At a recent professional development program, the authors asked teachers to recall the ways in which they learned about history in the course of their own schooling. The teachers at this professional development gathering not only identified some of the key challenges facing elementary teachers charged with teaching social studies curricula, they also were able to identify a promising response to these challenges. They recognized that without reflection, their approach to teaching could be negatively influenced by the textbook-directed pedagogy that had failed to engage them as learners. Fortunately, their own experiences also pointed to the potential that historical fiction offered in response to this concern. This article examines the potential of using literature to strengthen students' understanding of history and explores research-based pedagogical strategies that bring history to life in elementary and middle school classrooms. (Contains 6 figures.)