Homeschool book lists used to be simple. I picked out a few stories to read aloud and that was it. Now that I have readers at three different (and ever-changing) levels, booklists have gotten a lot more complicated. I’ve been working to organize my favorites, organize them by level, and decide who gets which one.
These are the books my Kindergartener will be working through as we study the Modern Era this year, although I’m sure that the older ones will be leaning on the back of the chair pretending that they are too big to enjoy picture books ;) I’ll update with reading lists for the older kids soon.
Oh, and since I’m sure someone will ask what we are using for a spine, we are going to be working our way through A History of US
Picture books:
Westward Expansion:
“When De Witt Clinton, a young politician, first dreams of building a canal to connect the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, folks don’t believe such a thing can be done. But eight long years after the first shovelful of earth is dug, Clinton realizes his vision at last. The longest uninterrupted canal in history has been built, and it is now possible to travel by water from the American prairie all the way to Europe!
“In 1860, with North and South about to be divided by war, East and West were united through an extraordinary venture — the Pony Express. Over the course of ten days in April, eighty riders and five hundred horses delivered mail between California and Missouri — a mission that took three weeks by stagecoach. Although it existed for only a year and a half, the Pony Express remains a legendary chapter in American history and a symbol of the bold, adventurous character of the Old West.”
Gold Fever
“Family man Jasper’s leaves his farm to seek his fortune during the Gold Rush of 1849. It’s a hard and dangerous pilgrimage to the West, fighting the elements as well as the unfriendly fauna. Then there’s the backbreaking work of prospecting combined with dealing with the numerous and equally frustrated prospectors. Discouraged, Jasper packs up and returns to his family”
Civil War:
“While working for plantation owners, Peg Leg Joe teaches the slaves a song about the drinking gourd (the Big Dipper). A couple, their son, and two others make their escape by following the song’s directions. Rich paintings interpret the strong story in a clean, primitive style enhanced by bold colors. ”
Ben and the Emancipation Proclamation
“A self-taught young slave astonishes his fellow prisoners by reading aloud the newspaper account of Lincoln’s new emancipation proclamation. Based on actual events.”
Immigration:
Naming Liberty
“In this wonderfully unique book, Jane Yolen and Jim Burke weave two stories at once, as readers see young Gitl in Russia leaving her home for faraway America, wondering what new name she will choose for herself when she arrives, and young artist Frederic Auguste Bartholdi dreaming of a monument he wants to build to honor freedom. It is an arduous journey for Gitl as she and her family travel across land and sea to arrive on this shore”
“Lyrical, breathtaking, splendid—words used to describe Allen Say’s Grandfather’s Journey when it was first published. At once deeply personal yet expressing universally held emotions, this tale of one man’s love for two countries and his constant desire to be in both places captured readers’ attention and hearts. Winner of the 1994 Caldecott Medal, it remains as historically relevant and emotionally engaging as ever.”
World War I:
A Brave Soldier
“In August 1914, when war breaks out in Europe, Canadians rush to join the army to fight with the Allies, expecting to be home by Christmas. Everyone thinks the war will be over in a few months. But by the time the war ends in 1918, nearly 10 million soldiers and 13 million civilians are dead. ”
The Great Depression:
Potato: A Tale From The Great Depression
“Written by an eight-year-old girl in Kansas, this picture book is just a slice of family history, but the personal account does help make the past accessible for young children. Her grandfather lost his job, and the bank took away the family house. The family found work for two weeks picking potatoes in Idaho. They lived in tents and worked all day, and they were allowed to pick potatoes for themselves at night; but the work lasted only two weeks, and then they went home again, loaded up with potatoes.”
The Babe & I
“It’s 1932 and hard times are everywhere. But life isn’t all bad. America still loves baseball, and Babe Ruth is the star of the game. A boy finds out his dad is unemployed so he becomes a news boy at Yankee Stadium to help his family. He uses baseball news to sell a lot of papers, and one day even Babe Ruth buys a paper from him.”
World War II:
“In 1940, Hans and Margret Rey fled their Paris home as the German army advanced. They began their harrowing journey on bicycles, pedaling to Southern France with children’s book manuscripts among their few possessions. Follow the Rey’s amazing story in this unique large format book that resembles a travel journal and includes full-color illustrations, original photos, actual ticket stubs and more.”
Inventions:
“It started with a toy. As boys, Wilbur and Orville Wright loved making their helicopter fly. As adults, the brothers made their living taking things apart and putting them together again: printing presses, bicycles, planes. . . . Through trial and error, these two boys from Dayton, Ohio, built the plane that would change the world forever.”
Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives
“What do record players, batteries, and movie cameras have in common? All these devices were created by the man known as The Wizard of Menlo Park: Thomas Edison.
Edison is most famous for inventing the incandescent lightbulb, but at his landmark laboratories in Menlo Park & West Orange, New Jersey, he also developed many other staples of modern technology. In this enlightening book, Gene Barretta enters the laboratories of one of America’s most important inventors.”
Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein
“When he was born in 1879, Albert was a peculiarly fat baby with an unusually big and misshaped head. When he was older, he hit his sister, frustrated his teachers, and had few friends. But Albert’s strange childhood also included his brilliant capacity for puzzles and problem solving. In fact, Albert Einstein’s ideas were destined to change the way we know and understand the world and our place in the universe.”
The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth
“Plowing a potato field in 1920, a 14-year-old farm boy from Idaho saw in the parallel rows of overturned earth a way to ‘make pictures fly through the air.’ This boy was not a magician; he was a scientific genius and just eight years later he made his brainstorm in the potato field a reality by transmitting the world’s first television image. ”
Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau
“Before Jacques Cousteau became an internationally known oceanographer and champion of the seas, he was a curious little boy. In this lovely biography, poetic text and gorgeous paintings combine to create a portrait of Jacques Cousteau that is as magical as it is inspiring.”
Space:
One Giant Leap
“The moon landing of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin is related in short sentences that tread the line between informational and poetic. The landing is tense, the frolicking on the moon amusing, but most welcome is the realistic portrayal of the exhaustion and trepidation that occur after the moon walk is finished.”
“Examines the space shuttle Challenger, and the events that led to its destruction, along with the effects of the disaster on the NASA space program.”
September 11th:
“The John J. Harvey fireboat was the largest, fastest, shiniest fireboatof its time, but by 1995, the city didn’t need old fireboats anymore. So the Harvey retired, until a group of friends decided to save it from the scrap heap. Then, one sunny September day in 2001, something so horrible happened that the whole world shook. And a call came from the fire department, asking if the Harvey could battle the roaring flames. In this inspiring true story, Maira Kalman brings a New York City icon to life and proves that old heroes never die.”
There are so many fantastic, and beautiful picture books out there. It makes me sad that many parents skip teaching this period of history because they are intimidated by the sadness of the holocaust or 9/11. As I’ve written before, it truly is possible to teach sensitive kids about history without fear.
I’m sure I missed a lot of other great books. Feel free to leave me a note and I’ll add it to my list!
My kids are older and I really miss looking at picture books. I think I’ll add a few in just for fun family time! Because you are never too old for picture books!
I know I’m not too old for them. :) Beautiful illustrations make me happy.
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