herself.






More historical fiction you might like: 
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (YA FIC Sepetys)
Chains by Laurie Hals Anderson (YA FIC Anderson)
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation 1: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson (YA FIC Anderson)
Okay For Now by Gary Schmidt (YA FIC Schmidt)

Manga

Animal Academy by Moyamu Fujino (YA GRAPHIC Animal Academy)
Neko is finally accepted into a high school that doesn't mind her poor grades, but discovers that all of her classmates are magical creatures that can turn into humans!  Things get even weirder when she realizes that they believe she's really an animal too.

Dragonball Z by Akira Toriyama (YA GRAPHIC Dragonball Z)
If you haven't already read it you should definitely check out this classic manga series.  Goku is the greatest warrior on earth, ready to pass on his skills to his son Gohan.  But when the world is threatened by a new enemy, Goku must form an unlikely alliance with his old nemesis, Piccolo.

Black Butler by Yana Toboso (YA GRAPHIC Black Butler)
Sebastian is a loyal and perfect servant, whether cooking, cleaning, or serving as a spy for his twelve-year-old master in Victorian London.  He seems too good to be true...and he just might be, as his inhuman nature is revealed!







Other manga titles you might enjoy:
Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya (YA GRAPHIC Fruits Basket)
Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa (YA GRAPHIC Fullmetal)
Arisa by Natsumi Ando (YA GRAPHIC Arisa)


More recommendations on the way!