17th Century & Prior

I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79 

(Lauren Tarshis) Grades 2-5 

The beast beneath the mountain is restless... No one in the bustling city of Pompeii worries when the ground trembles beneath their feet. The beast under the mountain Vesuvius, high above the city, wakes up angry sometimes -- and always goes back to sleep. But Marcus is afraid. He knows something is terribly wrong -- and his father, who trusts science more than mythical beasts, agrees. When Vesuvius explodes into a cloud of fiery ash and rocks fall from the sky like rain, will they have time to escape -- and survive the epic destruction of Pompeii?

Morning Girl 

(Michael Dorris) Grades 2+ 

Through the alternating voices of twelve-year-old Morning Girl and her younger brother Star Boy, we step into the extraordinarily rich lives of an indigenous family on a Bahamian Island in 1492-just as their paradise is about to be discovered and a new world order begins to take shape.

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga (Traci Sorell)  

Ages K-2 

The word otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-lee-gah) is used by members of the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude. Beginning in the fall with the new year and ending in summer, follow a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences. Written by a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, this look at one group of Native Americans is appended with a glossary and the complete Cherokee syllabary, originally created by Sequoyah.  

Sing Down the Moon (Scott O’Dell) 

Grades 3-7 

This “Newbery Award” winning book tells the story of a young Navaho girl forced from her homeland by white soldiers. Author Scott O’Dell confronts some of the harsh realities of this time in history, but ultimately tells an uplifting story of a young girl’s resiliency.  

Island of the Blue Dolphins (Scott O’Dell) 

Grades 3-7 

In the Pacific there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it, blue dolphins swim, otters play, and sea elephants and sea birds abound. Once, Indians also lived on the island. And when they left and sailed to the east, one young girl was left behind.

This is the story of Karana, the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Year after year, she watched one season pass into another and waited for a ship to take her away. But while she waited, she kept herself alive by building a shelter, making weapons, finding food, and fighting her enemies, the wild dogs. It is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery. 

18th Century

Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse Amos (Robert Lawson) 

Grades 2-7 

This engaging story by Robert Lawson gives kids a mouse-eye view of our famous founding father, as the two of them work together on some of Franklin’s most famous inventions.

Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Everything (Maira Kalman) 

Grades 1-5 

Thomas Jefferson is perhaps best known for writing the Declaration of Independence--but there's so much more to discover. This energetic man was interested in everything. He played violin, spoke seven languages and was a scientist, naturalist, botanist, mathematician and architect. He designed his magnificent home, Monticello, which is full of objects he collected from around the world. Our first foodie, he grew over fifteen kinds of peas and advocated a mostly vegetarian diet. And oh yes, as our third president, he doubled the size of the United States and sent Lewis and Clark to explore it. He also started the Library of Congress and said, "I cannot live without books." But monumental figures can have monumental flaws, and Jefferson was no exception. Although he called slavery an "abomination," he owned about 150 slaves.  

19th Century

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt  

Grades K-6 

Clara, a slave and seamstress on Home Plantation, dreams of freedom--not just for herself, but for her family and friends. When she overhears a conversation about the Underground Railroad, she has a flash of inspiration. Using scraps of cloth from her work in the Big House and scraps of information gathered from other slaves, she fashions a map that the master would never even recognize. . .  

Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan (Ashley Bryan) 

Grades 1+ 

Using original slave auction and plantation estate documents, Ashley Bryan offers a moving and powerful picture book that contrasts the monetary value of a slave with the priceless value of life experiences and dreams that a slave owner could never take away. 

Building the Transcontinental Railroad: An Interactive Engineering Adventure (Steven Otfinoski) 

Grades 3-7 

You live in a United States on the move in the 1860s. The government gives two railroad companies the Central Pacific and Union Pacific the job of building the first transcontinental railroad. This railroad will unite the country and allow people to travel west to pursue new lives and opportunities. Will you: Toil as a Chinese worker for the Central Pacific? Work as an Irish laborer for the Union Pacific? Serve as an engineer for the Central Pacific in the final race to complete the railroad? Experience situations taken from real life. YOU CHOOSE what you'll do next. The choices you make will either lead you to success or to failure. 

Locomotive! (Brian Floca) 

Grades 5  

It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America's brand-new transcontinental railroad. These pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to ocean.   

Henry's Freedom Box (Ellen Levine) 

Grades PK-3 

A fictionalized account of how in 1849 a Virginia slave, Henry "Box" Brown, escapes to freedom by shipping himself in a wooden crate from Richmond to Philadelphia. 

20th Century

I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 (Lauren Tarshis) 

Grades 2-5 

The terrifying details of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake jump off the page! Ten-year-old Leo loves being a newsboy in San Francisco -- not only does he get to make some money to help his family, he's free to explore the amazing, hilly city as it changes and grows with the new century. Horse-drawn carriages share the streets with shiny new automobiles, new businesses and families move in every day from everywhere, and anything seems possible. But early one spring morning, everything changes. Leo's world is shaken -- literally -- and he finds himself stranded in the middle of San Francisco as it crumbles and burns to the ground. Does Leo have what it takes to survive this devastating disaster? 

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic (Lauren Tarshis) 

Grades 2-5

Ten-year-old George Calder can't believe his luck- he and his little sister, Phoebe, are on the famous Titanic, crossing the ocean with their Aunt Daisy. The ship is full of exciting places to explore, but when George ventures into the first class storage cabin, a terrible boom shakes the entire boat. Suddenly, water is everywhere, and George's life changes forever.

Stay Where You Are & Then Leave (John Boyne) 

Grades 5+ 

The day the First World War broke out, Alfie Summerfield's father promised he wouldn't go away to fight--but he broke that promise the following day. Four years later, Alfie doesn't know where his father might be, other than that he's away on a special, secret mission. 
 
Then, while shining shoes at King's Cross Station, Alfie unexpectedly sees his father's name on a sheaf of papers belonging to a military doctor. Bewildered and confused, Alfie realizes his father is in a hospital close by--a hospital treating soldiers with shell shock. Alfie isn't sure what shell shock is, but he is determined to rescue his father from this strange, unnerving place.

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain (Peter Sis) 

Grades 4-7

"I was born at the beginning of it all, on the Red side--the Communist side--of the Iron Curtain." Through annotated illustrations, journals, maps, and dreamscapes, Peter Sís shows what life was like for a child who loved to draw, proudly wore the red scarf of a Young Pioneer, stood guard at the giant statue of Stalin, and believed whatever he was told to believe. But adolescence brought questions. Cracks began to appear in the Iron Curtain, and news from the West slowly filtered into the country. Sís learned about beat poetry, rock 'n' roll, blue jeans, and Coca-Cola. He let his hair grow long, secretly read banned books, and joined a rock band. Then came the Prague Spring of 1968, and for a teenager who wanted to see the world and meet the Beatles, this was a magical time. It was short-lived, however, brought to a sudden and brutal end by the Soviet-led invasion. But this brief flowering had provided a glimpse of new possibilities--creativity could be discouraged but not easily killed.

Number the Stars  (Lois Lowry) 

Grades 5+

1990 Newbery Medal Winner - As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen's family takes in Annemarie's best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family.

Refugee (Alan Gratz) 

Grades 3-5

Josef is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world... Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America... Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe... All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end. This action-packed novel tackles topics both timely and timeless: courage, survival, and the quest for home.

Navajo code talkers: top secret messengers of World War II  (Nathan Aaseng)  

Grades 5-6

During World War II U.S. forces had to keep battle plans and other top-secret information out of the enemy's hands. Coded messages were often used, but secret codes could be broken. To solve this problem, the U.S. military turned to an unexpected source to create an unbreakable code. The Navajo people spoke a complex language that few outsiders knew how to speak. Several Navajo soldiers were recruited to develop a code based on the Navajo language. The result was a complex code that could not be solved by the enemy. Learn all about the brave Navajo Code Talkers and how their unbreakable code helped defeat the enemy and win the war.­­

Wind Flyers (Angela Johnson) 

Grades K-4

 Three-time Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Angela Johnson and New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long invite readers to ponder a band of undercelebrated World War II heroes -- the Tuskegee Airmen. With fleeting prose and transcendent imagery, this book by the masterful author/artist duo reveals how a boy's love of flight takes him on a journey from the dusty dirt roads of Alabama to the war-torn skies of Europe and into the hearts of those who are only now beginning to understand the part these brave souls played in the history of America.

Coming on Home Soon (Jacqueline Woodson) 

Grades K-3

Ada Ruth's mama must go away to Chicago to work, leaving Ada Ruth and Grandma behind. It's war time, and women are needed to fill the men's jobs. As winter sets in, Ada Ruth and her grandma keep up their daily routine, missing Mama all the time. They find strength in each other, and a stray kitten even arrives one day to keep them company, but nothing can fill the hole Mama left. Every day they wait, watching for the letter that says Mama will be coming on home soon. 

Mama Played Baseball (Adler, David A.) 

Grades K-3

Amy's dad is away, fighting in World War II, and her mama must take a job. But it's no ordinary job--Amy's mother becomes a baseball player in the first professional women's league! Amy cheers louder than anyone at all of the home games. And while Mama's team travels, Amy works on a secret project--a surprise for her dad when he is finally back home. 

Boxes for Katje  (Fleming, Candace) 

Grades K-3

After World War II there is little left in Katje's town of Olst in Holland. Her family, like most Dutch families, must patch their old worn clothing and go without everyday things like soap and milk. Then one spring morning when the tulips bloom "thick and bright," Postman Kleinhoonte pedals his bicycle down Katje's street to deliver a mysterious box - a box from America! Full of soap, socks, and chocolate, the box has been sent by Rosie, an American girl from Mayfield, Indiana. Her package is part of a goodwill effort to help the people of Europe. What's inside so delights Katje that she sends off a letter of thanks - beginning an exchange that swells with so many surprises that the girls, as well as their townspeople, will never be the same.

Ron’s Big Mission (Rose Blue) 

Grades K-3

Nine-year-old Ron loves going to the Lake City Public Library to look through all the books on airplanes and flight. Today, Ron is ready to take out books by himself. But in the segregated world of South Carolina in the 1950s, Ron's obtaining his own library card is not just a small rite of passage--it is a young man's first courageous mission. Here is an inspiring story, based on Ron McNair's life, of how a little boy, future scientist, and Challenger astronaut desegregated his library through peaceful resistance.

I Have a Dream Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Grades K+

 Stunning art amplifies meaning of King's words for kids. 

Inside Out and Back Again (Thanhha Lai) 

Grades 3-7

This story, a winner of the “National Book Award for Young People’s Literature” and the “Newbery Honor,” tells the story of a Vietnamese family through the eyes of their youngest child, as they struggle to escape their war-torn country and start a new life.

One Crazy Summer 

Grades 4-8

2011 Coretta Scott King Author Book Award 

In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp. 

21st Century

I Survived Hurricane Katrina (Lauren Tarshis) 

Grades 2-5

The horror of Hurricane Katrina is brought vividly to life in this fictional account of a boy, a dog, and the storm of the century.

Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story (Nora Raleigh Bakin) 

Grades 5+

Ask anyone: September 11, 2001, was serene and lovely, a perfect day--until a plane struck the World Trade Center. But a few days earlier, four kids in different parts of the US are going about their lives. They don't know one another, but their lives are about to intersect in ways they never could have imagined. 

Art:

I Am Leonardo Da Vinci: Ordinary People Change the World (Brad Meltzer) 

Grades K-4

This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great--the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of one of America's icons in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers and that always includes the hero's childhood influences. At the back are an excellent timeline and photos. This book features Leonardo da Vinci, the Renaissance artist and inventor. 

Dr. Seuss's Horse Museum (Dr. Seuss) 

Grades 2-5

Explore how different artists have seen horses, and maybe even find a new way of looking at them yourself. Discover full-color photographic art reproductions of pieces by Picasso, George Stubbs, Rosa Bonheur, Alexander Calder, Jacob Lawrence, Deborah Butterfield, Franz Marc, Jackson Pollock, and many others--all of which feature a horse! Young readers will find themselves delightfully transported by the engaging equines as they learn about the creative process and how to see art in new ways.

Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos* (Monica Brown) 

Grades PK-8

The fascinating Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is remembered for her self-portraits, her dramatic works featuring bold and vibrant colors. Her work brought attention to Mexican and indigenous culture and she is also renowned for her works celebrating the female form. Brown's story recounts Frida's beloved pets--two monkeys, a parrot, three dogs, two turkeys, an eagle, a black cat, and a fawn--and playfully considers how Frida embodied many wonderful characteristics of each animal.

Henri’s Scissors (Jeanette Winter) 

Grades K-3

In a small weaving town in France, a young boy named Henri-Emile Matisse drew pictures everywhere, and when he grew up, he moved to Paris and became a famous artist who created paintings that were adored around the world. But late in life a serious illness confined him to a wheelchair, and amazingly, it was from there that he created among his most beloved works--enormous and breathtaking paper cutouts. Based on the life of Henri Matisse, this moving and inspirational picture book biography includes a note from the author, dynamic quotes from Matisse himself, and an illuminating look at a little-known part of a great artist's creative process.

Can You Find It? America (Metropolitan Museum of Art) 

Grades PK-5

Can you find the hidden details in these American paintings, prints, and textiles from The Metropolitan Museum of Art? Includes "Washington Crossing the Delaware," by Emmanuel Leutze; "Across the Continent: "Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way"," by Frances Flora Bond Palmer for Currier & Ives; "The Last Moments of John Brown," by Thomas Hovenden; "Thanksgiving Turkey," by Grandma Moses; "The Photographer," by Jacob Lawrence; and "Street Story Quilt"; by Faith Ringgold.

Mix It Up! (Herve Tullet) 

Ages PK-2

Using no special effects other than the reader's imagination, simple directions lead the reader to experiment with mixing and changing colors on the printed page.

Balloons over Broadway (Melissa Sweet) 

Grades PK-3

Everyone's a New Yorker on Thanksgiving Day, when young and old rise early to see what giant new balloons will fill the skies for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Who first invented these "upside-down puppets"? Meet Tony Sarg, puppeteer extraordinaire! In brilliant collage illustrations, Caldecott Honor artist Melissa Sweet tells the story of the puppeteer Tony Sarg, capturing his genius, his dedication, his zest for play, and his long-lasting gift to America--the inspired helium balloons that would become the trademark of Macy's Parade. 

Linnea in Monet’s Garden (Christina Björk) 

Grades PK-3

When it was first published in 1987, Publishers Weekly wrote, "Linnea, a fresh-faced European girl, gives an art history lesson in the gentlest way, through a first-person account. Her story is like a scrapbook, reliving a trip she took to Paris and Giverny to learn about Monet's water-lily paintings. Airy, light-filled watercolors showing Linnea in Monet's environment are juxtaposed with period photographs of the artist and reproductions of the paintings themselves. Also included are Monet's biography, a family tree and a brief guide to Paris.

Masterpiece (Elise Broach) 

Grades 3-7

Marvin lives with his family under the kitchen sink in the Pompadays' apartment. He is very much a beetle. James Pompaday lives with his family in New York City. He is very much an eleven-year-old boy.After James gets a pen-and-ink set for his birthday, Marvin surprises him by creating an elaborate miniature drawing. James gets all the credit for the picture and before these unlikely friends know it they are caught up in a staged art heist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that could help recover a famous drawing by Albrecht Durer. But James can't go through with the plan without Marvin's help. And that's where things get really complicated (and interesting!). This fast-paced mystery will have young readers on the edge of their seats as they root for boy and beetle.

The Dot (Peter Reynolds) 

Grades PK-4

Her teacher smiled. "Just make a mark and see where it takes you." Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can't draw - she's no artist. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. "There!" she says. That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti's journey of surprise and self-discovery. That special moment is the core of Peter H. Reynolds's delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us.

Come Look with Me: Exploring Landscape Art with Children (Blizzard, Gladys S.) 

Grades K-5

In COME LOOK WITH ME: EXPLORING LANDSCAPE ART WITH CHILDREN art educator Gladys S. Blizzard introduces boys and girls to 12 magnificent landscape paintings. Through these carefully selected works and a thought-provoking text, the author guides students toward an imaginative new way of looking at art. Each full-color reproduction is accompanied by a brief biological sketch of the artist and a series of open-ended questions designed to make the most of a child's natural curiosity.

Hands On! Art Projects (Lacey, Sue) 

Ages K-5

The Hands-On! Series is designed with any classroom in mind, aiding teachers and students both in the school environment and the at-home classroom by educating children about the amazing subjects of science, math, art, and nature, and more importantly, giving young learners the tools they need to explore and learn about those subjects on their own. Each project in this book is specifically designed to place the ability to discover in the hands of young minds. Simple text provides an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide to each project, a brief explanation to why it works, and ideas for further activities. In addition, every single project is accompanied by colorful illustrations and appealing photographs, aimed to enhance children's understanding and engage the reader. Each book in the series also comes equipped with a comprehensive glossary and index, enriching and aiding the learning experience. We are sure our readers will finish these books with a new understanding of each subject matter, and newfound abilities to explore and discover their world on their own.