Fantastic Fugitives makes non-fiction reading fun for tweens

As an adult I went through a big phase of reading non-fiction books. However, young readers, specifically children have a much harder time reading non-fiction. They’re perceived as wonky, humorless texts that lame teachers make them read so that they can learn about people they’ll promptly forget about. An added hurdle for young readers is that non-fiction requires context, as well as, a basic knowledge of history to fully comprehend, enjoy and hopefully learn something.

That is what makes Fantastic Fugitives, Criminals, Cutthroats, and Rebels Who Changed History (While on the Run!) such a great book for younger readers 9 and up. The book takes a look at 14 key figures in history that have been in trouble for one reason or another, and makes their story entertaining, at times funny and educational for that age group. It also does so without minimizing the sacrifice, danger or peril that they were in during their transformative years.

Some of the people that author Brianna DuMont writes about will be known to middle scholars, while others will be brand new. Nelson Mandela and Harriet Tubman are two of the people that are featured that will be of interest to students especially during Black History Month. Every profile is written in a very fun, playful and conversational manner.

When writing about Tubman the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 is mentioned. To help readers understand why that was important it features a bullet point that breaks down how and why that meant that slaves had to go all the way to Canada via the Underground Railroad. There are points like that all throughout the book that define legal terms, locations or other pop culture references that help young readers better understand things.

Even more surprising is how Fantastic Fugitives manages to make stories about Koxinga, Typhoid Mary or Mary, Queen of Scots entertaining. I knew the name Typhoid Mary, but I had no idea that she was essentially just a healthy carrier of Typhoid and was only directly responsible for the death of three people. When the health officials realized that she was a carrier her life was tested, quarantined and eventually housed on North Brother Island for two decades.

Fantastic Fugitives is a great way to get young readers interested in real stories about historical figures. Middle school age children will laugh at parts of the book and learn about people who impacted history from all over the world. Their next history book may not be as entertaining as this one, but consider this a sampling; just enough to bait their curiosity and make them want to learn more.