Intermediate Reading (3-4) History

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Title	Author	Subject	Summary
A Big Cheese for the White House	Candace Fleming	A fact-based story about a 1,235 lb. cheese presented to Thomas Jefferson at the White House	Relates the story of Parson John Leland, an avid supporter of Thomas Jefferson, who organized the dairy farmers of Cheshire, Massachusetts to make a giant wheel of cheese to honor the President.
A Braid of Lives: Native American Childhood*	Neil Philip	Stories of Native-American childhood	This is a compilation of stories told by Native Americans recalling experiences from their childhood, and what life was like. Wonderful photographs.
A Long Way to Go: A Story of Women's Right to Vote	Zibby O'Neal	Women's right to vote	Young female character must struggle with the restrictions that her parents and brothers think women are incapable of accomplishing. Also learns of her grandmother's efforts to win woman the right to vote.
Always Inventing: A Photobiography of Alexander Graham Bell	Tom L. Mathews	Biography in photos of Alexander Graham Bell and his inventions	Photographs by National Geographic. Compelling text of Bell's amazing life and inventions combines with authentic photographs to make this magnificent book a "must have".
Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride	Pam M. Ryan	Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt	Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt share a night flight over Washington D.C., the reader gains valuable insight into the characters of these two highly respected and courageous women. Delightful drawings.
Buffalo Hunt**	Russell Freedman	Rituals and practices of the Plains Indians associated with the Buffalo Hunt	Vivid portrayal of the rituals and practices of the Plains Indians as they prepare for the Buffalo Hunt, participated in the hunt, prepared the animal for its many uses, and generally centered their lives around the buffalo. Accompanying artwork is exceptional.
Children of the Wild West**	Russell Freedman	Westward migration and life in the old west	Rare photographs and text document westward migration and life in the old west, especially through the lives of children. Both pioneer and native American lives are depicted.
Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters**	Patricia C. McKissack and Frederick L. McKissack	Slave and owners in the South before the Civil War, and northern abolitionists	This book describes the Christmas activities of both slaves and their owners on a Virginia plantation in 1859. The two groups enjoyed the celebrations, but they were also distracted by the recent actions of northern abolitionists.
Conestoga Wagons	Richard Ammon	Importance of the Conestoga wagon in American history	Explains how the wagons were built, what they carried, and who drove them. Paintings by Bill Fransworth contribute to the reader's comprehension.
Daniel Boone and the Exploration of the Frontier	Richard Kozar	Biography of Daniel Boone	A fine chronological rendering of Daniel Boone's life and explorations. The glossary and bold-type words are useful for reading instructions.
Dinner at Aunt Connie's House*	Faith Ringgold	African American history	Young Melody visits her aunt's house to meet her new cousin Lonnie. While playing together, the two children discover several portraits of well-known African-American women. The story takes a magical twist as the portraits begin to teach the two cousins about their experiences and life works.
Doesn't Fall Off His Horse*	Virginia A. Stroud	Native American heritage	The author, a Kiowa, explains the process of counting coup. As a young boy her grandfather took part in a raid against the Comanche. While trying to steal the Comanche ponies a fight broke out and her grandfather was injured. He was able to stay on his horse and later received his warrior name Doesn't Fall Off His Horse.
Family Pictures/ Cuadros de familia	Carmen Lomas Garza	Multiculturalism in Texas	This book set in Kingsville, Texas includes tales from the author's youth. The book, which is written in both English and Spanish, demonstrates the influences the southwest had on her family's activities.
From Miss Ida's Porch	Sandra Belton	An older woman's recollection of the past	In this story neighbors gather on Miss Ida's porch to share tales of the past with one another. One night the older residents recall a visit by Duke Ellington's orchestra and famous concerts at the Lincoln Memorial. The young listeners are inspired by the stories they hear.
Guests*	Michael Dorris	Native Americans and the first settlers	Blessed by an abundant harvest, the Native Americans invite nearby colonists to a feast. A young boy named Moss is angry that the new settlers have been invited to the celebration, and he runs away into the forest. Alone in the woods, Moss is able to contemplate his behavior and think about the future.
Hannah's Journal*	Maria Moss	Immigration	Ten-year-old Hannah and her fourteen-year-old cousin travel from Lithuania to America. The Story deals primarily with the pogroms that drove Jews out of Russia, the miserable conditions in steerage on board the immigrant ships, the problems at Ellis Island, but, ultimately, the joy of a free country.
Hannah's Winter of Hope	Jean Van Leeuwen	1970, Revolutionary War	Hannah and her family face many hardships during the winter of 1780 as the British capture her brother, a colonial soldier, and the family home is burned down.
Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor*	Russell Freedman	Child Labor in the early 1900s	This book contains amazing photographs, taken by Lewis Hine, of child labor in the United States before World War I. During this time, Hine was working as an investigative photographer for the National Child Labor Committee.
Kids on Strike	Susan Campbell Bartoletti	Child Labor in the late 1800s and early 1900s	Strikes in coal mines, cotton mills, and the garment industry show courageous individuals who helped change child labor laws in America. More than one hundred vivid photographs illustrate the working conditions.
Let it Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters*	Andrea Davis Pinkney	Black Freedom fighters and civil rights.	This book is a compilation of short biographies about black women who fought for their rights and the rights of other people. The women covered in this book are; Sojourner Truth, Biddy Mason, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Mary McLeod Bethune, Ella Josephine Baker, Dorothy Irene Heights, Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Shirley Chisholm. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn.
Li'l Sis and Uncle Willie*	Gwen Everett	African American heritage	Uncle Willie (artist William Johnson) visits his family in South Carolina, and shares his stories and paintings of life in New York and Europe. The war (WWII) prevents Li'l Sis from visiting her uncle, but his letters and photographs inspire her to have pride in her African-American heritage.
My Brother's Keeper: Virginia's Diary*	Mary Pope Osborne	The Civil War in Gettysburg	Virginia is a nine-year-old living with her father and brother in Gettysburg during 1863. Through her journal entries we learn about the Civil War, and particularly the events around the Battle of Gettysburg.
Our Strange New Land: Elizabeth's Diary*	Patricia Hermes	Settlement in Jamestown	Elizabeth is an English nine-year-old who takes the voyage with her family in 1609 to Settle in Jamestown. Through Elizabeth's diary entries we learn about some historical events and characters, plus the hardships of settlement.
Seaman: The Dog Who Explored the West with Lewis and Clark	Gail Langer Karwoski	Lewis and Clark exploration of the Louisiana Purchase	Seaman was 150-pound Newfoundland dog purchased by Meriwether Lewis in the Summer of 1803. This well-researched and finely-written book chronicles the exploration of Lewis and Clark, focusing on the endearing and brave dog, Seaman.
Sleds on Boston Common: A Story from the American Revolution*	Louise Borden	American Revolution	This is a folk story of four school children who want to go sledding on the Boston commons in 1774 where British troops are located, and how they deal with their predicament.
Snow Treasure	Marie McSwigan	World War II in Norway, 1939-1940	True story. After the nazi occupation of their country, Norwegian children were able to sled past nazi soldiers, carrying the country's cache of $9 million worth of gold bullion. Mishaps add to the tension and excitement of this dangerous venture.
So Far From the Sea	Eve Bunting	Japanese Internment	A Japanese-American family returns to Manzanar to visit the grave of the grandfather the children never knew. Their father was eight years old when he was interned there. The books gives insight into why the internment occurred, as well as an understanding of the injustices of the internment.
Tales from Gold Mountain*	Paul Yee	Stories of Chinese in the New World	A Series of eight stories about Chinese immigrants that combine frontier life with Chinese legend and folk traditions. Backgrounds include the Gold Rush, the transcontinental rail road, and the settling of the west coast in the nineteenth century.
Tales from the Underground Railroad*	Kate Connell	Experiences of passengers and conductors on the Underground Railroad	A compilation of true stories about the Underground Railroad. This book is based on the data from a freed slave who lived in Philadelphia, and kept records of the people who came through his 'station'.
Teammates*	Peter Golenbock	Black Americans and sports during the 1940s	This book compares the Negro Baseball Leagues with the teams of Major League Baseball during the 1940s. It then examines Jackie Robinson, the league's first African-American baseball player, and his teammate Pee Wee Reese. Although Jackie suffered many injustices at the hands of fans and other ball players, he received support from others around him.
The Amazing Impossible Erie Canal*	Cheryle Harness	The Erie Canal	Descriptions are given and multiple colorful pictures and maps are displayed to explain how the Erie Canal was built and how the locks function. Illustrations and maps are outstanding and easy to understand.
The Boys' War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War*	Jim Murphy	The Civil War, and the efforts of boys under eight-teen on both sides.	This book discusses what is was like for soldiers fighting during the Civil War. There are many narratives, details, and photographs making the story personal.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall: The Cold War Ends*	Nigel Kelly	The Cold War	This books explains how the Cold War began, persisted, and ended in a way that elementary students can understand.
The Memory Coat	Elvira Woodruff	Immigration	Cousins Rachel and Grisha leave Russia because of the pogroms only to face the possibility of being sent back when they reach Ellis Island. Grisha's mother had made him a coat of scraps of material from various memorable garments. The coat is instrumental in solving his dilemma.
The Silk Route	John Major	Foreign Trade	This is a story about the silk route during the Tang Dynasty in approximately 700 A.D. The book contains a map of the silk route and descriptions of the major places through which it traversed.
The Tenement Writer: An Immigrant's Story*	Ben Sonder	Immigrant life in New York City 1890-1920	A Young Polish Jew, Anzia Yezierska, settles with her family in the Lower East Side of New York City. The grim life immigrants lived is vividly portrayed. Anzia ultimately becomes a noted writer despite extraordinary obstacles she must overcome.
Through My Eyes	Ruby Bridges	School integration in the 1960's	This is Ruby Bridge's personal account of when, as a six-year-old African American, she integrated the New Orleans public schools in 1960.
Trouble at the Mines*	Doreen Rappaport	Strikes at the Arnot, Pennsylvania mine during the beginning of the 1900s, and Mother Jones.	This story is based on real events taken from the Blossburg Advertiser and Mother Jones's autobiography. The book recount the events surrounding the strike, how families went hungry and were evicted from their homes. As well as how Mother Jones rallied the miners and their families together for a successful seven month strike.
Uncle Sam and Old Glory: Symbols of America	Delno C. West and Jean M. West	The meanings of symbols of America	From the bald eagle and the buffalo to the Minuteman and the cowboy, the illustrations (by Christopher Manson) and text convey the history and meaning of fifteen traditional symbols of American identity.
Vision of Beauty: The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker	Kathryn Lasky	A biography of Sarah Breedlove Walker	Sarah Breedlove was born in 1867 to former slaves, and even in childhood, searched for beauty. Despite prejudice and hardship, she created beauty products for black women. This is a story of an extraordinary entrepreneur.
We Want Jobs! A Story of the Great Depression*	Robert J. Norrell	The Great Depression; community activism	The steel factories of Pittsburgh close and thousands of people lose their jobs. This true story is about one man who becomes a community activist and makes a difference in the lives of the people of his community.
When Jessie Came Across the Sea*	Amy Hest	Immigration	Thirteen year old Jessie travels from a tiny village in Eastern Europe to NYC and,with patience and determination, finds success and happiness in her new country. Earns sufficient money to bring her beloved grandmother to America. Exquisite illustrations by P.J. Lynch.

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