I’m going to share the next set of printables soon, but today I have listed some books about the Trail of Tears.
I have listed some for young elementary, but I feel a middle school student would enjoy them too.
And then I found one book where you could include a highschooler. You know that is one reason why I am so passionate about unit studies because you can include all ages.
It was hard to find books that hit about middle school for Tiny, but I found a few he liked.
Too, it makes a difference to Tiny reading the books on his Kindle, which we brought from the states, probably just because we love our physical books.
We are trying to get to use to not having so many physical books around. We may be old fashion, but we love the feel of holding a book in our hands.
I am trying to be patient with him as we move to more reading online and by using our techie devices.
Also, a couple of the books listed below I am using for information in the lapbook because they have good reference material.
Look at my list.
From the picture above and going from top to bottom and left to right:
First Row
The Trail of Tears (Step into Reading) This is a great book to include your younger kids.
I love the fact that at this age, it should not give the ugly side yet of the way the U.S. treated Native Americans. It should introduce them to a love of the culture. All three of my boys read this book when they were younger.
The Trail of Tears (American Moments) This is one of the books Tiny read, which I feel could be for a middleschooler.
The age level says 9 years old, but again, there is so much background information that enriches this subject that it would be meaty enough for a middle school child. It has a helpful timeline in the back and lots of pictures.
The Trail of Tears: A History Just for Kids This is another one we have and though it doesn’t give the age, it is jam packed full of information that a middle school child would find interesting.
I like how it presents a question for thought, then proceeds to give background information and explain it.
Soft Rain: A Story of the Cherokee Trail of Tears A book about a 9 year old little girl that has to move and leave her home. So sad.
Second Row
If You Lived With The Cherokees A great read to understand the everyday life of the Cherokee. It would certainly enhance this unit study. Tiny still loves this book.
On This Long Journey, the Journal of Jesse Smoke, a Cherokee Boy, the Trail of Tears, 1838 (My Name Is America) About 16 year old Jesse Smoke and his family as they are forcibly removed from their homes.
Trail of Tears (Essential Events) This is the other book we have and are reading. It is for Grade 7 and up.
Again, jam packed full of information but I also love the fact that it talks about the Cherokee today. Nobody likes to be stereotyped or stay focused on the tragedies of the past, but they do like to tell about the advancement of their culture today.
Third Row
The Trail of Tears (We the People: Expansion and Reform) This is for grades 3 – 5 and one we had to leave back in the states, but I think I got this one for the extensive lists it has in it.
Life on the Trail of Tears (Picture the Past) We eyeballed this one because even though it says it’s for 1st grade and up, I love the fact that it includes drawings and paintings from the time period with the artists’ ideas of how things looked on the trail. I wish it came on Kindle.
Trail of Tears (Landmarks of the American Mosaic) Written by a Cherokee and another book we want to get because it has excerpts from primary sources and can be used for including a highschooler.
The Trail of Tears (Cornerstones of Freedom. Third Series) An elementary age book but it does have random information added as you read it. Sometimes this can be distracting to a reader, but my boys happen to like reading external facts that are randomly inserted.
Hope you find a book or two you like in this roundup. It certainly is such a sad topic to teach about, but our children need to see the sad and ugly side of history too, which is why I am trying to keep this unit study for upper elementary grades and higher.
Do you have any favorite books about The Trail of Tears?
More Trail of Tears Activities
- Free The Trail Of Tears For Kids Fun Unit Study Ideas And Lapbook
- Books About the Trail of Tears
- Trail of Tears Indian Removal Act Minibook
- Cherokee Garden Pan Bread
- Trail of Tears Notebooking Pages
How to Get the Free Trail of Tears Lapbook
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[…] 1. Learning about Native American history this fall? Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus has a great booklist for learning about the Trail of Tears! […]