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Discover the Best Science Fiction Books for 4th Graders | Millenium Falcon Craft

February 9, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Let’s explore some new and classic science fiction books for 4th graders that both boys and girls will love. Also, you’ll love my page Homeschool Curriculum for more ideas and grade level curriculum.

Too, look at my pages The Best Fourth Grade Homeschool Curriculum | Tips and Recommendations and How To Homeschool Elementary Students Like A Pro.

Science fiction for kids is a genre of literature that explores themes of science, technology, and the future in a way that is engaging for young readers. 

Science fiction books for kids often feature elements such as space travel, time travel, alien encounters, and futuristic technology.

Discover the Best Science Fiction Books for 4th Graders | Millenium Falcon Craft

These books can be a great way to spark a child’s imagination.

Too, it can get them interested in science and technology when they might not otherwise be while improving reading, vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking skills.

Check out this list of 10 of the best science fiction books for 4th graders.

And I will even throw in some hands-on ideas for multi-sensory learning and fun.

I have a tutorial for a paper plate Millenium Falcon.

You do know it did the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs right?

From robots to time travel and alien invasions, there is something fun for everyone here.

IDEAS TO GO WITH SCIENCE FICTION BOOKS FOR 4TH GRADERS

First, check out these hands-on ideas.

This is a list of Science Fiction books for middle schoolers but you will also find a simple How to Make a Time Travel Craft Inspired by The Time Machine Book.

Wow look at this robot kit that comes with everything your child needs to build and learn code to program their own robot.

Since Star Wars is a great topic for today’s theme here you can Make Cool Star Wars Soap and 15 Star Wars DIY Projects.

I just love this Wild Robot Mini Unit, we enjoyed these books so much, even as an adult I thought it was a wonderful story.

Let your child grab their favorite super hero figure and try this physics experiment Hands-On Super Hero Gravity for Kids.

Discover the Best Science Fiction Books for 4th Graders | Millenium Falcon Craft

Too, look at this post The Best Fourth Grade Homeschool Curriculum | Tips and Recommendations for more fourth grade ideas.

Next, look at how to make this paper plate Millenium Falcon.

PAPER PLATE MILLENIUM FALCON

You will need:

  • 3 paper plates
  • Grey craft paint
  • Markers
  • Paintbrush
  • Glue stick
  • Tissue paper or paper towels
  • Scissors
Discover the Best Science Fiction Books for 4th Graders | Millenium Falcon Craft

First, paint the convex side of 3 paper plates grey, or you can leave them white and just brush some grey on to rough up the exterior of the Falcon. Set aside to dry.

Discover the Best Science Fiction Books for 4th Graders | Millenium Falcon Craft

Once the paint is dry you are going to take the second plate and draw some of the distinctive features of the Millenium Falcon on it like the cockpit, the forward mandibles, and concussion-missile tubes 

This fandom site has some great inspiration photos including a schematic of the ship or you can just use one of your own models.

Discover the Best Science Fiction Books for 4th Graders | Millenium Falcon Craft

Cut the drawings out of the paper plate.

Discover the Best Science Fiction Books for 4th Graders | Millenium Falcon Craft

Glue each piece into place on the plate.

Discover the Best Science Fiction Books for 4th Graders | Millenium Falcon Craft

Use markers to draw more details on the ship. It is mostly a dirty grey, some red, blue, a little black, and silvery colors for the most part.

Discover the Best Science Fiction Books for 4th Graders | Millenium Falcon Craft

Place tissue paper or paper towels in the center of the 3rd plate, making sure it stays inside the inner part of the plate

Discover the Best Science Fiction Books for 4th Graders | Millenium Falcon Craft

Glue the top portion that you decorated on top of this one.

Hot glue dries the fastest but you can use whatever type of tacky glue you like.

Discover the Best Science Fiction Books for 4th Graders | Millenium Falcon Craft

Finally, look at these science fiction books for 4th graders.

SCIENCE FICTION BOOKS FOR 4TH GRADERS

8 Science Fiction Books For 4th Graders

Add these books to your reading day or to a unit study to learn science fiction.

The Wild Robot (Volume 1)

A robot named Roz opens her eyes for the first time on a remote, wild island and must learn to survive and navigate the world around her.

The Giver: A Newbery Award Winner

Life in the community where Jonas lives is idyllic. Designated birth mothers produce new children, who are assigned to appropriate family units. Citizens are assigned their partners and their jobs. No one thinks to ask questions. Everyone obeys. Everyone is the same. Except Jonas.

Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Gradually Jonas learns that power lies in feelings. But when his own power is put to the test—when he must try to save someone he loves—he may not be ready. Is it too soon? Or too late?

Told with deceptive simplicity, this is the provocative story of a boy who experiences something incredible and undertakes something impossible. In the telling it questions every value we have taken for granted and reexamines our most deeply held beliefs.

Star Wars Jedi Academy Series 7 Books Collection

Series: Star Wars Jedi Academy 7 paperback books - Star Wars Jedi Academy: Jedi Academy, Return of the Padawan, The Phantom Bully, A New Class, The Force Oversleeps, Revenge of the Sis, and The Principal Strikes BackSummary: This set includes all seven books from the NY TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES Star Wars: Jedi Academy. Created by award-winning author/illustrator Jeffrey Brown, this series is a hit for readers of all ages. Whether you're familiar with Star Wars or if you're new to the galaxy, this heartfelt and hilarious adventure follows middle grader Roan as he navigates being a Jedi and dealing with bullies, aliens, robots, and even school dances.At Jedi Academy, students learn how to design droids, fight with a lightsaber, and use the Force!

Time Travel Inn (Choose Your Own Adventure)

Acclaimed children's humor author Bart King takes readers ages 8-12 on an interactive science fiction mystery adventure. Battle gladiators and escape from dinosaurs in this funny romp through time and space.

Your adventurous Grandmother Dolores makes you and your family the unlikely stewards of her Time Travel Inn in rural Wisconsin. You move from Florida to Wisconsin with hopes of investigating more about the inn, and your grandmother’s disappearance, but quickly learn the inn is an epicenter for time travel research gone awry.

Choose Your Own Adventure is the bestselling gamebook series of all time. Empowering generations of children through choice, it is widely commended for its appeal to reluctant readers.

Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor

In Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor, an uneventful experiment in Frank's garage/lab, a lightning storm, and a flash of electricity bring his inventions—the robots Klink and Klank—to life!Not exactly the ideal lab partners, the wisecracking Klink and the overly expressive Klank nonetheless help Frank attempt to perfect his inventions . . . until Frank’s archnemesis, T. Edison, steals Klink and Klank for his evil doomsday plan.Integrating real science facts with wacky humor, a silly cast of characters, and science fiction, this uniquely engaging series is an irresistible chemical reaction for middle grade readers. With easy-to-read language and graphic illustrations on almost every page, this chapter book series is a must for reluctant readers.The Frank Einstein series encourages middle grade readers to question the way things work and to discover how they, too, can experiment with science. In a starred review, Kirkus raves, “This buoyant, tongue-in-cheek celebration of the impulse to ‘keep asking questions and finding your own answers’ fires on all cylinders," while Publishers Weekly says that the series “proves that science can be as fun as it is important and useful.”

Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot

Meet Ricky Ricotta, a little mouse with a big problem!Ricky Ricotta lives in Squeakyville with his mom and dad. Ricky has a hard time making friends at school, and the neighborhood bullies are always picking on him. If only Ricky could find someone to be his best buddy and keep those creepy bullies away!Meanwhile, on the other side of town, a mad scientist named Dr. Stinky McNasty has created a Mighty Robot who is as gentle as he is powerful. Dr. Stinky plans to make the Robot destroy Squeakyville, but there's one little thing in his way: Ricky Ricotta! When Ricky rescues the Robot, an unlikely friendship begins. And Ricky discovers that a little mouse can be a BIG hero -- with some help from his new best friend!

Menace from the Deep

Emmet moves to Florida with his biologist father to investigate a strange, genetically engineered animal found dead in the Everglades, a creature that is the first of a new breed of man-made, apex predator that is about to be turned loose.

Space Case (Moon Base Alpha)

Like his fellow lunarnauts—otherwise known as Moonies—living on Moon Base Alpha, twelve-year-old Dashiell Gibson is famous the world over for being one of the first humans to live on the moon.And he’s bored out of his mind. Kids aren’t allowed on the lunar surface, meaning they’re trapped inside the tiny moon base with next to nothing to occupy their time—and the only other kid Dash’s age spends all his time hooked into virtual reality games.Then Moon Base Alpha’s top scientist turns up dead. Dash senses there’s foul play afoot, but no one believes him. Everyone agrees Dr. Holtz went onto the lunar surface without his helmet properly affixed, simple as that. But Dr. Holtz was on the verge of an important new discovery, Dash finds out, and it’s a secret that could change everything for the Moonies—a secret someone just might kill to keep...

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Book Lists Tagged With: 4th grade, book lists, books, science, science fiction

13 Living Geography Books For Kids Who Love Exploring

December 31, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

These 13 living geography books for kids just scratch the surface of all the amazing books that are out there to inspire a love of learning about the world around them. Too, look at my page Homeschool Geography for hands-on and simple ideas and tips.

From learning geography in beautifully illustrated picture books to tackling it through rich literature there is plenty to choose from.

13 Living Geography Books For Kids Who Love Exploring

And quality picture books for older children can be just as beneficial as reading aloud literature can be for younger children.

Living geography books are a dynamic and captivating approach to geographical education, they change the way children interact with and understand the world around them.

A good living book seamlessly blends traditional textbook content with a narrative or conversational tone and fosters a genuine curiosity about our planet.

Living geography books go beyond rote memorization and they should flow, capture the imagination, and tell facts while they give us the story.

LIVING BOOKS ENGAGES ALL LEARNING STYLES

Unlike traditional textbooks, living geography is engaging for all learning types.

  • Visual learners can benefit from the rich imagery and interactive diagrams.
  • Auditory learners can utilize accompanying audio recordings or narrated explanations.
  • Kinesthetic learners can engage with the tactile elements and manipulative features.
  • Traditional learners can still read the informative text.

This multi-faceted approach makes them appealing for everyone.

Living geography books can provide a window into the diverse cultures, landscapes, and ecosystems of our planet.

 By exploring different regions and their unique characteristics, your child can develop a greater awareness of global issues and a deeper appreciation for cultural diversity.

13 Living Geography Books For Kids Who Love Exploring

Then, add some hands-on activities to these books for an awesome unit study.

Some of these are unit studies and some are hands on ideas.

GEOGRAPHY IDEAS TO PAIR WITH LIVING GEOGRAPHY BOOKS

  • Free My Little Book Of Landforms Images With Names
  • Explore the World: Free Continent Printables to Color by Number
  • 6 Ancient Israel Fun Activities Middle School: How To Make A Topography Map
  • Free 4-Week Kid’s Australia Unit Study Who Love Hands-on Learning
  • Free 4-Week Kid’s Paddle To The Sea Unit Study
  • Discovering Geography Through a Field Trip to Incan Ruins
  • How to Make Paper Mache Mountains to Celebrate Chimborazo Day
  • STEM and Geography: How to Build an Ancient Viking Ship
  • Hands-on Geography Mesopotamia: Fun Salt Dough Map
  • Hands-On Geography: Australia Awesome and Deadly Animal Art
  • Fun Outdoor Activities For Middle Schoolers Geocaching and Nature Study
  • Hands-on Geography Wool Earth Craft to Celebrate Earth Day
  • Hands-On Geography Activity: Make a Pangaea Puzzle
  • How To Make A Swiss Family Robinson Map | Easy Swiss Geography

Finally, look at these living geography books.

13 Geography Living Books

Add some of these living geography books to your home library. All ages will love them.

Paddle-to-the-Sea: A Caldecott Honor Award Winner (Sandpiper Books)

Follow the journey of a little turtle through all the great lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, not only covering; landforms but also dipping into science, and uses figurative language to help children think and understand the story better.

Seabird: A Newbery Honor Award Winner

A carved Ivory Gull tells of oceans all over the world and three generations of sailing families in America. 

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World

In more of a story book fashion we are led around the world to gather ingredients from all over to make an apple pie and it even includes a simple recipe for an apple pie.

Tree in the Trail

The history of the Great Plains and the Santa Fe Trail is told in text and pictures by focusing on a cottonwood tree and the events that happen around it.

Complete Book Of Marvels

Explore the wonders of the world with America's foremost adventurer, Richard Halliburton. In the Complete Book of Marvels Halliburton takes you with him on thrilling journeys to countless wonders of the world, including natural features like Gibraltar, the Grand Canyon, and Mount Fuji, and famous or forgotten temples and ancient cities, and monuments bigger than life. He follows in the footsteps of Demetrius and traverses the Great Wall.

Replete with historical facts, maps, and a treasure trove of unique restored photographs of both well-known and hidden wonders, Halliburton journeys with the reader by his side to reveal the beauty and mystery of the world's greatest sights as if for the very first time. As a youth Richard Halliburton dreamt of seeing the many mysterious lands and exotic locales beyond the horizon, and by the time he was a teenager he set out to do just that. During his life, his voyages took him to an enormous variety of truly marvelous places, from familiar American landmarks to the far reaches of the globe.

Where We Live: Mapping Neighborhoods of Kids Around the Globe

This fascinating look at 16 children’s neighborhoods around the world broadens readers’ understanding of global cultures. This unique illustrated map book explores the neighborhoods of 16 real children from around the world. Author Margriet Ruurs, who met many of these children in her travels, tells the story of each child’s neighborhood by highlighting the places that are important to them, such as where they live, go to school and play, as well as interesting facts about their lives, including the food they eat, their religious practices and the sights and smells they encounter every day. From big cities, such as Amsterdam and Beijing, to small communities, such as Salt Spring Island in Canada and the village of Komanyana in Zambia, each place is special to the children who live there.

Minn of the Mississippi: A Newbery Honor Award Winner

The history of the Mississippi River Valley is told in text and pictures through the adventures of Minn, a snapping turtle, as she travels downstream.

National Parks of the USA (Americana, 1)

Packed with maps and fascinating facts about the flora and fauna unique to each of the 21 parks portrayed, this lushly illustrated coast-to-coast journey documents in large format the nation’s most magnificent and sacred places—and shows why they should be preserved for future generations to enjoy. Explore Florida's river-laced Everglades, travel down the white water rapids of the Grand Canyon, trek across the deserts of Death Valley, and scale the soaring summits of the Rocky Mountains with this book that brings you up close to nature's greatest adventures. Divided by region (East, Central, Rocky Mountains, West, Tropics, and Alaska), a pictographic map at the start of each section shows the locations of the parks to be covered. Each park is introduced by a stunning, poster-worthy illustration of one of its scenes and a summary of its makeup, followed by individual illustrations of the animals and plants that make their homes there.

Strawberry Girl by: Lois Lenski

Strawberries -- big, ripe, and juicy. Ten-year-old Birdie Boyer can hardly wait to start picking them. But her family has just moved to the Florida backwoods, and they haven't even begun their planting. Don't count your biddies 'fore they're hatched, gal young un! her father tells her.

Wow Canada!: Exploring This Land from Coast to Coast to Coast (Wow Canada! Collection)

The multi-award-winning Wow Canada! has steadily wowed readers with its original, witty, and fabulously informative cross-country excursion. This thoroughly updated edition is filled with amazing facts, historical wonders, and descriptions, photos, and illustrations of Canada's most famous sights and hidden gems — it's the perfect accessory for that family car trip across Canada. Eleven-year-old Guy and his family travel from province to province —and even up to Canada’s territories! Guy is the ideal narrator, curious but cool and always armed with a wry comment. Incredible sidebar material offers moments of respite from the family’s high-speed travels, making Wow Canada! both the perfect car trip guidebook and a fantastic armchair travel book.

How the States Got Their Shapes

Why does Oklahoma have that panhandle? Did someone make a mistake?

We are so familiar with the map of the United States that our state
borders seem as much a part of nature as mountains and rivers. Even the oddities—the entire state of Maryland(!)—have become so ingrained that our map might as well be a giant jigsaw puzzle designed by Divine Providence. How the States Got Their Shapes is the first book to tackle why our state lines are where they are. Here are the stories behind the stories, right down to the tiny northward jog at the eastern end of Tennessee and the teeny-tiny (and little known) parts of Delaware that are not attached to Delaware but to New Jersey.

A Child's Geography of the World

A Child's Geography of the World is a general course in geography for juveniles. Hillyer was headmaster at the famed Calvert School and wrote a series of books as part of the curriculum for his students. This title was the result of many years of teaching the subject to young children and of several more years in authoring it. The books is now considered in a classic in home schooling.

Geography: An Illustrated A-Z Glossary: An Introduction To Earth's Geographical Features For Kids

Welcome to Geography: An Illustrated A-Z Glossary by B.C. Lester Books! This book takes you across the world's main landforms and biomes, each with a colorful illustration acWelcome to Geography: An Illustrated A-Z Glossary by B.C. Lester Books! This book takes you across the world's main landforms and biomes, each with a colorful illustration accompanied with a child-friendly definition.

What is a mesa? Or an estuary? What is the difference between a swamp and a marsh?

Covering over 100 geography terms, this book has all the answers! This book is a great, concise introduction to the natural features of Earth for children and is a nice way to spark or develop an interest in geography for kids accompanied with a child-friendly definition.

What is a mesa? Or an estuary? What is the difference between a swamp and a marsh?

Covering over 100 geography terms, this book has all the answers! This book is a great, concise introduction to the natural features of Earth for children and is a nice way to spark or develop an interest in geography for kids.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Geography Tagged With: book lists, books, geography, homeschool geography, homeschoolgeography

100 BEST Books for Kids from all 50 States (Easy Geography)

December 27, 2024 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have books for kids from all 50 states. Too, look at my page Homeschool Geography for hands-on and simple ideas and tips.

Book lists are a great resource for beginning a homeschool unit study.

Also, this list is great for helping kids learn the geography of the 50 states because they engage children with both visual and textual learning.

Too, they revive learning when you feel the homeschool doldrums, or to use them for a geography unit study when you want to move away from boring textbooks.

And books, especially picture books can have colorful illustrations and maps of the state.

100 BEST Books for Kids from all 50 States (Easy Geography)

Pictures help children cement information about the state.

In addition, state specific books will highlight landmarks, major cities and sometimes famous people.

Additionally, some books are living books which presents facts about the state in a narrative or story form.

Rather than dry reference books, many of the books are about persons who lived in specific states or about events that happened in certain states.

Also, look at more books about the United States.

  • The Benefits Of Using Games That Teach Geography | Review Of Scrambled States
  • Professor Noggin’s Geography of The United States Trivia Card Game
  • American History Game Fun U.S. President Go Fish Unit Study
  • 18 American History Board Games Which Brings History to Life

Today, I rounded up 100 best books for kids from all 50 states.

BOOKS FROM ALL 50 STATES FOR KIDS

Alabama

My Name Is America: The Journal Of Biddy Owens, Birmingham, Alabama, 1948
Who Was Rosa Parks? (Who Was? series)

Alaska

The Adventures of Balto: The Untold Story of Alaska’s Famous Iditarod Sled Dog
Sweet Home Alaska

Arizona

Wright on Time, Book 1: Arizona
Arizona (Lucky Luke)

BOOKS ABOUT THE 50 STATES 

Arkansas

Lost Mines and Buried Treasures of Arkansas
The Fifth Rule

California

By the Great Horn Spoon!
What Was the Gold Rush? (What Was? series)

Colorado

Down the Colorado: John Wesley Powell, the One-Armed Explorer
In the Heart of the Rockies: An Adventure on the Colorado River

Connecticut

The Moffats
The Forgotten Flag: Revolutionary Struggle in Connecticut Paperback

Delaware

The Last of the Mohicans
Dear America: A Light in the Storm

Florida

Because of Winn-Dixie
Defeat of the Ghost Riders (Trailblazer Books)

Georgia

My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Diary of Carrie Berry A Confederate Girl

Hawaii

Shipwrecked!: The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy
What Was Pearl Harbor? (What Was? series)

Idaho

West to a Land of Plenty: The Diary of Teresa Angelino Viscardi, New York to Idaho Territory
High Wind to Idaho

Illinois

DK Biography: Abraham Lincoln
What Was the Great Chicago Fire? (What Was? series)

Indiana

The Bears of Blue River
Oliver’s Travels: An Indiana Adventure

Iowa

Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Iowa Story
Searching for Anne Frank: Letters from Amsterdam to Iowa

Kansas

Prairie Skies: Cabin in the Snow
Moon Over Manifest

Kentucky

Daniel Boone: Young Hunter and Tracker (Childhood of Famous Americans)
Abandoned on the Wild Frontier (Trailblazer Books)

Louisiana

Lorenzo And the Turncoat
Down in Louisiana

Maine

The Sign of the Beaver
Lost on a Mountain in Maine

Maryland

Goliath: Hero of the Great Baltimore Fire
Listen for the Whippoorwill (Trailblazer Books)

Massachusetts

Three Young Pilgrims
What Was the Boston Tea Party? (What Was? series)

Michigan

Brothers of the Heart: A Story of the Old Northwest
Who Was Henry Ford? (Who Was? series)

Minnesota

Farmer Boy Goes West (Little House, Big Adventure)
Wright on Time, Book 5: Minnesota

Mississippi

The Mystery on the Mighty Mississippi (Real Kids, Real Places)
Mississippi Morning

Missouri

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
What Was the Lewis and Clark Expedition? (What Was? series)

Montana

First Dog: Unleashed in the Montana Capitol
Magpie Treasures

Nebraska

Night of the Twisters
My Face to the Wind: the Diary of Sarah Jane Price, a Prairie Teacher, Broken Bow, Nebraska 1881 (Dear America Series)

Nevada

The Last Stubborn Buffalo in Nevada
The Mystery at Area 51 (Real Kids Real Places)

And if you love learning geography through literature, look at another one of my favorites from Beautiful Feet books which is Geography through Literature.

New Hampshire

The Trouble with Jeremy Chance
A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl’s Journal, 1830-32

New Jersey

The Fighting Ground
Who Was Thomas Alva Edison? (Who Was? series)

New Mexico

The Day It Snowed Tortillas
Loco Dog in the Santa Fe Rail Yard (Historical New Mexico for Children)

New York

Roundup of the Street Rovers (Trailblazer Books)
Who Was Jackie Robinson? (Who Was? series)

North Carolina

The Mystery of the Lost Colony (Real Kids! Real Places!)
The Mystery of Biltmore House (Real Kids Real Places)

North Dakota

The Long Winter (Little House)
Gift Horse: A Lakota Story

Ohio

The Boy Who Saved Cleveland
Who Was Neil Armstrong? (Who Was? series)

From Textbook to Living Book for Homeschool Geography

Oklahoma

Beautiful Land: A Story of the Oklahoma Land Rush
Oklahoma Prairie Tales: Mostly True Stories My Grandma Told Me

Oregon

Attack in the Rye Grass: Marcus and Narcissa Whitman (Trailblazer Books)
Attack in the Rye Grass (Trailblazer Books)

Pennsylvania

The Madcap Mystery of the Missing Liberty Bell
What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? (What Was? series)

Rhode Island

The Art of Keeping Cool (Aladdin Historical Fiction)
The World in One Square Mile: Central Falls

South Carolina

Sylvia and Miz Lula Maye
The Mystery at Fort Sumter (Real Kids Real Places)

South Dakota

Wright on Time: South Dakota
The Mystery at Mount Rushmore (Real Kids Real Places)

Tennessee

Flaming Arrows (Odyssey Classics)
The Perilous Road (Odyssey Classics (Odyssey Classics)

Texas

A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence (Dear America Series)
What Was the Alamo? (What Was? series)

Utah

The Great Brain
Wright on Time, Book 2: Utah

Vermont

Aaron and the Green Mountain Boys
John and Tom (Vermont Folklife Center Children’s Book Series)

Virginia

With Lee in Virginia
The Mystery at Mount Vernon (Real Kids Real Places)

Washington

The Seattle Puzzle (The Boxcar Children Mysteries)
Exiled to the Red River (Trailblazer Books)

West Virginia

Way Down Deep
October Sky

Wisconsin

Little House in the Big Woods
Caddie Woodlawn

Wyoming

Lost Mines and Buried Treasures of Old Wyoming
Wright on Time, Book 3: Wyoming

100 BEST Books for Kids from all 50 States (Easy Geography)

Also, you’ll love these other books:

  • 8 World War II Historical Fiction Books for Middle School
  • 5 Steps to Choosing Geography Living Books Your Children Will Love
  • 5 BEST Books to Create an Around the World Unit Study (and Hands-on Activities)

This blog hop is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutual beneficial projects.

1 CommentFiled Under: Geography Tagged With: book lists, books, geography, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolanguagearts, homeschoolgeography, homeschoolreading, livingbooks

13 Living Books Ancient History Your Kids Will Love

October 21, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have a list of engaging living books ancient history your kids will love. Also, look at my Ancient Civilizations page for fun hands-on ideas and free lapbooks to go with studying ancient history.

Studying ancient history is a fascinating and wide-reaching topic.

It should be taught in a way that draws a child into the period you’re studying about.

That is what a living book does as opposed to a dry boring textbook which kids can loathe.

13 Living Books Ancient History Your Kids Will Love

Too, when I first started homeschooling, I knew what we were reading for history wasn’t presented to my kids in a way they could understand.

A list of dry boring facts does not stir critical thinking skills or nurture my sons’ love for wanting to learn more.

I wanted my sons to read books like I did while growing up.

Little did I know then, there was a name for a book that is lively, engaging, encourages conversations and that is a living book.

WHAT ARE LIVING BOOKS FOR KIDS

Also, through the years I’ve read many excellent definitions of what is a living book.

Be sure you take time to understand what they are so that when you study any topic, especially ancient history, you can bring the topic to life.

Besides, not all, but a lot of them are older books.

They were written at a time when authors did not talk to children, even very young children. And they were written before there was a banned book list or before libraries adopted politically correct views.

However, one of the best features of living books is that the author usually talk about the topic in a story or narrative form. All ages love stories. We never outgrow them.

Additionally, the author is not a textbook writer but an authority on the topic who has infectious enthusiasm for the topic.

This excites the reader.

Even books that are fictional history, the author can weave in dates, events, and details that are true. However, while the story is untrue it still can bring the history period to life.

It helps readers to understand the stream of time.

Additionally, keep this balance in mind as you learn about living books.

Not all vintage books are living books.

However, if you are considering one that is a classic, look for ones that are not edited and have beautiful artwork especially if it’s a picture book.

Many older print pictures books are beautiful and have a higher reading level than you may think.

MORE LIVING BOOKS FOR KIDS LIST & TIPS

  • 5 Steps to Choosing Geography Living Books Your Children Will Love
  • Ancient Civilization History Living Books
  • 13 Living History Books about Ancient Greece
13 Living Books Ancient History Your Kids Will Love

In addition, I have a 5-point checklist to help you decide what is a living book on my post 5 Steps to Choosing Geography Living Books Your Children Will Love.

Your definition and lists of books will grow as you homeschool longer.

Finally, look at this list of living book ancient history for kids.

13 Ancient History Living Books For Multiple Ages

Add one or two of these books to your day for a unit study or add them to your home library for books to keep.

The Children's Homer

It recounts the perilous adventures of Odysseus on his journey back from the war in Troy, including his encounter with the horrible Cyclops, the duplicitous Sirens, and the evil Circe. One of Colum’s many successful children’s novels, these stories will be enjoyed as much today as they were when they first appeared. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and is wonderfully illustrated by Willy Pogany.

The Arabian Nights

Full of mischief, valor, ribaldry, and romance, The Arabian Nights has enthralled readers for centuries. These are the tales that saved the life of Scheherazade, whose husband, the king, executed each of his wives after a single night of marriage. Beginning an enchanting story each evening, Scheherazade always withheld the ending: A thousand and one nights later, her life was spared forever.

The Golden Goblet

Ranofer wants only one thing in the world: to be a master goldsmith like his beloved father was. But how can he when he is all but imprisoned by his evil half brother, Gebu? Ranofer knows the only way he can escape Gebu's abuse is by changing his destiny. But can a poor boy with no skills survive on the cutthroat streets of ancient Thebes? Then Ranofer finds a priceless golden goblet in Gebu's room and he knows his luck−and his destiny−are about to change.

City of the Golden House

A slave and a cripple, A saint and a Roman officer, An Emperor and a conspirator . . . A city on fire! The events surrounding the burning of Rome and the subsequent Christian persecution provide the backdrop for this story of faith and friendship. A young slave from Britain finds himself in Rome at a tumultuous time. Through his acquaintance with Christians he comes to understand and love the new religion. Out of his zeal for the love of the Christ, he performs a great spiritual work of mercy that sadly goes awry. In the end, God's providence and mercy shine through.

Boy of the Pyramids

The pictured wall of an Egyptian tomb supplied the inspiration for this unusual story, which takes place during the building of the Great Pyramid of Khufu more than 4,000 years ago. Kaffe and Sari, an Egyptian noble's son and a slave irl from the nomadic Sand People of the Sinai region, help solve a troublesome mystery and trap its culprit. All told against a colorfully detailed backdrop of ancient Egypt.

Gilgamesh the Hero

This is one of the oldest stories in the world, and it's about things that still matter to us today: friendship, fame, courage, happiness.Gilgamesh and Enkidu are friends -- best friends. Together they can work wonders, fight monsters, brave earthquakes, travel the world! But waiting in the dark is the one enemy they can never overcome.Retold by award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean, and illustrated with great power by David Parkins, Gilgamesh the Hero is a story that will linger in the imagination long after the book has been put down.

The Arkadians

Lucian is on the run from a pair of murderous soothsayers. Joy-in-the-Dance knows magic and marvels, and is on a quest. Fronto is a poet-turned-donkey who wants to break the spell that turned him into an animal. The three of them join forces and set out through Arkadia—on an amazing trip that will change their lives. “Master storyteller Alexander keeps the action brisk, packs the text with a riveting collection of weird characters, fantastic settings, plot twists, derring-do, heroes, villains, magic, prophecy, humor, shipwrecks, fires—what more could readers ask for?”—Kirkus Reviews

Archimedes and the Door of Science

Jeanne Bendick, through text and pictures, admirably succeeds in bringing to life the ancient Greek mathematician who enriched mathematics and all branches of science. Against the backdrop of Archimedes' life and culture, the author discusses the man's work, his discoveries and the knowledge later based upon it. The simple, often humorous, illustrations and diagrams greatly enhance the text.Greece, 200 B.C.

The Golden Bull: A Mesopotamian Adventure

A brother and sister's search for a new life and new home . . .5,000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia during a terrible drought, Jomar and Zefa's father must send his children away to the city of Ur because he can no longer feed them. At fourteen, Jomar is old enough to apprentice with Sidah, a master goldsmith for the temple of the moongod, but there is no place for Zefa in Sidah's household. Zefa, a talented but untrained musician, is forced to play her music and sing for alms on the streets of Ur. Marjorie Cowley vividly imagines the intrigues, and harsh struggle for survival in ancient Mesopotamia.

God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah

A never-before published tale by the author of the best-selling Hittite Warrior carries the reader back to Ancient Egypt and biblical Jerusalem. It is 701 B.C—rule of the Kushite dynasty in ancient Egypt. Young Prince Taharka, a very minor royal son, succeeds unexpectedly to the throne of Kush and Egypt—a "divine" rulership. It's not long, however, before a treacherous plot pushes him into sudden exile and into the hands of Amos, an emissary of King Hezekiah seeking help against the Assyrians. Posing as a medical assistant, Taharka journeys with Amos to Judea where he encounters two kings in conflict. His true identity suddenly uncovered, he must choose with whom he will fight—the mighty Assyrian, Sennacherib, promising alliance, or Hezekiah, the Jew who trusts in Yahweh. A novel inspired by research on the historical King Taharka and his period. Includes an introduction, with home-education suggestions, by Daria Sockey.Egypt and Judea, 700 B.C.

Mara, Daughter of the Nile

Mara is a proud and beautiful slave girl who yearns for freedom in ancient Egypt, under the rule of Queen Hatshepsut. Mara is not like other slaves; she can read and write, as well as speak the language of Babylonian. So, to barter for her freedom, she finds herself playing the dangerous role of double spy for two arch enemies—each of whom supports a contender for the throne of Egypt.   Against her will, Mara finds herself falling in love with one of her masters, the noble Sheftu, and she starts to believe in his plans of restoring Thutmose III to the throne. But just when Mara is ready to offer Sheftu her help and her heart, her duplicity is discovered, and a battle ensues in which both Mara’s life and the fate of Egypt are at stake.

The Boy of the Painted Cave

Tao is an outcast. Unlike the great hunters of his clan, Tao does not want to kill the wild bears or woolly mammoths of the hunt. Instead he wants only to paint them. But only Chosen Ones can be cave painters. What's more, Volt, the clan leader, violently despises Tao. And when the other clan members discover Tao's secret talent, they cast him out into the wilderness alone. There, he befriends a wild wolf dog named Ram, and the mysterious Graybeard, who teaches him the true secret of the hunt.

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths

Here are the greats of ancient Greece—gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters—as freshly described in words and pictures as if they were alive today. No other volume of Greek mythology has inspired as many young readers as this timeless classic. Both adults and children alike will find this book a treasure for years to come.  “For any child fortunate enough to have this generous book . . . the kings and heroes of ancient legend will remain forever matter-of-fact; the pictures interpret the text literally and are full of detail and witty observation.”—The Horn Book

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Book Lists Tagged With: ancient, Ancient Babylon, ancient civilizations, ancient egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient HIstory, book lists, books

15 Best Children’s Books About The Trail Of Tears

October 13, 2024 | 1 Comment
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I have the 15 best children’s books about the Trail of Tears. Also, look at my Free The Trail Of Tears For Kids Fun Unit Study Ideas And Lapbook for more hands-on ideas.

I have listed some for young elementary, but I feel a middle school student would enjoy them too.

You know that is one reason why I am so passionate about unit studies because you can include all ages.

15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears

It was hard to find books that hit about middle school for Tiny, but I found a few he liked.

First, the Trail of Tears is a very sad time in American history.

And it’s one best seen through the eyes of those that walked the trail.

Living books bring to life the topic you’re studying.

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.

TRAIL OF TEARS UNIT STUDY

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 and here is my original list, then I added a few more later.

Some are repeats when we studied it again, but added a few more. Besides some books are just worth reading it again ad again.

  • 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 middle school kid. 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.

BOOKS ABOUT THE TRAIL OF TEARS

  • 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. And nobody wants to stay focused on the tragedies of the past, but they do like to tell about the advancement of their culture today.
  • 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. 
  • 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 high school teen.
  • The Trail of Tears (Cornerstones of Freedom. Third Series) An elementary age book but it does have random information added as you  read it.

15 TRAIL OF TEARS BOOKS FOR KIDS WHO LOVE TO READ AND BE READ TO

Add one or two of these books to your home library or for your unit study about the Trail of Tears.

The Trail of Tears (Cornerstones of Freedom: Third Series)

Explore the buildup to the relocation, the terrible conditions the natives were forced to suffer, and the event's impact on U.S.-Indian relations in the following years.

Even before the first glorious ring of the Liberty Bell, America was a land of freedom and promise. The Cornerstones of Freedom series explores what inspires people from all over the world to start life anew here, endure the economic and social upheavals, and defend the land and rights that are unique to the United States of America. As the United States continued to grow in the early nineteenth century, its people began to covet the land of their native neighbors. This greed led to a horrific forced relocation that we now call the Trail of Tears.

WALKING THE TRAIL

A descendant of the Cherokee recounts his experiences walking the nine-hundred-mile Trail of Tears, describing how he grew to understand his people's tragic history

The False Treaty ...the Removal of the Cherokees from Georgia

Removal of the Cherokees from Georgia with maps

Voices From the Trail of Tears (Real Voices, Real History Series)

During the first half of the 19th century, as many as 100,000 Native Americans were relocated west of the Mississippi River from their homelands in the East. The best known of these forced emigrations was the Cherokee Removal of 1838. Christened Nu-No-Du-Na-Tlo-Hi-Lu―literally “the Trail Where They Cried”―by the Cherokees, it is remembered today as the Trail of Tears. In Voices from the Trail of Tears, editor Vicki Rozema re-creates this tragic period in American history by letting eyewitnesses speak for themselves. Using newspaper articles and editorials, journal excerpts, correspondence, and official documents, she presents a comprehensive overview of the Trail of Tears―the events leading to the Indian Removal Act, the Cherokees’ conflicting attitudes toward removal, life in the emigrant camps, the routes westward by land and water, the rampant deaths in camp and along the trail, the experiences of the United States military and of the missionaries and physicians attending the Cherokees, and the difficulties faced by the tribe in the West.

Trail of Tears

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.

Touch My Tears: Tales from the Trail of Tears

In 1830, a treaty was signed. In 1830, hearts broke. Tears fell on the long journey for twenty thousand. The Choctaw Nation was forced to leave their homelands to preserve their people. But they could not save them all.

For this collection of short stories, Choctaw authors from five U.S. states come together to present a part of their ancestors’ journey, a way to honor those who walked the trail for their future. These stories not only capture a history and a culture, but the spirit, faith, and resilience of the Choctaw people.

Nellie the Brave: The Cherokee Trail of Tears (1838)

Time Period:  Begins 1838  In 1838, Nellie Starr, a young Cherokee girl, is caught in the political upheaval of America's westward expansion. Forced by U.S. soldiers to leave their home in Tennessee, Nellie, her family, and thousands of other Cherokees travel the long, dangerous "Trail of Tears" to a new home in the Indian Territory of modern-day Oklahoma. Using actual historical events as a backdrop, this brand-new children's novel teaches lessons of American history and the Christian faith. Can Nellie learn to forgive the people who've turned her world upside down? Nellie the Brave is a compelling read for girls ages eight to twelve.

Soft Rain: A Story of the Cherokee Trail of Tears

It all begins when Soft Rain's teacher reads a letter stating that as of May 23, 1838, all Cherokee people are to leave their land and move to what many Cherokees called "the land of darkness". . .the west. Soft Rain is confident that her family will not have to move, because they have just planted corn for the next harvest but soon thereafter, soldiers arrive to take nine-year-old, Soft Rain, and her mother to walk the Trail of Tears, leaving the rest of her family behind. 

On This Long Journey, the Journal of Jesse Smoke, a Cherokee Boy, the Trail of Tears, 1838 (My Name Is America)

In 1838 in Tennessee, the Cherokee Nation is on the brink of being changed forever as they face the Removal -- being forcibly moved from their homes and land, in part because of a treaty signed by a group of their own people. Sixteen-year-old Jesse Smoke has been studying at the Mission School, but it has been shut down and turned into a fort for the ever-increasing number of soldiers entering the territory. Now Jesse has returned to his home to live with his widowed mother and two younger sisters. All hope lies on the Cherokee chief, John Ross, who is in Washington, D.C., trying to delay the Removal. Then one night, family members are suddenly awakened, dragged from their homes, and brought at gunpoint to a stockade camp.

The Trail of Tears (We the People)

Describes why the Cherokee Native Americans were forced from their
native lands and the journey they experienced to the Indian Territory
established by the U.S. government in Oklahoma.

Life on the Trail of Tears (Picture the Past)

Reveals the lives of the Cherokee people who were forced to travel to an Oklahoma reservation in the winter of 1838, discussing their lives before leaving their homes as well as the hardships faced on the trail.

Trail of Tears (Landmarks of the American Mosaic)

This book covers a critical event in U.S. history: the period of Indian removal and resistance from 1817 to 1839, documenting the Cherokee experience as well as Jacksonian policy and Native-U.S. relations.This book provides an outstanding resource that introduces readers to Indian removal and resistance, and supports high school curricula as well as the National Standards for U.S. History (Era 4: Expansion and Reform). Focusing specifically on the Trail of Tears and the experiences of the Cherokee Nation while also covering earlier events and the aftermath of removal, the clearly written, topical chapters follow the events as they unfolded in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as the New England region and Washington, DC.

How I Became A Ghost — A Choctaw Trail of Tears Story

A Choctaw boy tells the story of his tribe's removal from the only land his people had ever known, and how their journey to Oklahoma led him to become a ghost--one with the ability to help those he left behind.

Talking Leaves

Thirteen-year-old Uwohali has not seen his father, Sequoyah, for many years. So when Sequoyah returns to the village, Uwohali is eager to reconnect. But Sequoyah’s new obsession with making strange markings causes friends and neighbors in their tribe to wonder whether he is crazy, or worse—practicing witchcraft. What they don’t know, and what Uwohali discovers, is that Sequoyah is a genius and his strange markings are actually an alphabet representing the sounds of the Cherokee language. 

Cherokee, Indians of the Mountains

Tells of everyday life in the Cherokee Nation and how it changed with the coming of the white man

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
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears

HOW TO GET THE FREE TRAIL OF TEARS LAPBOOK

Now, how to grab the free lapbook. This is a subscriber freebie.

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.
2) Grab the freebie now.
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1 CommentFiled Under: Geography Based, History Based, Science Based Tagged With: book lists, books, Native Americans, nativeamerican, nativeamericans

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