We studied the United States for the first time in 2019 when my oldest kids (twins) were in second grade. We found the best picture books of living stories about people and places in America! Following a chronological order, history fell into place for me for the first time. I used painters tape to create a long timeline down the hallway and we added to it as we learned.
Now, in 2023, my oldest kids are in fifth grade and I’m starting US history with my second grader and kindergartener. I’m thrilled to revisit favorite books and find new ones. I’m especially excited to tie in more indigenous American history this time around!
- Great Kids Books about Alaska
These books about Alaska inspired our homeschool for the month of January. We used them as jumping off points to explore science and art. - Diverse Versions: Little House on the Prairie
I’m not saying “don’t read Little House on the Prairie.” But also check out these two books, rooted in history, and sharing Asian and Jewish perspectives. - Kids Books about the Olympics: Ancient and Modern
There are so many inspirational picture book biographies featuring the events of the Summer Olympics! Here are the ones that I managed to nab from the library. We are going to read these picture books about the Olympics in the week leading up to the opening… Read more: Kids Books about the Olympics: Ancient and Modern - When did Earth Day Begin? 2 Important Events
The origins of various holidays is always of special interest to me. I found these two picture books on the origins of Earth Day, both published in 2023! Surprisingly, they do not tell the same story. - Living US History Curriculum: How to Implement it
This is our second time going through a living US History Curriculum with picture books and experiences. I’ve learned so much from homeschooling this way for seven years now. Our First time The first time we went through US History, my twins were 7 years old… Read more: Living US History Curriculum: How to Implement it - Our Family Style Homeschool Curriculum for this year: 2024
Here are our family style homeschool curriculum picks: what we are starting and continuing in 2024. If I mention a specific curriculum, please know that I pick and choose from multiple curricula, modify everything, and add reads as I please. My oldest kids (twins) are in… Read more: Our Family Style Homeschool Curriculum for this year: 2024 - Top 6 Books About Thanksgiving in AmericaThis year, we’ve been focused on American History, including the study of indigenous American tribes. Here are the top 6 books about Thanksgiving in America, gleaned from various booklists on my blog. AND we’ve been continuing our country studies (currently central Africa), so finding the last… Read more: Top 6 Books About Thanksgiving in America
- Stories and Traditions of the Wabanaki ConfederacyThe Abenaki lived in present-day Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and northern Massachusetts. Here I have compiled the stories from three tribes of the Wabanaki Confederacy: the Abenaki, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot. Wabanaki Confederacy in Maine “The Wabanaki Confederacy–the People of the First Light–comprises the Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Abenaki,… Read more: Stories and Traditions of the Wabanaki Confederacy
- 4 Books about Rhode IslandOnly four books about Rhode Island, the smallest state in the United States! Don’t miss this booklist about the Native Americans from present-day Rhode Island: Stories from the Wampanoags and Narragansetts. This post may contain Amazon Affiliate Links. I may earn a few cents on qualifying purchases.… Read more: 4 Books about Rhode Island
- Top 12 Books about Alabama: The Heart of Dixie
We read these books about Alabama in preparation for our roadtrip to visit family there. We hadn’t been since before the kids were born, which means I know my history much better now compared to back then! We visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Ivy Green-the… Read more: Top 12 Books about Alabama: The Heart of Dixie - 3 More Books About Massachusetts: The Bay StateI think we covered a ton of ground here in other booklists. But I did find 3 more books about Massachusetts! This post may contain Amazon Affiliate Links. I may earn a few cents on qualifying purchases. Thanks in advance for helping with the costs of running… Read more: 3 More Books About Massachusetts: The Bay State
- 3 Famous People from ConnecticutHave you heard of a young girl who was Paul Revere’s Connecticut counterpart? How about the man who standardized American English? Know any composers from Connecticut? We read fascinating biographies highlighting these 3 famous people from Connecticut! This post may contain Amazon Affiliate Links. I may earn… Read more: 3 Famous People from Connecticut
- Stories from the New England Native American TribesWe dove into these stories from New England native american tribes of the Wampanoag and Narragansett peoples along with our study of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. According to Legends of America, the New England Algonquian tribes “include Mohegan, Pequot, Narragansett, Wampanoag, Massachusett, Nipmuc, Pennacook, Abenaki, Maliseet,… Read more: Stories from the New England Native American Tribes
- 6 Books about New York HistoryHere are our Top 5 Books about New York history, 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. This post may contain Amazon Affiliate Links. I may earn… Read more: 6 Books about New York History
- The Best, Top 5 Native American History BooksI’ve been compiling and reading Native American history books that pertain to specific tribes. But here are five books that I keep returning to for the big picture. This post may contain Amazon Affiliate Links. I may earn a few cents on qualifying purchases. Thanks in advance… Read more: The Best, Top 5 Native American History Books
- Top 5 Books about New Jersey: The Garden StateTop 5 Books about New Jersey, plus a biography about poet William Carlos Williams. There were a couple books about the indigenous Lenni Lenape tribe specific to New Jersey. They are listed here: Lenni Lenape booklist. This post may contain Amazon Affiliate Links. I may earn a… Read more: Top 5 Books about New Jersey: The Garden State
- Top 5 Books about Delaware: The First StateDuring our study of Delaware, we had the chance to visit Winterthur Gardens. We also looked back on our memories of seeing the horseshoe crab spawning in Delaware Bay. Learning about Caesar Rodney and Annie Jump Cannon rounded out this week of Delaware. Here are our… Read more: Top 5 Books about Delaware: The First State
- Pennsylvania Books: The Keystone StateWe read so many books about the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War but we were still able to find more Pennsylvania books for our state study. This booklist includes books that introduce the state and the early history of Pennsylvania. Also be sure to… Read more: Pennsylvania Books: The Keystone State
- American Constitution and Amendments for KidsHere are 5 books that we found helpful to increase our understanding the American Constitution and Amendments, past and present. This post may contain Amazon Affiliate Links. I may earn a few cents on qualifying purchases. Thanks in advance for helping with the costs of running this… Read more: American Constitution and Amendments for Kids
- Life of a Revolutionary Poet: Phillis Wheatley BooksPhillis Wheatley was born around 1753 in what is perhaps present-day Senegal. She was enslaved and lived in Boston, Massachusetts with the Wheatley family where she was taught to read and write. Phillis became the first famous black poet in America, although she had to defend… Read more: Life of a Revolutionary Poet: Phillis Wheatley Books
- More Interesting Books about the American Revolution
I always look for inspiring biographies in our studies of US and world studies. We enjoyed these picture and chapter books about the American Revolution. - Spies in the American Revolution: Betcha Didn’t Know!
WOW this was a fascinating topic, learning about spies in the American Revolution. We took a week-long detour to explore this topic! - US History: Elementary Level Books for ReadingThese elementary level books for reading are great for kids to practice their reading skills or just to have something easier on hand for fun. History + reading in one shot! These stories are a bit simplified and one-dimensional. When provided, the author’s notes give additional… Read more: US History: Elementary Level Books for Reading
- Books about the other Founding Fathers of AmericaI’ll have to admit, I didn’t know much about the other Founding Fathers of America. These picture and short chapter books were engaging reads for us. This post may contain Amazon Affiliate Links. I may earn a few cents on qualifying purchases. Thanks in advance for helping… Read more: Books about the other Founding Fathers of America
- Stories from the Five Nations of the Iroquois ConfederationThe Haudenosaunee, or “People of the Longhouse,” are more commonly known as the Iroquois. The Iroquois Confederation is comprised of five nations, with one added later. The original five nations of the Iroquois are the Cayuga, Seneca, Mohawk, Oneida, and Onondaga, who agreed to the Great… Read more: Stories from the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederation
- The Beginning of the American RevolutionThe Battles of Lexington and Concord were the beginning of the American Revolution. The first volley of shots between the British and the minutemen at Concord is known as “the shot heard round the world.” We kicked off our study of the American Revolution with these… Read more: The Beginning of the American Revolution
- The Declaration of Independence and American RevolutionInstead of focusing on various Fourth of July celebrations, this booklist is all about the Declaration of Independence and American Revolution. I was glad to find additional perspectives from women and an enslaved person. The second part of this booklist focuses on the Liberty Bell. Definitely… Read more: The Declaration of Independence and American Revolution
- Tales and Traditions of the Lenni Lenape Indians
The Lenni Lenape Indians, also known as the Delaware American Indians, originally inhabited the current states of Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the southern part of New York. This post may contain Amazon Affiliate Links. I may earn a few cents on qualifying purchases. Thanks in advance… Read more: Tales and Traditions of the Lenni Lenape Indians - Books about George Washington
These are the books about George Washington that we enjoyed. Some are overviews of his life, some focus on events during the Revolutionary War, and some on his presidency. I felt it was important to also learn about one of the Washington’s enslaved people, Ona Judge.… Read more: Books about George Washington - Booklist to learn about Colonial Times in America
Where on the timeline is “Colonial Life in America?” It’s from the earliest British colonies in America (Jamestown in 1607) until the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783. These are the books that we read for a glimpse into colonial times in America. This post… Read more: Booklist to learn about Colonial Times in America - Science and History with Benjamin Franklin Books
Benjamin Franklin is such a interesting character to study along with the history of colonial America. In these Benjamin Franklin books for kids, we learned so many fun facts about Benjamin Franklin and the various facets of his personality: his inventions, his love for swimming, and… Read more: Science and History with Benjamin Franklin Books - New Amsterdam New York: History of the Big Apple
I made a handful of acquaintances in college who had attended the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in New York City. And now, I know the history behind the person, Peter Stuyvesant! Here are the books that we read about the Dutch pioneers that created the settlement… Read more: New Amsterdam New York: History of the Big Apple - Interesting Books about Pilgrims
Do you think pilgrims when you think of Plymouth, Massachusetts? I learned that they most likely did not land on Plymouth Rock! I found all of these books about Pilgrims at my library and I hope you can, too! Most histories do not mention why the… Read more: Interesting Books about Pilgrims - Truth behind the Myth: Books about Pocahontas and Jamestown
Did you know there were multiple lost colonies between the Lost Colony of Roanoke and the Jamestown Colony? We’ve all seen the Disney version of Pocahontas, and then heard it was filled with falsehoods. But where is the true story? I found wonderful living books about… Read more: Truth behind the Myth: Books about Pocahontas and Jamestown - Resources about Roanoke Colony: The Lost Colony
The 2nd grade US history curriculum jumped from Columbus to Jamestown. Hold the phone! Did they forget about the Roanoke Colony, aka “the Lost Colony?” I can see how that might happen with a nickname like that! This post may contain Amazon Affiliate Links. I may earn… Read more: Resources about Roanoke Colony: The Lost Colony