Great Read-aloud History Stories
American History Novels for Kids and Adults
Mar 12, 2010 Patricia Cooke
Try reading the first chapter yourself before sharing it with youngsters, if you want to make sure the subject matter is tolerable for your family. These books will be most enjoyed by upper elementary to middle school readers. Because these books depict real life in perhaps more difficult times, there may be events that will spark discussion as a family.
The Sign of the Beaver (Speare, 1984 paperback, Yearling, ISBN - 0440479002) Matt and his father have come ahead to the Maine territory from Massachusetts to build their new home. Now the house is built, and father has left Matt to guard the house for over a month while he returns to bring the rest of the family North. Matt is safe, and he can hunt for game because he has a gun. But the gun is stolen by a drifter, and now Matt is defenseless from the Native Americans and can’t easily get food. Soon Matt meets Attean, a young member of the Beaver clan. How will Matt survive in this wilderness? A Newbery Honor book.
Where was Patrick Henry On the 29th of May? (Fritz, 1997 paperback, Putnam, ISBN - 0698114396) Readers get to know Henry as a person, and then as a national figure. We understand how he got there, and why we remember him. Fritz takes this casual tone to many other American heroes. Try And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?, Why Don’t You Get a Horse, Sam Adams?, Will You Sign Here, John Hancock?, What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?, and several more.
Mr. Tucket (Paulsen, 1995 paperback, Yearling, ISBN - 0440411335) The day he was fourteen, Francis Tucket celebrated by receiving his first rifle, which was a sign of his manhood. The year was 1848, and his family was traveling in a Conestoga wagon on its way west from Missouri. Within hours, Francis had lagged behind the wagons to practice shooting. The next thing he knew, he was stomach down over a pony, on his way to an Indian camp. This is the story of his rescue by Mr. Grimes and his real education on how to reach manhood.
Newbery and Caldecott Winners
Ben and Me - An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin By His Good Mouse Amos (Lawson, 1988 paperback, Little Brown, ISBN - 0316517305) Generations of young readers have loved this very readable biography of Ben Franklin told by his friend and collaborator, Amos, the mouse. Amos claims that he was behind most of Ben’s great ideas and inventions. One of the delights of this humorous book is Lawson’s illustrations, which depict Ben as lovably plump and slightly rumpled most of the time. Lawson also wrote Rabbit Hill, the Newbery Medal winner, and They Were Strong and Good, the story of his parents, which won the Caldecott Medal. Lawson was the first person to receive both of these top awards for children’s literature.
Caddie Woodlawn (Brink, 2006 paperback, Aladdin, ISBN - 1416940286) Caddie and her family have settled in western Wisconsin, which in the mid-1800s is sparsely settled by pioneers from the east. These bold families are learning to create towns, build homes, grow, hunt, and fish for food, and make peace with the Native Americans they encounter. Caddie is allowed to run free with her brothers Tom and Warren instead of staying at home with her mother to learn how to keep house. The story is based on Brink’s grandmother’s experiences. Caddie’s adventures are continued in Magical Melons. A Newbery Medal winner.
