Children and the Truth

[maggi90w1]

My new WIP is a story about a group of kids who travel to Tudor England by magic. I'm knee-deep in research and I will try to portray history as accurate as possible, but I don't think I can avoid changing some things to make the totally unrealistic plot of 21th century kids roaming Tudor England work.

I feel kinda bad about this. Most adults can tell how accurate historical fiction is, but I'm afraid my readers (8-12 years) won't be able to tell history from fiction and get the facts all wrong.
I don't want to give them a wrong image of the time period.

Any input on this? How important is accuracy for a childrens book?

[Sirius]

I believe accuracy is even more important for a children's book than for an adult one for the reasons you state; less experience against which to compare it. Having said that, however, you're in a fantasy environment with time travel anyway, so the readers should be prepared for some things being "story". What kind of things are you planning to change and why?

[Steam&Ink]

What kind of things are you planning to change and why?

Yes, please give us some more information. Your story sounds like it has a very interesting premise, by the way!

[Debbie V]

The Magic Tree House books have sent Jack and Annie to almost every time and most places in the curriculum somewhere. Other books use the time travel device too. Read these, even the classic Connecticutt Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Even though they don't use your specific time, you'll get a feel for how accurate they are and for what's approaching cliche in the genre of time travel fiction.

Good luck.

-Debbie

[Sirius]

Just don't take Connecticut Yankee as a guide to accuracy....

The Magic Tree House books have sent Jack and Annie to almost every time and most places in the curriculum somewhere. Other books use the time travel device too. Read these, even the classic Connecticutt Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Even though they don't use your specific time, you'll get a feel for how accurate they are and for what's approaching cliche in the genre of time travel fiction.

Good luck.

-Debbie

[maggi90w1]

Yes, please give us some more information.
The main problem is, that the kids need to get close to King Edward VI. Very unlikley for children with out a royal background.
The solution I came up with is, that the children will join a group of actors who stage a private play for a minor nobel Edward is visiting.
Edward VI. isn't the real Edward. He got switched with an earlier time traveler, one of the kids younger brother.
Time-Travel-Edward recognizes his older brother and helps them out by making up false royal Identities for the kids. Wich is the second problem.

The minor problems like waering modern clothes and speaking modern english I will explain with the magic of time travel.

[angeliz2k]

The main problem is, that the kids need to get close to King Edward VI. Very unlikley for children with out a royal background.
The solution I came up with is, that the children will join a group of actors who stage a private play for a minor nobel Edward is visiting.
Edward VI. isn't the real Edward. He got switched with an earlier time traveler, one of the kids younger brother.
Time-Travel-Edward recognizes his older brother and helps them out by making up false royal Identities for the kids. Wich is the second problem.

The minor problems like waering modern clothes and speaking modern english I will explain with the magic of time travel.

Hm. Didn't Mr Twain do something similar in The Prince and the Pauper? I guess this is Prince and the Pauper with time travelers?

As for false royal identities? That certainly wouldn't work, because everyone would know the royal lineage very, very well. Maybe they could have false titles. "Edward" could say, "Oh, these are the children of Lord So and So." Everyone would be confused, since the members of Edward's court would know most the nobles in the land, but you might be able to fudge that some? I don't know. Why can't they just remain actors? Or become part of the royal household? It would have been a huge household and no one would have thought twice about a few extra kids being there.

BTW, what happened to the real Edward?

[maggi90w1]

Hm. Didn't Mr Twain do something similar in The Prince and the Pauper? I guess this is Prince and the Pauper with time travelers?No, not really. The switching is just a sideplot and it works out differently

since the members of Edward's court would know most the nobles in the land, but you might be able to fudge that some?I thought about foreign nobels. I guess not even Edward Seymour could name every child and grandchild of every small nobel in europe.

[pdr]

you've set yourself.

Edward was King. There was a belief then that Kings were divinely protected, and touched by God. All the bowing and backing away etc was part of this ceremony. It would be very hard even for nobles and relatives to get close.

I'm not sure if Edward did but some of royal children had an official punishment bearer. So when royal child was to be beaten, it was the substitute who got beaten. But even that bearer had to be noble. It was all about:
1. no one can touch royalty,
and
2. also to teach a future King that if he got it wrong his subjects suffered.

[timewaster]

I think you can probably solve the problem without getting anything really wrong.
Actually adults don't necessarily know which bits are historical most of us are quite ignorant, but I agree that you have to get things right for kids. I have written historical time travel fantasy ( the books in my sig) The history is as accurate as I can make it without making research my life's work. I pick distant periods with plenty of wriggle room.
In my books the protags have to acquire the language and get rid of their own clothes.

[lkp]

maggi, it sounds to me like the changes you are proposing are entirely within the realm of okay for children's fantasy/historial fiction.

[Soccer Mom]

you've set yourself.

Edward was King. There was a belief then that Kings were divinely protected, and touched by God. All the bowing and backing away etc was part of this ceremony. It would be very hard even for nobles and relatives to get close.

I'm not sure if Edward did but some of royal children had an official punishment bearer. So when royal child was to be beaten, it was the substitute who got beaten. But even that bearer had to be noble. It was all about:
1. no one can touch royalty,
and
2. also to teach a future King that if he got it wrong his subjects suffered.

This would make a fascinating note to be included. I'd suggest including a foreward or some historical notes explaining anything you might have changed from dramatic purposes. It's a great way to impart the true information. Kids 8-12 understand that concept. I have a 9 year old and a 12 year old.

[DeleyanLee]

I'm not sure if Edward did but some of royal children had an official punishment bearer. So when royal child was to be beaten, it was the substitute who got beaten. But even that bearer had to be noble.

The legendary whipping-boy?

I wasn't aware he had to be noble--but, then, it does make sense now that I think about it. As an attendant to royalty, that should've been a given.

[Ol' Fashioned Girl]

According to the sites I visited, the practice started in Tudor times, so Edward would have had a whipping boy... not that it's any firm sort of confirmation, but I was watching 'Lady Jane' last week and there's a part in it where Edward discusses having a whipping boy, FWIW. ;)