Here are our Top 5 Books about New York, plus a few chapter books! Also check out these related booklists: Stories from the Five Nations of the Iroquois and New Amsterdam: Before there was New York.
Edited: SIX picture books! I found one more.
Manhattan: Mapping the Story of an Island
“From before its earliest settlement to the vibrant metropolis that exists today, the island of Manhattan has always been a place of struggle, growth, and radical transformation. Humans, history, and natural events have shaped this tiny sliver of land for more than 400 years.
“In Manhattan, travel back in time to discover how a small rodent began an era of rapid change for the island. Learn about immigration, the slave trade, and the people who built New York City. See how a street plan projected the city’s future, and how epic fires and storms led to major feats of engineering above and below ground.
“Through dramatic illustrations, informative sidebars, and detailed maps inspired by historic archives, Manhattan explores the rich history that still draws people from all around the world to the island’s shores today. From The Battery downtown up to Inwood, every inch of the island has a story to tell.” (description from Amazon)
The illustrations and maps bring the history of Manhattan to life. It does begin with “Millions of years ago” on the first page. Otherwise, it starts from the time of the Lenape indigenous people and goes all the way to present day. (The book was published in 2019). The author is also a map-illustrator and the book is a delight for people who enjoy maps.
The story was a bit long and had to be broken into a few readings for my younger children.
The Amazing Impossible Erie Canal, link to read it for free online at archive.org
Cheryl Harness is another illustrator who creates wonderful maps. This book gives a good overview of the construction of the Erie Canal from 1817 to 1825.
“When De Witt Clinton, a young politician, first dreams of building a canal to connect the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, folks don’t believe such a thing can be done. But eight long years after the first shovelful of earth is dug, Clinton realizes his vision at last. The longest uninterrupted canal in history has been built, and it is now possible to travel by water from the American prairie all the way to Europe!
“Join Cheryl Harness on a fascinating and fun-filled trip as she depicts the amazing construction and workings of the Erie Canal. From the groundbreaking ceremony on the Fourth of July in 1817 to a triumphant journey down America’s first superhighway, it’s a trip you definitely don’t want to miss.” (description from Amazon)
Here is a video that we watched to understand how the locks work:
Liberty Rising, link to read for free online at archive.org
“The Statue of Liberty stands as a powerful symbol of freedom to all. But what is her story? How did she come to be? From conception to construction, each element of the Statue of Liberty has a fascinating story of its own: a face bearing the likeness of the creator’s mother; a hand and a torch traveling alone to America; seventy train cars packed with pieces.” (from Amazon)
A Green Place To Be: The Creation of Central Park
“In 1858, New York City was growing so fast that new roads and tall buildings threatened to swallow up the remaining open space. The people needed a green place to be — a park with ponds to row on and paths for wandering through trees and over bridges. When a citywide contest solicited plans for creating a park out of barren swampland, Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted put their heads together to create the winning design… Included in the end matter are bios of Vaux and Olmsted, a bibliography, and engaging factual snippets.” (from Amazon)
Emily Roebling: Secret Engineer
“On a warm spring day in 1883, a woman rode across the Brooklyn Bridge with a rooster on her lap. It was the first trip across an engineering marvel that had taken nearly fourteen years to construct. The woman’s husband was the chief engineer, and he knew all about the dangerous new technique involved. The woman insisted she learn as well. When he fell ill mid-construction, her knowledge came in handy. She supervised every aspect of the project while he was bedridden…Women weren’t supposed to be engineers. But this woman insisted she could do it all, and her hard work helped to create one of the most iconic landmarks in the world.” (from Amazon)
We learned more about the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge with this video:
Basket Moon, link to read for free online at archive.org
We appreciated the author’s note at the end describing the creation of black ask baskets in the highlands of Columbia Country, New York. We also read about basket weaving as an indigenous practice of the Native Americans in this area.
“In this lyrical and elegant coming-of-age picture book, a boy begins to doubt his heritage when he hears taunts of “hillbilly” and “bushwhacker, ” while accompanying his father to the big city.” (from Amazon)
Chapter Books
Dodsworth in New York, link to read for free online at archive.org
Learn about all the landmarks in New York City in this short, early chapter book. Dodsworth and duck will make you laugh! This is a very short book that intermediate readers may want to read for themselves.
“Dodsworth wanted adventure. He wanted to see the world. He especially wanted to visit New York City. What he didn’t want was to be joined by a duck. A crazy duck. A duck that misbehaves. Young readers will laugh out loud at the duck’s silly antics as Dodsworth has the unexpected adventure of his life in the Big Apple . . . and beyond.” (from Amazon)
The picture books are heavy on New York City, so I highly recommend rounding out your study of New York state with at least one of the books in this trilogy. My Side of the Mountain is set in the Catskill Mountains of New York and is perfect for ages 8 and up for independent reading, and for all ages as a read-aloud.
My Side of the Mountain, link to read for free online at archive.org
“In 1959, Jean Craighead George published My Side of the Mountain. This coming-of-age story about a boy and his falcon went on to win a Newbery Honor, and for the past forty years has enthralled and entertained generations of would-be Sam Gribleys. The two books that followed–On the Far Side of the Mountain and Frightful’s Mountain–were equally extraordinary.” (description from Amazon)
On the Far Side of the Mountain, link to read for free online at archive.org
“Two years ago, Sam ran away from New York City to live in the Catskill Mountains. Now his younger sister Alice has joined him and is quietly living in a tree house of her own nearby. Their peaceful life is shattered when a conservation officer confiscates Sam’s falcon, Frightful, and Alice suddenly vanishes. Sam leaves his home to search for Alice, hoping to find Frightful, too. But the trail to the far side of the mountain may lead Sam into great danger.” (description from Amazon)
Frightful’s Mountain, link to read for free online at archive.org
“Sam Gribley has been told that it is illegal to harbor an endangered bird, so when his beloved falcon, Frightful, comes home, he has to let her go. But Frightful doesn’t know how to live alone in the wild. She can’t feed herself, mate, brood chicks, or migrate. Frightful struggles to survive and learns to enjoy her new freedom. But she feels a bond with Sam that can never be broken, and more than anything else, she wants to return to him.” (description from Amazon)