Literature Links to American History, K-6: Resources to Enhance and Entice

Theodore Roosevelt's daughter Aliceri had a pet snake, played poker, and enjoyed sliding down the White House stairs on a sled. You can read the details in What to Do About Alice?. In Farmer George Plants a Nation, readers learn that George Washington planted trees, bred mules, and worked with compost at Mount Vernon. And Fever 1973 tells the story of 16-year-old Mattie's struggles during Philadelphia's yellow fever epidemic. What better way to attract students to the people and events of U.S. history than through books such as these?

Covering everything from the American Revolution, slavery and abolition, and World War I to women's rights and a horse named Seabiscuit, Literature Links to American History, K-6: Resources to Enhance and Entice connects a broad range of genres and formats-including fiction, biography, graphic novels, CDs, and DVDs-to American history. Books are arranged chronologically according to the time period they cover, beginning with North America before 1600 and ending with a chapter entitled "Since 1975."

Listed titles are in print and were positively reviewed by major journals or are widely held in library collections. They were chosen because they each offer a different perspective or overview of historical events or personages in American history that will enrich readers and entice them to explore additional sources.

Lynda G. Adamson is a professional writer and professor emeritus of literature.