Immersion into fiction is associated with many educational and social benefits. The current study compared read-alouds of a historical fiction novel and a nonfiction textbook to determine whether differences were observed in student's transportation, content learning, and socio-emotional development. In all, 41 students between the ages of 9 and 12 years old listened to either a fiction novel or nonfiction textbook as it was read-aloud. The participants were then assessed on their content knowledge of the Great Depression, and their self-reports of transportation, perspective taking, fantasy, empathic concern, and helping behaviors. Results showed that both fiction and nonfiction groups learned the same amount of content; however, positive correlations between transportation and several aspects of socio-emotional development were unique to the group exposed to fiction. Thus, fiction novels can provide opportunities for the learning of historical information while enabling a child's growth in socio-emotional development. Classroom-based implications, strategies, and novel suggestions are discussed.