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The Best American History Books for Kids

Incorporating excellent American history books into your social studies lesson plans can be a powerful way to personalize distant time periods
and events. All that "history stuff" happened "so long ago" that it can be hard for children to see its impotance or relate to the people involved.

American history books are the antidote to this problem! Well-chosen US history books for kids are not only great resources for teaching history lessons; they also can bring these "long ago" events and people to life when part of a required reading list. We've seen it happen firsthand and so have countless other teachers.

Homeschoolers: US history books for kids are a great supplement to your homeschool history curriculum. And since you can get the books at the library, it helps the homeschool history curriculum budget too!

Below are lists of the best American history books for kids, sorted by subject and grade level. Have fun searching and please share your recommendations. For world history books, click here.

Book Lists Organized by Time Period

It's Easy: (1) Select the time period from the lists below. (2) Click the link. (3) See the best books!


BOOKS ABOUT Native Americans in Early America		BOOKS ABOUT European Arrival & Colonial Times
- Native American cultures in general - major Native American battles/leaders - the Trail of Tears and the Long Walk...		- European 'discovery' of America - Colonial Times for K-2 3-5 6-8


BOOKS ABOUT Revolution & Independence		BOOKS ABOUT the Civil War & Slavery
- American Revolution lists in progress - the Declaration of Independence - the Constitution & Bill of Rights - George Washington biographies - Benjamin Franklin biographies - Books on other founding fathers		- general Civil War overviews / non-fiction - soldier stories (historical fiction) - civilian life during the war (hist. fiction) - Lists about slavery in progress - the Emancipation Proclamation


BOOKS ABOUT Westward Expansion & Frontier Life		BOOKS ABOUT Immigration & Early 20th Century

- the Lewis & Clark expedition
- the transcontinental railroad
- the gold rush era (CA, CO, Yukon)
- the orphan trains
- the pioneer journey (esp Oregon Trail)
- the pony express

- Early Immigrant Experiences: K-2 3-5 6-8
- Labor conditions, child labor, labor mvmt
- the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
- the women's suffrage movement
- the Great Depression
- the Dust Bowl & Migrations


BOOKS ABOUT World War I & World War II		BOOKS ABOUT the Post War Era to Present

- World War I
- the Pearl Harbor bombing
- World War II books for: K-2 3-5 6-8
- Japanese Internment Camps
- Nazism and the Holocaust

- the Civil Rights Movement and Era
books for: K-2 3-5 6-8
- the Cold War and the Cold War Era
- the Vietnam War and protests


BOOKS ABOUT American Presidents		BOOKS ABOUT Geography & US History in General

- George Washington biographies for kids
- Abraham Lincoln biographies for kids
- Theodore Roosevelt biographies for kids
Other president biographies are coming soon!!!!

- United States History Over Time
- the 50 States / Capitals (Geography)

Note: Our site is focused on American history books for kids. If you're looking for manuals or resources for teaching history lessons, click here to be connected with a list on Amazon.com of books for teachers to help you create your social studies lesson plans.

We are always looking for more US history books for kids. Send us your book suggestions!

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