I hesitated to make this list, but recently I’ve found it interesting to read about historical pandemics, plagues, and mysterious viruses. Whether you’re looking for historical fiction, sci-fi or dystopian, here’s my list of YA Books About Pandemics, Plagues and Viruses .
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Over the last few days I’ve seen people on Twitter asking for recommendations for teen and middle grade pandemic books.
As someone who struggles with OCD, I generally skip books about illness in ANY form, but I’ve been reading newspaper articles about past pandemics and historical plagues and quarantines and finding them interesting and sometimes even inspiring. If the idea of reading books like this is NOT appealing, maybe you’d rather read a Rom Com. (I’m doing that too.)
I’m going to split the list into two: historical fiction about pandemics (or books inspired by historical events) and sci-fi/fantasy pandemic and virus books
Historical fiction for kids and teens about viruses, plagues and pandemics
Death Struck Year by Makiia Lucier – This multi-award winning book about the Spanish Flu pandemic follows a girl in boarding school in the Pacific Northwest who volunteers for the Red Cross.
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson – In this middle grade book, a girl in 1793 Philadelphia watches her city gripped by a plague.
In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters – this is a great book with both historical and paranormal elements. During the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918, Mary’s love returns to her in spirit form.
A Cloud of Outrageous Blue by Vesper Stamper – historical fiction about the Plague of 1348
One for Sorrow by Mary Downing Hahn – like the Cat Winters book above, this one is a little bit historical and a little bit paranormal. Annie is haunted by the ghost of a classmate who died in the 1918 influenza epidemic.
Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Dystopian books about pandemics and viruses for kids and teens
Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin. Edgar Allan Poe inspired, this is about a young woman who parties in the face of a plague… until she falls in love. I have read this one, and this is the book I keep thinking about! It has masks 🙁
Electric Kingdom by David Arnold. As swarms of infected Flies roam the earth spreading a deadly flu, survivors navigate the woods of post-apocalyptic New England. New for February 2021!
No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz. A biological weapon is set off in a suburban mall, trapping a group of kids
This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada. A girl’s father is the last hope for saving the world from a plague — until he’s kidnapped.
Virals by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs – a group of kids contracts a canine parvovirus and becomes a pack.
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe – a virus sweeps through a small island community.
Wither by Lauren DeStefano – after a botched genetic experiment leaves all young adults with a shortened life span, women are forced into polygamous marriages.
How do you feel about this kind of book? Do you have any to add to my list?
I’ve heard really good things about Mortal Coil. I really want to read it, but I think I’ll need to read it after all of this passes.
I love a good pandemic story, although current events are definitely hitting a little too close to home! Historical ones can often put things into perspective (I mean, imagine a pandemic in an age of primitive medicine- I can’t even imagine). And I like sci-fi ones too, I have to admit. No Safety in Numbers- I remember wanting to read that!
I actually just finished a book set during WWI and it had some interesting things about the Spanish Flu. I thought it was quite a coincidence. Interesting list, Jen. 🙂
I read recently that a huge number of the military deaths in WWI were from Spanish Flu, not from injuries sustained in combat.
They would get hurt sometimes with injuries that weren’t life threatening and then catch the flu and die or just catch the flu and die because of the living situation while in the trenches and barracks, etc. Then they came home and spread it. Pretty crazy.
I didn’t know that – what was the book?
Turning Tides by Melody Carlson. It’s Christian fiction, so not really your kind of book and it’s nor mostly about that – it just hints to it. It made me do some research though because I was curious.
I know this will shock you, but I have read zero of these books. I have read quite a few dystopian books, and I actually own a few of these, as that’s one of my daughter’s favorite genres. I don’t see myself reading such books in the near future, though.
Yep, same. Too close to reality!!!
I like this kind of story — but not so much in real life.
I heard of another one today that I plan to read — it’s called The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman.
Agree – for some reason I’m drawn to the historical fiction but not the dystopian…