Lyddie's struggle to keep her family together, to become literate and to maintain her personal integrity makes a moving story. Good writers of historical novels can engage the reader by creating empathy for the characters and using an attractive narrative voice. When the possibility of industrial action arises, Lyddie's feelings are no different from those of a breadwinner today, torn between supporting the trade union and the need for a living wage in the short term. Most of today's young readers would baulk at books which were quite popular in the 1950's and 60's because they are unaccustomed to long passages of scene setting and background information. On the other hand, pictures, videos and films with reasonably authentic details are now available, so that authors no have no need to paint in the minutiae of a historical scene with words.
Some historical novels are too full of facts and devoid of feeling.
There are both older and recent examples. One would think it difficult to make the life of Ghengis Khan or Christopher Columbus boring, but Hans Baumann manages to do so On the other hand, Catherine Jinks in the Pagan series of four books, evokes the setting with and through the action without slowing the narrative pace. The reader absorbs a great deal of knowledge about the crusades and life in medieval France without even realising it, so enthralling are the plot and characters. Check Heather Scutter's review of the Pagan series in your textbook. If you read the Pagan books, you can find excellent visual and textual information on the WWW to fill in the historical background for your students.