Book picks similar to
The Trail of Tears by Joseph Bruchac


history
american-history
non-fiction
social-studies

Blood on the River: James Town, 1607


Elisa Carbone - 2006
    So when he becomes the page of Captain John Smith and boards the ship the Susan Constant, bound for the New World, he can't believe his good fortune. He's heard that gold washes ashore with every tide. But beginning with the stormy journey and his first contact with the native people, he realizes that the New World is nothing like he had ever imagined. The lush Virginia shore where they establish the colony of James Town is both beautiful and forbidding, and it s hard to know who's a friend or foe. As he learns the language of the Algonquin Indians and observes Captain Smith's wise diplomacy, Samuel begins to see that he can be whomever he wants to be in this new land.

Worst of Friends: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and the True Story of an American Feud


Suzanne Tripp Jurmain - 2011
    But their differing views on how to run the newly created United States turned them into the worst of friends. They each became leaders of opposing political parties, and their rivalry followed them to the White House. Full of both history and humor, this is the story of two of America's most well-known presidents and how they learned to put their political differences aside for the sake of friendship.

Sam the Minuteman


Nathaniel Benchley - 1969
    Arnold Lobel's vivid pictures give a poignant reality to the famous battle that marked the beginning of the American Revolution.This is historical fiction that pulls in young readers in first and second grade, even reluctant readers. Great for home or classroom units on and discussions about colonial America and the start of the American Revolution."Benchley's expressive words and Lobel's vivid drawings portray a realistic story," Publishers Weekly wrote.Father and son rushed to the village green. Other Minutemen were already there. Through the long night they waited and waited. Then, at dawn, the soldiers came!

Who Was Anne Frank?


Ann Abramson - 2007
    But Hitler brought her childhood to an end and forced her and her family into hiding. Who Was Anne Frank? looks closely at Anne's life before the secret annex, what life was like in hiding, and the legacy of her diary. Black-and-white illustrations including maps and diagrams provide historical and visual reference in an easy-to-read biography written in a way that is appropriate and accessible for younger readers.

Helen Keller: Courage in the Dark (Step Into Reading)


Johanna Hurwitz - 1997
    But her indomitable will and the help of a devoted teacher empower Helen to triumph over incredible adversity. This amazing true story is finally brought to the beginner reader level.

America Is Under Attack: September 11, 2001: The Day the Towers Fell


Don Brown - 2011
    In the fourth installment of the Actual Times series, Don Brown narrates the events of the day in a way that is both accessible and understandable for young readers. Straightforward and honest, this account moves chronologically through the morning, from the terrorist plane hijackings to the crashes at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Pennsylvania; from the rescue operations at the WTC site in New York City to the collapse of the buildings. Vivid watercolor illustrations capture the emotion and pathos of the tragedy making this an important book about an unforgettable day in American history.

Dinosaurs Before Dark


Mary Pope Osborne - 1992
    Now they have to figure out how to get home. Can they do it before dark . . . or will they become a dinosaur's dinner?

In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse


Joseph M. Marshall III - 2015
    When he embarks on a journey with his grandfather, Nyles High Eagle, he learns more and more about his Lakota heritage—in particular, the story of Crazy Horse, one of the most important figures in Lakota history. Drawing inspiration from the oral stories of the Lakota tradition and the Lakota cultural mechanism of the “hero story,” Joseph Marshall provides readers with an insider’s perspective on the life of Tasunke Witko, better known as Crazy Horse. Through his grandfather’s tales about the famous warrior, Jimmy learns more about his Lakota heritage and, ultimately, himself.

One Dead Spy


Nathan Hale - 2012
    In the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series, author Nathan Hale channels his namesake to present history’s roughest, toughest, and craziest stories in the graphic novel format.One Dead Spy tackles the story of Hale himself, who was an officer and spy for the American rebels during the Revolutionary War. Author Hale highlights the unusual, gruesome, and just plain unbelievable truth of historical Nathan Hale—from his early unlucky days at Yale to his later unlucky days as an officer—and America during the Revolutionary War.

I Am Rosa Parks


Rosa Parks - 1997
    Her brave act sparked the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott and brought the civil rights movement to national attention. In simple, lively language, Rosa Parks describes her life from childhood to the present and recounts the events that shook the nation. Her story is powerful, inspiring and unforgettable.An NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies

Three Tales of My Father's Dragon


Ruth Stiles Gannett - 1987
    A compilation of three tales which relate the fantastic adventures of Elmer Elevator and a baby flying dragon named Boris.

What Was the Great Depression?


Janet B. Pascal - 2015
    The stock market – the system that controls money in America – plunged to a record low. But this event was only the beginning of many bad years to come. By the early 1930s, one out of three people was not working. People lost their jobs, their houses, or both and ended up in shantytowns called “Hoovervilles” named for the president at the time of the crash. By 1933, many banks had gone under. Though the U.S. has seen other times of struggle, the Great Depression remains one of the hardest and most widespread tragedies in American history. Now it is represented clearly and with 80 illustrations in our What Was…? series.

The Star-Spangled Banner


Peter Spier - 1973
    Among the highlights: a brief history of the anthem, a reproduction of Francis Scott Key's original manuscript, music for guitar and piano chords and many photographs.A Child Study Children's Book Committee: Children's Book of the Year, An American Bookseller Pick of the Lists.

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt


Deborah Hopkinson - 1993
    Then she overhears two slaves talking about the Underground Railroad. In a flash of inspiration, Clara sees how she can use the cloth in her scrap bag to make a map of the land--a freedom quilt--that no master will ever suspect.

Pompeii . . . Buried Alive!


Edith Kunhardt - 1987
    in full color. "The drama of natural disasters provides prime material to entice young independent readers. In this volume, the account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius describes village life 2,000 years ago, the eruption itself and its aftermath, and the excitement when the buried town is rediscovered centuries later. A lively and factual glimpse of a devastating moment in history, in an accessible, attractive package."--Publishers Weekly.