The books listed below may be available through publishers, distributors such as bookstores or online retailers, or library systems.

Independent Reading

EASY
The American West
by Lucy Williams. Wayland Publishers, 1991
A colorful and readable survey of the history of the American West, including a look at native inhabitants, European settlers, and the Gold Rush.
The Magic Shell
by Nicholasa Mohr. Scholastic, 1995
When his family moves from the Dominican Republic to New York City, Jaime uses his uncle's magic shell to call up happy memories.
Sam the Minuteman
by Nathaniel Benchley. Harper & Row, 1969
This book recreates what it must have been like for a young boy to fight in the Battle of Lexington.
The Congress
by Carol Greene. Childrens Press, 1985
Presents a clear picture of the work that senators and representatives do in Congress.
Thurgood Marshall: First African-American Supreme Court Justice
by Carol Greene. Childrens Press, 1991
A biography that looks at the strength and spirit of the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court.
AVERAGE
Konnichiwa! I Am a Japanese-American Girl
by Tricia Brown. Henry Holt, 1995
A Japanese American girl describes the blend of cultures that makes up her family's way of life.
Hoang Anh: A Vietnamese-American Boy
by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith. Henry Holt, 1992
A Vietnamese American boy describes the daily activities of his family in California, and the culture and customs that shape their lives.
Making a New Home in America
by Maxine Rosenberg. Morrow, 1986
Presents the stories of five children who have come to the U.S. from Japan, Cuba, India, Guyana, and Vietnam.
Three Young Pilgrims
by Cheryl Harness. Macmillan, 1992
Three children are among the pilgrims who survive the harsh early years in America.
The Bill of Rights
by Warren Colman. Childrens Press, 1987
A quick look at the history of the Bill of Rights and the types of issues to which it applies today.
Pass the Quill, I'll Write a Draft
by Robert Quackenbush. Pippin Press, 1989
A lively, amusing biography of Thomas Jefferson.
CHALLENGING
Boys at Work
by Gary Soto. Delacorte Press, 1995
When ten-year-old Rudy breaks a Discman, he and his friend find a variety of jobs to pay for a new one.
Drylongso
by Virginia Hamilton. Harcourt, 1992
As a great wall of dust moves across their drought-stricken farm, a family's distress is relieved by a young man named Drylongso, who blows into their lives with the storm.
Sing Down the Moon
by Scott O'Dell. Dell Publishing, 1970
Fourteen-year-old Bright Morning tells the story of Navaho life in the mid-1860s.
Marian Wright Edelman: Defender of Children's Rights
by Steven Otfinoski. Blackbirch Press, 1991
A biography of the African American lawyer and social reformer.
A Long Way to Go: A Story of Women's Right to Vote
by Zibby Oneal. Penguin, 1990
Eight-year-old Lila deals with the women's suffrage movement during World War I.
Sandra Day O'Connor
by Christopher Henry. Franklin Watts, 1994
A look at the life of the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

Read Aloud and Reference Books

READ ALOUD BOOKS
Grandmother Came from Dworitz: A Jewish Story
by Ethel Vineberg. Tundra Books, 1969
A touching account of two love stories -- that of the author's grandmother whose marriage was arranged in Eastern Europe, and that of the author's mother who married an immigrant in New York City in the early 1900s.
What You Know First
by Patricia MacLachan. HarperCollins, 1995
As a family prepares to move from their farm on the prairie, the daughter reflects on all the things she loves there -- things as “familiar as a heartbeat.”
REFERENCE BOOKS
Still a Nation of Immigrants
by Brent Ashabranner. Cobblehill Books, 1993
Identifies present-day immigrants to the United States and explains the process of becoming a citizen.
Young Peacemaker's Project Book
by Kathleen Fry-Miller. Brethren Press, 1988
Presents instructions for a variety of projects that promote peace and concern for the environment.
Now Is Your Time: The African-American Struggle for Freedom
by Walter Dean Myers. HarperCollins, 1991
A history of the African American struggle for freedom and equality.