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

Independent Reading

EASY
Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus
by Barbara Bash. Little, Brown, 1989
The amazing saguaro cactus often lives for 200 years.
How Raven Brought Light to People
by Ann Dixon. Macmillan, 1992
Simple but effective telling of how Raven gives light to people by tricking the great chief who is hoarding light.
The Skirt
by Gary Soto. Delacorte, 1992
Miata's excitement about participating in a dance performance wearing her mother's girlhood skirt turns to dismay when she leaves the skirt on a school bus.
The Pool Party
by Gary Soto. Delacorte, 1993
When Rudy is invited to a pool party given by the wealthiest girl in his class, his family advises him on how to behave.
L'Chaim: The Story of a Russian Émigré Boy
by Tricia Brown. Holt, 1994
Young Zev tells the story of his family's migration from the Ukraine to San Francisco.
Kids Explore the Heritage of Western Native Americans
by Westbridge Young. John Muir Publications, 1995
The story of six modern families in different Native American nations.
AVERAGE
Child Star: When Talkies Came to Hollywood
by Lydia Weaver. Viking, 1992
Brings the world of the movies to life in the story of Joey, who becomes a child star when the talkies come to Hollywood.
That Julia Redfern
by Eleanor Cameron. Dutton, 1982
The adventures of an imaginative girl in San Francisco during World War I.
Shirley Temple Black: Actress to Ambassador
by James Haskens. Viking, 1988
The life of Shirley Temple Black, the famous child actress who grew up to become a U.S. ambassador.
Everyone Wears His Name: A Biography of Levi Strauss
by Sondra Henry and Emily Taitz. Dillon Press, 1990
The story of Levi Strauss: how an 18-year-old immigrant peddler became the founder of a blue jeans empire.
Totem Pole
by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith. Holiday House, 1990
Very engagingly told by David, this is the story of his father who carves a totem pole for a neighboring Native American tribe.
Colorado
by Dennis Fraden. Childrens Press, 1994
An accessible overview of Colorado, introducing its geography, history, and famous people.
CHALLENGING
The Gold Rush of 1849: Staking a Claim in California
by Arthur Blake and Pamela Dailey. The Millbrook Press, 1995
Exploration of the early days of the Gold Rush -- how it started, who came running, and how they set up rules and regulations.
The Incredible Journey of Lewis and Clark
by Rhoda Blumberg. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1987
The trip from west of the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean conducted by Lewis and Clark.
Come Back, Salmon
by Molly Cone. Sierra Club Books, 1992
How students and teachers worked to clean up Pigeon Creek and stocked it with salmon.
The Microchip Revolution
by David J. Darling. Dillon, 1986
Brief but clear history of the development of the computer, concentrating on the microchip.
Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear
by Lensey Namioka. Little, Brown, 1992
Yingtao, recently emigrated from China, persuades his parents to let him concentrate on baseball.
Spotted Owl: Bird of the Ancient Forest
by Brenda Z. Guiberson. Holt, 1994
Balanced presentation of the controversy surrounding the logging of old-growth forests.

Read Aloud and Reference Books

READ ALOUD BOOKS
Mojave
by Diane Siebert. Crowell, 1988
Celebrates with lyrical prose and compelling paintings the landscape and life of the Mojave Desert.
Raven's Light
by Susan Shetterly. Atheneum, 1991
How the raven made the earth, animals, moon, and sun, and then used great trickery to bring light to people.
The Rainbow People
by Laurence Yep. Harper & Row, 1989
Chinese folk tales told by early 20th century Chinese Americans.
REFERENCE BOOKS
Across America on an Emigrant Train
by Jim Murphy. Clarion Books, 1993
A combined story of Robert Louis Stevenson's train journey across the continent and of the courage and resourcefulness of the immigrants who built the transcontinental railroad.
John Muir: Wilderness Protector
by Ginger Wadsworth. Lerner Publications, 1992.
The life of John Muir, who helped found the National Park system.