25 Must-Read American History Living Books for the Elementary Years

This Country of Ours, Annotated Version is an all-encompassing history of the United States starts with the English exploration and the colonies, all the way to the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. The book contains close to 100 stories are grouped into 7 time period, starting with the pioneers and ending with stories of the United States under the Constitution. 

George Washington’s World is a unique take on the life of George Washington includes stories of everything else that was happening in the different parts of the world throughout his life, from 1732 to 1799. For example, when he was a young man, Benjamin Franklin was the most famous American, France was led by Louis XV, and England by George II. It was also the time when Mozart and Bach were wowing the world with their musical prowess. 

In A Lion to Guard Us, we read about how Amanda Freebold’s father traveled across the ocean to the new colony in America, leaving her with her mother and younger siblings. But now her mother has died, so Amanda makes the decision to bring her brother and sister to America to find their father. Despite the difficulties of the ocean travel, Amanda has a little brass lion’s head that belonged to her father to keep them safe. 

The Landing of the Pilgrims shows us what life was like in the early 1600s, when William Bradford and a group of friends fled England and its mandatory membership in the Church of England. We read about how they stop in Holland before deciding to sail to America for a new life of religious freedom. Despite the harsh winter and numerous deaths among the first settlers. they pressed on, until a group of pilgrims finally made it through. 

Check out Pocahontas and the Strangers, where you can read about the strength of this extraordinary Native American girl who fought to bring peace between her father’s tribe and the white-faced strangers.

Squanto: Friend of the Pilgrims is a biography of Squanto, the Indian of the Wampanoag tribe who had been sold into slavery in Spain. He had traveled with English explorers, and when he finally returned to America, he was able to befriend and help the pilgrims at Plymouth. 

Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving is a picture book about how the Mayflower lands on Native American shores, welcomed by Squanto, who teaches the newcomers how to survive in the land. With a good harvest gathered, both natives and newcomers come together in a feast that continues to be celebrated in centuries to come. 

In The Thanksgiving Story, we follow Damaris, Constance, and Giles Hopkins as they board the crowded Mayflower to start a new life in the New World. They welcome a new brother born during the journey and arrive to face cold, hunger, and sickness in the small colony. To their surprise, the Native Americans help them pull through their first year in their strange new home—starting a tradition to celebrate for generations to come. 

The Courage of Sarah Noble opens in the year 1707, when Sarah Noble and her father journey through the wilderness to build a home for their family. Her mother always encourages her to “keep up your courage, Sarah Noble,” which was not always easy to do: how do you keep brave in the midst of dark woods, with animals and Indians all around? 

The Sign of the Beaver tells us about Matt, a 13-year-old boy whose father leaves him in charge of their new cabin in the wilderness of Maine while he goes to get his mother and siblings. He knows he can survive, but when a white stranger steals his gun, he’s left defenseless and at a loss how to hunt for food. But he meets a native boy named Attean, of the Beaver tribe, who teaches him 

In The Witch of Blackbird Pond, we read about Kit Tyler, a 16-year-old who arrives in colonial Connecticut in 1687 and struggles living with a family she has never met. Then she becomes friends with Hannah Tupper, whom the colonists believe to be a witch, making things even more difficult for Kit with the townspeople. 

See how frontier life is for Caddie Woodlawn, a young girl torn between wanting to run wild with the boys and pleasing her mother, who wants her to be a proper lady like her cousin Annabelle. Things don’t get any easier when she forms an unlikely friendship with a Native American. 

The Little House on the Prairie Series is our absolute favorite in getting a slow but steady dose of how life was during the early years of frontier life. We love how the set follows Laura Ingalls as she grows up in different homes and confront the challenges of pioneer life with her family. 

Read more about the series in this post. 

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere in this amazing picture book brings this famous poem to life, bringing this American hero to life amid historical fact and rich imagination. Bing also adds material to help you follow the British campaign, such as maps, documents, all woven together in excellent engraved art. 

Johnny Tremain, a classic of children’s historical fiction, brings us right into the Revolutionary War through the eyes of 14-year-old Johnny Tremain, who, as an apprentice silversmith, has a bright future ahead—until he hurts his hand in an accident. Forced to look for other work, he becomes a horse-boy, which eventually throws him right into the middle of the American Revolution. 

In Poor Richard, you’ll get to know Benjamin Franklin as both the man and the artist through this excellently written biography. The man who would soon become a statesman, orator, writer, and leader in the American Revolution lived through turbulent times but confronted them with passion. 

Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution tells about Abigail Adams, usually seen just as the mother of one president and the wife of another. But through her letters to family and friends, we see her as a first-hand witness as the Revolutionary War gathers steam, with soldiers frequently stopping at her house for a glass of water—which was just one of the ways she was personally involved in the war effort. 

In Answering the Cry for Freedom, discover the role that African Americans played in the fight for freedom while joining the British and American armies. This collection showcases thirteen stories of people who answered the call for freedom, with an emphasis on their choices and how these helped change America. 

George Washington’s Breakfast is a picture book that tells the engaging tale of a young boy named George who started researching what George Washington had for breakfast. Not only does it give you a first experience of the first president, it also shares interesting ideas about how to do research. Best for younger ages and perhaps more for a free-read. 

Follow the extraordinary journey of Meriweather Lewis and William Clark from St. Louis 3555 miles all the way to the Pacific Ocean! The simple but powerful storytelling in Of Courage Undaunted is based on original accounts, giving us a glimpse of the real dangers and exciting adventures that the team encountered in their journey west.

Little Britches is an autobiographical account of Ralph Moody’s childhood in the early 1900s, when his family moved to a Colorado ranch, giving us a first-hand glimpse of ranch life. But what happens when Ralph needs to take his father’s place at the ranch? 

See the turbulent years of the Civil War through the eyes of Jethro Creighton, who is only nine years old when Across Five Aprils opens in the year 1861. The conflict between the North and South divides Jethro’s family, and we see him coming of age over the five years of the tumultuous war. 

Rifles for Watie follows the life of Jeff Bussey, a 16-year-old who’s excited to join the Union volunteers. The year is 1861, and Jeff is looking forward to fight for the North and win the war soon. But as weeks turn to months, the excitement starts to wear off and the war takes it toll on Jeff and his friends. Then, to his surprise, he finds himself among enemy troops, giving us a look at the war from both sides of the fence. 

No Promises in the Wind is the heartbreaking story of three boys who run away from a difficult home at the peak of the Great Depression. Two of them join the circus and experience the challenges of earning their own living even from a very young age. 

Through Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, experience the height of the Depression through the life of Cassie Logan, a young colored girl who goes through the pains of racial injustice at the hands of their neighbors while her family struggles with financial difficulties in a desperate fight to keep their land.