The books listed below may be available through publishers, distributors such as bookstores or online retailers, or library systems.
Independent Reading
EASY- Iktomi and the Berries
- by Paul Goble. Orchard, 1989
- Iktomi, the trickster of Plains Indians legends, tries to pick some berries in this humorous tale.
- Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World
- by Mildred Pitts Walter. Lothrup, Lee & Shepard, 1986
- Through reading his great great grandfather's journal, Justin learns to take pride in his African American heritage.
- Owl in the Cedar Tree
- by Natachee Momaday. University of Nebraska, 1965
- Haske is torn between his traditional Navajo culture and a more “modern” one.
- Paul Bunyan
- by Steven Kellogg. Morrow, 1984
- A lighthearted look at one of the legendary characters of pioneer days.
- Sarah, Plain and Tall
- by Patricia MacLachlan. Harper Collins, 1985
- Both Caleb and Anna yearned for a mother, but are worried that Sarah will not stay.
- Alexander Graham Bell
- by Patricia Ryan Quiri. Franklin Watts Ltd., 1991
- The life and work of Bell, whose accomplishments include inventing the telephone.
- Buffalo Bill
- by Nancy Robinson. Franklin Watts Ltd., 1991
- The life and times of the frontiersman who became famous through his Wild West show.
- Jack Creek Cowboy
- by Neil Johnson. Dial, 1993
- A young cowboy helps with the roundup on his family ranch.
- The Last Princess: The Story of Princess Ka'iulani of Hawaii
- by Fay Stanley. Four Winds Press, 1991
- The story of Hawaii's last Princess who was denied the right to rule when the U.S. took over the islands.
- Thomas Alva Edison
- by Vincent Buranelli. Silver Burdett Press, 1989
- Thomas Edison changed the world in which he lived through his inventions.
- Thunder Rolling in the Mountains
- by Scott O'Dell & Elizabeth Hall. Houghton Mifflin, 1992
- A young Nez Perce girl relates how her people are driven off their land.
- A Brown Bird Singing
- by Frances Wosmek. Lothrup, Lee & Shepard, 1986
- Anego, the only Native American girl in a small town populated by Scandinavians, feels out of place.
- Flying Free: America's First Black Aviators
- by Philip Hart. Lerner Publications, 1992
- The history of African American aviators, from the early 20th century to the present.
- Save Queen of Sheba
- by Louise Moeri. Dutton, 1981
- After they survive a Sioux raid on their wagon train, a boy and his younger sister set out to find the rest of the settlers.
- Young Pioneers
- by Rose Wilder Lane. McGraw-Hill, 1933
- A young pioneer couple hang on to their land and each other through the ravages of frontier life.
Read Aloud and Reference Books
READ ALOUD BOOKS- Eagle Boy
- by Gerald Hawsman. Harper Collins, 1996
- Father and Mother Eagle teach a Navajo boy the healing ways.
- The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
- by Paul Goble. Bradbury Press, 1978
- A Native American girl remains loyal to her people, though she chooses to live among the wild horses.
- I Was Dreaming to Come to America
- by Veronica Lawlor. Viking, 1995
- Selections from the Ellis Island Oral History Project.
- Little House on a Rocky Ridge
- by Roger Lea MacBride. Harper Collins, 1993
- After their South Dakota farm fails, Rose and her parents travel to Missouri in search of a new beginning.
- Buffalo Hunt
- by Russell Freedman. Holiday House, 1988
- The importance of buffalo in the lives of the Native Americans on the Great Plains is described.
- Children of the Wild West
- by Russell Freedman. Clarion Books, 1983
- Photographs and text make the lives of children in the Old West come alive.
- Cowboys of the Wild West
- by Russell Freedman. Clarion Books, 1985
- A look into the life and work of the people who became one of the symbols of the American West.
- Electricity
- Steve Parker. Dorling Kindersly, 1992
- The properties of electricity and how it is made and used.