This blog was developed as a resource for teachers who are looking to incorporate high quality and award winning trade books into their social studies curriculum. I have compiled and cited various reviews on these books, and additionally have listed online resources that will help teachers use these books for instructional purposes.
Monday, June 14, 2010
The Buffalo Soldier
The Buffalo Soldier
Written by: Sherry Garland
Illustrated by: Ronald Himler
"This heartwarming story of a buffalo soldier’s service to his country during the Indian Wars and Spanish-American War reveals the many hardships these regiments faced. The African-American buffalo soldiers, nicknamed by the Cheyenne Indians because of their curly hair and bravery, joined the six black regiments commissioned by an act of Congress in 1866.
These men, many of whom were former slaves, enlisted in the army to earn a steady income, acquire an education, and gain respect. They protected settlers from hostile Indians, rustlers, outlaws, and bandits and were known for their courage and dedication.
Told through the soldier-narrator’s voice, the details of one buffalo soldier’s life, including what he ate, where he slept, the education he gained on and off the battlefield, and how he spent his hard-earned money, help create a personal and understandable slice of history."
Product Description
Online Resources:
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/rediscoveringamerica-buffalosoldiers/
http://blackhistory.50webs.com/buffalosoldiers.html
5,000 Miles to Freedom: Ellen and William Craft's Flight from Slavery
5,000 Miles to Freedom: Ellen and William Craft's Flight from Slavery
Written by: Dennis and Judith Fradin
"Both exciting escape adventure and gripping history, this account of a husband and wife on the run from slavery traces their journey to freedom in the U.S and across the world. Ellen is a light-skinned African American, daughter of the master who raped her mother. Disguised as a wealthy Southern gentleman, she escapes with her husband, William, disguised as her slave, and they travel by train and steamboat to freedom in Boston. When their astonishing story makes the fugitive couple famous, slave catchers come after them, so the Crafts leave for England, where they continue their abolitionist work, until their return home after the Civil War. The Fradins, whose many fine histories include Ida B. Wells (2000), draw heavily on the Crafts' personal accounts to add depth and drama to the carefully documented narrative. The handsome design includes lots of photos, archival artwork, letters, and newspaper accounts."
Booklist Review
Online Resources:
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/wpahome.html
Shades of Gray
Shades of Gray
Written by: Carolyn Reeder
"The Civil War may be over, but for twelve-year-old Will Page, the pain and bitterness haven't ended. How could they have, when the Yankees were responsible for the deaths of everyone in his entire immediate family?
And now Will has to leave his comfortable home in the Shenandoah Valley and live with relatives he has never met, people struggling to eke out a living on their farm in the war-torn Virginia Piedmont. But the worst of it is that Will's uncle Jed had refused to fight for the Confederacy.
At first, Will regards his uncle as a traitor -- or at least a coward. But as they work side by side, Will begins to respect the man. And when he sees his uncle stand up for what he believes in, Will realizes that he must rethink his definition of honor and courage."
Product Description
Online Resources:
http://cms.westport.k12.ct.us/cmslmc/resources/authorstudy/shadesofgray.htm
*PDF Novel Study Guide at bottom of page
Bull Run
Bull Run
Written by: Paul Fleischman
"A Civil War drama told in sixteen voices, this ‘is a heartbreaking and remarkably vivid portrait of a war that remains our nation’s bloodiest conflict. Fleischman’s artistry is nothing short of astounding."
Publishers Weekly Review
Online Resources:
http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/bullrun.html
http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/history/us_history/civilwar/
Fields of Fury: The American Civil War
Fields of Fury: The American Civil War
Written by: James McPherson
"Pulitzer Prize award-winning historian James M. McPherson has written for young readers a stirring account of the greatest conflict to happen on our nation's soil, the Civil War, bringing to life the tragic struggle that divided not only a nation, but also friends and family. From the initial Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, to the devastating loss of life at Shiloh as Ulysses S. Grant led the Union to unexpected victory, to the brilliance of Stonewall Jackson's campaign at Shenandoah, to General Pickett's famous charge at Gettysburg, to the Union's triumph at Appomattox Court House, Fields of Fury details the war that helped shape us as a nation.
Also included are personal anecdotes from the soldiers at the battlefront and the civilians at home, as well as profiles of historical luminaries such as Robert E. Lee, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and Ulysses S. Grant. McPherson also explores the varied roles that women played during the war, healthcare on the battlefield, and the demise of slavery.
McPherson's narrative is highlighted with black-and-white photographs taken by Civil War photographers Mathew Brady and Timothy O'Sullivan, period oil paintings, and key campaign and battlefield maps, that make Fields of Fury the consummate book on the American Civil War for young readers."
Product Description
Online Resources:
http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/civwar.html
The Lost Colony of Roanoke
The Lost Colony of Roanoke
Written by: Jean Fritz
"The history of the Lost Colony is more than a simple tale of settlers who disappeared, leaving a cryptic message behind. Fritz weaves the tangled threads of historical records, the multiple voyages, and the large cast of significant figures into a single narrative that enables children to envision the main events as well as many colorful details. The presentation is surprisingly traditional in some ways, from a Eurocentric reference to America as the "newfound land" to the anecdote (undocumented, as the appended notes acknowledge) about Sir Walter Raleigh's laying his coat across a puddle for Queen Elizabeth. In four chapters, Fritz discusses the English exploration of the region, the settlement on Roanoke Island, the mysterious disappearance of the colonists, and the conjectures, hoaxes, and evidence that have fueled speculation about the colony for 400 years."
Booklist Review
Online Resources:
http://www.kyrene.org/schools/brisas/sunda/mystery/roanoke_files/frame.htm
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/roanoke1.htm
http://www.kidinfo.com/American_History/Colonization_Roanoke.html
Mayflower 1620: A New Look at a Pilgrim Voyage
Mayflower 1620: A New Look at a Pilgrim Voyage
Written by: Peter Arenstam, John Kemp, Catherine O'Neill Grace, & Plimoth Plantation
"Plimoth Plantation and the National Geographic Society come together to tell the true story behind the legendary voyage of the Mayflower. A meticulously researched work, Mayflower 1620 offers children a compelling, fresh account of this much-told story.
Vibrant photography of a rare reenactment using the Mayflower II leads readers imaginatively into the narrative. The vivid and informative text explores the story behind the exhibits at the living-history museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Primary sources record what the voyagers wore, what they ate, and telling details of their journey. First-person accounts reveal the hopes and dreams they carried. Readers share in the long hours at sea, and in the dangers faced after landfall. Extensive end notes, a map, a detailed chronology, and a bibliography round out the full story of the Mayflower.
Readers experience a new look at this seminal historical event through the eyes of those who now regularly inhabit the world of the pilgrims—the actors who interpret the Pilgrim Voyage. This eye-opening book teaches children the value of closely reexamining everything we think we know."
Product Description
Online Resources:
http://www.plimoth.org/
1607: A New Look at Jamestown
1607: A New Look at Jamestown
Written by: Karen Lange
"In 1994, scientists unearthed important new evidence about the original Jamestown fort. The work is ongoing and has changed many established ideas about the early settlers. 1607 incorporates these findings and offers a fascinating look at archaeology in action. Color photographs of costumed interpreters and re-created buildings from the Jamestown Settlement living-history museum depict both English and Native American ways of life. Varying perspectives of the period are represented, including evidence that suggests that Native women married English settlers and lived at the fort; how the arrival of English women changed the dynamics of the settlement; and the importance of indentured servants versus the relatively small presence of African slaves. Attractive, engaging, and informative, this title should be in every collection."
School Library Journal Review
Online Resources:
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=269
http://www.virtualjamestown.org/page2.html
Blood on the River: Jamestown 1607
Blood on the River: Jamestown 1607
Written by: Elisa Carbone
"Twelve-year-old Samuel Collier is a lowly commoner on the streets of London. So when he becomes the page of Captain John Smith and boards the ship the Susan Constant, bound for the New World, he can’t believe his good fortune. He’s heard that gold washes ashore with every tide. But beginning with the stormy journey and his first contact with the native people, he realizes that the New World is nothing like he had ever imagined.The lush Virginia shore where they establish the colony of James Town is both beautiful and forbidding, and it’s hard to know who’s a friend or foe. As he learns the language of the Algonquin Indians and observes Captain Smith’s wise diplomacy, Samuel begins to see that he can be whomever he wants to be in this new land."
Product Description
Online Resources:
http://www.elisacarbone.com/educators/BloodRiverStudyGuide.html
On the Trail of Sacagawea
On the Trail of Sacagawea
Written by: Peter Lourie
"In this handsome book, archaeologist and researcher Lourie chronicles a trip he took with his family along the path of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, beginning where Sacagawea joined the explorers and hoping to compare what exists now with what she might have seen. The family traveled through Native American land where historic sites remain untouched and the people practice traditional customs, fishing in the streams that the explorers fished in, swimming in the same hot springs, and eventually arriving at a reconstructed Fort Clatsop, where the river meets the ocean. Throughout, Lourie intersperses his family's adventures with the history of the Corps of Discovery in a comparison that conveys the rugged beauty and harsh terrain that the explorers must have experienced. The book is illustrated with the author's striking color photographs, as well as paintings and archival photos. An epilogue offers different theories of what became of Sacagawea."
Booklist Review
Online Resources:
http://www.peterlourie.com/journeys/sacagawea/
How We Crossed The West: The Adventures Of Lewis And Clark
How We Crossed The West: The Adventures Of Lewis And Clark
Written by: Rosalyn Schanzer
"A simplified version of the diaries of Lewis and Clark; in an introduction, Schanzer explains how she condensed much of the excitement and adventure of the 40 volumes into this one. The book follows the route mapped out on the end papers, beginning with President Jefferson's request that the two explore the west, and ending when Lewis and Clark return two years later to St. Charles (near St. Louis), long after everyone thought they'd died. In that time the two men discovered many new animals and plants, met with Indian tribes, and created new maps of the uncharted territories. Schanzer often breaks up the page into a series of vignettes with captions, effectively covering many of their experiences in a small space. Her drawings include portraits of the members of the expedition and other details that make an already authentic text all the richer."
Kirkus Reviews
Online Resources:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/
Sarah Plain and Tall
Sarah Plain and Tall
Written by: Patricia MacLachlan
"Set in the late 19th century a widowed midwestern farmer with two children--Anna and Caleb--advertises for a wife. When Sarah arrives she is homesick for Maine, especially for the ocean which she misses greatly. The children fear that she will not stay, and when she goes off to town alone, young Caleb--whose mother died during childbirth--is stricken with the fear that she has gone for good. But she returns with colored pencils to illustrate for them the beauty of Maine, and to explain that, though she misses her home, "the truth of it is I would miss you more." The tale gently explores themes of abandonment, loss and love."
Amazon.com Review
Online Resources:
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/reading3/sarah.htm
Labels:
5th grade,
newberry award,
pioneers,
westward expansion
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Words West: The Voices of Young Pioneers
Words West: The Voices of Young Pioneers
Written by: Ginger Wadsworth
"This book records the thoughts and feelings of the pioneer children who traveled west between 1830 and 1870 in wagon trains. They often encountered severe heat and extreme cold, hostile Indians, the death of friends and family, terrible illnesses, and great hunger. They also witnessed the beauty of the untouched West. The letters , diaries, and memoirs of these children and young people quoted in this book tell their stories in their own words. They are accompanied by archival photographs and prints. Together the stories and pictures help today's children and young people understand their counterparts from another era. A great primary source for those studying the pioneer period of history."
Product Description
Online Resources:
http://www.gingerwadsworth.com/
*Scroll to bottom of page for additional links
Labels:
5th grade,
pioneers,
westward expansion
Tour America: A Journey Through Poems and Art
Tour America: A Journey Through Poems and Art
Written by: Diane Siebert
Illustrated by: Stephen T. Johnson
"From New Hampshire's formidable Mount Washington to San Francisco’s spectacular Golden Gate Bridge, the scenic treasures of the United States are brilliantly captured in this artistic tour de force. Award-winning poet Diane Seibert's inventive poems are perfectly paired with Caldecott Honor–recipient Stephen Johnson's compelling imagery. Each turn of the page offers a surprise—whether it's an impressionistic painting of Niagara Falls, a wild collage of Las Vegas, or an evocative tallgrass prairie landscape. Additional facts about each site and a list of art media are provided, making this distinguished volume a gem for the study of literature, art, history, or geography."
Product Description
Online Resources:
http://www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/25-reference/440-landmarks.html
http://www.kids.gov/k_5/k_5_fun_recreation.shtml
The Navajo Year, Walk Through Many Seasons
The Navajo Year, Walk Through Many Seasons
Written by: Nancy Bo Flood
"For the Navajo people, the new year begins in October, when summer meets winter. The Navajo Year, Walk Through Many Seasons follows the Navajo calendar, and provides poetic descriptions of the many sights, sounds, and activities associated with each month. In November, there are string games and stories; in April, planting of corn, beans, and squash; and in July, rodeos and monsoon rains. Follow Coyote through the year, and explore how the Navajos observe the rites and passages of each month."
Publishers Description
Online Resources:
http://navajopeople.org/
The Tragic Tale of Narcissa Whitman and a Faithful History of the Oregon Trail
The Tragic Tale of Narcissa Whitman and a Faithful History of the Oregon Trail
Written by: Cheryl Harness
"When she was a young girl, Narcissa loved nothing better than to read heroic tales about brave men and women risking their lives to bring Christian ideas to "barbarians" in far-off places. In 1831, her dream of doing the same was about to come true. That's when some Indians arrived in St. Louis, Missouri, looking for the "White Man's Book of Heaven." Their quest was the answer to Narcissa's prayers: She would bring salvation to "those wandering sons of our native forests. "
Narcissa married Marcus Whitman, another missionary want-to-be, and they headed West. She spent her honeymoon riding side-saddle some 2,000 miles across the vast, often perilous trail to Oregon Country—something no other white woman had ever done. Then she and Marcus lived happily ever after singing hymns and teaching the Indians about the Bible, right? Wrong! Readers will find out what really happened when East met West at the end of the real-life, legendary Oregon Trail."
Product Description
Online Resources:
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/whitman.htm
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/two/whitman0.htm
The Adventurous Life of Myles Standish and the Amazing-but-True Survival Story of Plymouth Colony
The Adventurous Life of Myles Standish and the Amazing-but-True Survival Story of Plymouth Colony
Written by: Cheryl Harness
"Instead of a standard biography, Harness chronicles the history of the Plymouth Pilgrims from their troubles in England to their first years in North America, with the focus on Standish. Separating documented history from speculation, the narrative explains religious movements, introduces key figures, and gives a balanced account of Pilgrim-Indian relationships. In contrast to many Pilgrim histories, the tone is casual (e.g., "Without Squanto the translator, these English wouldn't be able to go around getting cozy with everybody, messing up the balance of power.") Harness' familiar detailed pictures appear here as prints. A bibliography of resources is appended, along with lists of Mayflower passengers, recommended Web sites and places to visit. A reader-friendly approach to history."
Booklist Review
Online Resources:
http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/Passengers/MylesStandish.php
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Out of the Dust
Out of the Dust
Written by: Karen Hesse
"Set in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl, this is the story of 14 year old Billie Jo. Told in diary form as a series of free-verse poems, the book is a realistic portrait of the Depression-era with entries dated from the winter of 1934 through the winter of 1935. Readers explore the hardships of living on a family wheat farm. Billie Jo's mother dies after an accident with burning kerosene and Billie Jo blames herself and her father for her mother's death. Billie Jo is a talented pianist, but is reluctant to play after burns scar her hands. She leaves home, but soon learns how much "dust" is a part of her. We can almost feel the heat, dust, and wind as she struggles to survive a difficult time."
Publishers Description
Online Resources:
http://eduscapes.com/newbery/98a.html
Civil War
Civil War
Written by: Martin Sandler
"During the years 1861-1865, America was a nation torn apart by war. From terrible land combat to fierce battles at sea; from mothers losing sons to brothers fighting brothers--this was a conflict that profoundly affected all that it touched...and changed our nation forever. From the archives of the Library of Congress, often called "the Storehouse of the national memory," here are over one hundred vintage posters, paintings, and photographs that bring the events of the Civil War vividly to life. Witness the scenes and encounters the words of those caught up in a nations at war with itself."
Publishers Description
Online Resources:
http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/ushistory/civilwar.html
Pink and Say
Pink and Say
Written and Illustrated by: Patricia Polacco
"This a story of interracial friendship during the Civil War between two 15-year-old Union soldiers. Say, who is white and poor, tells how he is rescued by Pinkus (Pink), who carries the wounded Say back to the Georgia home where Pink's black family were slaves. In a kind of idyllic interlude, Pink and his mother nurse Say back to health, and Pink teaches his friend to read; but before they can leave, marauders kill Pink's mother and drag the boys to Andersonville prison. Pink is hanged, but Say survives to tell the story and pass it on across generations."
Booklist Review
Online Resources:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplan.jsp?id=975
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/acquiring-vocabulary-through-book-170.html
Abe Lincoln Goes to Washington 1837-1863
Abe Lincoln Goes to Washington 1837-1863
Written and Illustrated by: Cheryl Harness
"Abe Lincoln Goes to Washington paints a vivid picture of the Springfield, IL years, when Abe met and married a pretty Kentucky woman, and made his name as a lawyer and politician. Cheryl Harness gives readers a moving account of Lincoln’s rise and the tensions that dragged the nation into conflict; brilliantly detailed maps and battle scenes deepen our understanding of the Civil War; and the book’s richly imagined illustrations recreate the life of the man who will always be regarded as one of our greatest presidents."
Scholastic Review
Online Resources:
http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/index.html
Labels:
5th grade,
abraham lincoln,
civil war,
US Presidents
Anthony Burns: The Defeat and Triumph of a Fugitive Slave
Anthony Burns: The Defeat and Triumph of a Fugitive Slave
Written by: Virginia Hamilton
"In this historical look at the life of Anthony Burns, an escaped slave who flees to Boston in 1854, author Virginia Hamilton evokes a stunning portrayal of human hope and compassion. Twenty-year-old Anthony Burns is, at last, an escaped slave, yet a new story of struggle is just beginning. Arrested at the insistence of his owner, Anthony is put on trial under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Readers sail back through time and are introduced to the chain of events that divided the city, and caused lawyers, ministers, and "ordinary people" to stand up and speak out in order to prevent Burns from being returned to his owner. Hamilton focuses on how Burns remains a man of integrity and strength in the face of frequent mistreatment, and in doing so, gives readers the pure essence of his character — providing a more personal and intimate look at a man who made a nation pause and consider its own political agenda. A truly riveting historical novel that brings the issues of race and prejudice to the surface."
Scholastic Book Review
Online Resources:
http://www.virginiahamilton.com/virginia-hamilton-books/anthony-burns/
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=485
True Stories about Abraham Lincoln
True Stories about Abraham Lincoln
Written by: Ruth Belov Gross
Illustrated by: Charles Turzak
"This book includes a series of short stories that emphasize aspects of Lincoln’s life, especially his early years."
Publishers Description
Online Resources:
http://lincoln.georgetowncollege.edu/fifth/lesson1.htm
http://lincoln.georgetowncollege.edu/fifth/lesson2.htm
Labels:
5th grade,
abraham lincoln,
civil war,
US Presidents
When This Cruel War Is Over: The Civil War Home Front
When This Cruel War Is Over: The Civil War Home Front
Written by: Duane Damon
"The civilians in the North and South were sorely tested during the Civil War. This book tells how they endured and how they assisted during four years of war. There were women who tended the wounded, artists who captured events with their pencils and sketchbooks, and slaves who fought in the Union army. The horrors of this war-the ravage of cities and waste of human lives is soulfully captured. A Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies and part of the "People's History" series."
Children's Literature Review
Online Resources:
http://www.theteachersguide.com/Civilwarlessons.html
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Those Remarkable Women of the American Revolution
Those Remarkable Women of the American Revolution
Written by: Karen Zeinert
"Zeinert chronicles the many contributions made by women during the Revolutionary War. She describes the role of both patriots and loyalists; black and Indian women; Northern women as well as those on Southern plantations, showing how the war forced them to assume nontraditional roles, such as protecting the homefront and taking on men's duties like farming and keeping the books."
School Library Journal Review
Online Resources:
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/women_american_revolution/
http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/femvets.html
Labels:
5th grade,
american revolution,
women's history
Crossing the Delaware: A History in Many Voices
Crossing the Delaware: A History in Many Voices
Written by: Louise Peacock
Illustrated by: Walter Lyon Krudop
"The Revolution did seem nearly over in the harsh winter of 1776. The Continental Army, led by General George Washington, had suffered many defeats and had made many retreats. Now the soldiers found themselves encamped on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River, across from three Hessian regiments occupying the town of Trenton, New Jersey. Tired, cold, ill-clothed, and ill-equipped to fight, most of them were ready to go home when their enlistments were up. Only decisive action could possibly win General Washington a battle -- and save the Revolution.
A variety of voices in a variety of forms -- a present-day narrator, the letters of a fictional soldier, and true accounts from the time -- are brought together with period images and Walter Lyon Krudop's dramatic art to make vivid the critical moments of Washington's crossing of the Delaware. Readers cannot help but come away with a new appreciation of what the Battle of Trenton means for us today."
Publishers Description
Online Resources:
http://chnm.gmu.edu/acpstah/units_acps.php?acpstahid=3
Labels:
5th grade,
american revolution,
George Washington
Saturday, June 5, 2010
The Secret Soldier: The Story of Deborah Sampson
The Secret Soldier: The Story of Deborah Sampson
Written by: Ann McGovern
"When "Robert Shurtliff" enlists as a common soldier in the Continental army, no one suspects there is anything unusual about him. The new soldier serves bravely for a year and a half. It is not until he is hospitalized with fever that his secret is discovered. Private Shurtliff is really a woman - 23 year-old Deborah Sampson! Deborah longs for a life of her own. When she leaves the Thomas family at the age of eighteen, she is not ready to settle down and get married. She wants to see a bit of the wold first - to travel to big cities like Boston, Philadelphia, and New York.
If she were a man, she could find adventure by joining the army... How Deborah keeps her identity a secret during long, exhausting marches and bloody raids against the Tories, and how her bravery brings the admiration of her fellow soldiers, her commanding general, and finally her county, makes exciting, suspenseful reading."
Product Description
Online Resources:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=1003
Labels:
5th grade,
american revolution,
women's history
Rifles for Waite
Rifles for Waite
Written by: Keith Harold
"Sixteen-year-old Jeff is eager to join the Union Army and fight in Civil War battles in the West against Stand Watie, leader of the Cherokee Indian rebels. The book stresses cultural as well as sectional conflict."
Online Resources:
http://www.civilwar.org/education/teachers/lesson-plans/civil-war-lit-circle-lesson/civil-war-literature-circle.html
Labels:
5th grade,
civil war,
newberry award
Johnny Tremain
Johnny Tremain
Written by: Ester Forbes
"A story filled with danger and excitement, Johnny Tremain tells of the turbulent, passionate times in Boston just before the Revolutionary War. Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught up in a dramatic involvement with James Otis, John Hancock,and John and Samuel Adams in the exciting currents and undercurrents that were to lead to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington -- and finally, a touching resolution of Johnny's personal life.
Johnny Tremain is a historical fiction at its best, portraying Revolutionary Boston as a living drama, through the shrewd eyes of an observant boy."
Publisher's Description
Online Resources:
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/Tremain/tremaintg.html
Labels:
5th grade,
american revolution,
newberry award
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin
Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin
Written and Illustrated by: Gene Barretta
"What would you do if you lived in a community without a library, hospital, post office, or fire department? If you were Benjamin Franklin, you’d set up these organizations yourself. Franklin also designed the lightning rod, suggested the idea of daylight saving time, invented bifocals and the odometer—all inspired by his common sense and intelligence."
Publishers Description
Online Resources:
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/benfranklin/
http://www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org/site/sections/education/Kids/default.html
John, Paul, George & Ben
John, Paul, George & Ben
Written and Illustrated by: Lane Smith
"Once there were four lads... John (Hancock) , Paul (Revere) , George (Washington) , and Ben (Franklin) . Oh yes, there was also Tom (Jefferson) , but he was always off doing his own thing, so people usually forgot about him. The lads were always getting into trouble for one reason or another. Johns handwriting was bigger than all the other kids. Paul's ear-splitting job as a bell-ringer made him speak a LITTLE TOO LOUDLY all the time. George was too honest for his own good. Ben was always talking in proverbs.... And Tom, well, he was just plain independent. But somehow, these five lads grew up to start a revolution that would change this country forever. Legendary artist Lane Smith has created a totally fresh and funny way to learn about the Founding Fathers of our country with just a few liberties mixed in."
Publishers Description
Online Resources:
http://www.colquitt.k12.ga.us/public_lib/book%20pages/john_paul_george__ben.htm
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