Reading Themes -> Picture Books -> Historical Stories

FAMOUS PEOPLE & ANIMALS: Stories & Early Nonfiction

Adler, David. BABEAND I.  [Picture Book AD]
While helping his family make ends meet during the Depression by selling newspapers, a boy meets famous baseball player, Babe Ruth.

Adler, David. PICTURE BOOK OF LEWIS AND CLARK. [Picture Book AD]
On May 18, 1804, more than thirty American explorers began a journey into the unknown land west of the Mississipppi River. They were the “Corps of Discovery” led by captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

Barron, T.A. HIGH AS A HAWK: A BRAVE GIRL’S HISTORIC CLIMB. [Picture Book BA]
In 1905, eight-year-old Harriet Peters fulfills her dead mother’s dream by climbing Longs Peak in Colorado with the help of an old mountain guide, Enos Mills. Based on a true story.

Belton, Sandra. PICTURES FOR MISS JOSIE. [Picture Book BE]
This remarkable picture book tells the story of Jospehine Carroll Smith and the friendship that she cultivates with a young artist.

Blake, Robert J. AKIAK. [Picture Book BL]
Akiak the sled dog refuses to give up after being injured during the Iditarod sled dog race.

Blake, Robert J. TOGO.  [Picture Book BL]
In 1925, a Siberian husky named Togo, who loves being a sled dog, leads a team that rushes to bring diphtheria antitoxin from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska.

Blos, Joan. HEROINE OF THE TITANIC. [Picture Book BL]
Tells of some of the rags to riches adventurous activities of Molly Brown, with an emphasis on her survival of the sinking of the Titanic.

Borden, Louise. A. LINCOLN AND ME. [Picture Book BO]
With the help of his teacher, a young boy realizes that he not only shares his birthday and similar physical appearance with Abraham Lincoln, but that he is like him in other ways as well.

Brown, Don. AMERICAN BOY: THE ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN. [Picture Book BR]
Provides a brief biography of the noted American writer, Mark Twain, who was born Samuel Clemens.

Chandra, Deborah. GEORGE WASHINGTON’S TEETH. [Picture Book CH]
A funny tale that reveals what really happened to President, George Washington’s teeth.

Coerr, Eleanor. BUFFALO BILL AND THE PONY EXPRESS.[ Early Reader C]
Buffalo Bill finds adventure when he becomes a rider for the Pony Express.

Connor, Leslie. MISS BRIDIE CHOSE A SHOVEL. [Picture Book CO]
Miss Bridie emigrates to America in 1856 and chooses to bring a shovel, which proves to be a useful tool throughout her life.

Costana, Stephen. MOZART FINDS A MELODY. [Picture Book CO]
Based on a true story about the famous composer and his beloved pet starling.

Dunlap, Julie. JOHN MUIR AND STICKEEN: AN ICY ADVENTURE WITH A NO-GOOD DOG. [Picture Book DU]
A fascinating true story, full of close calls, heroic behavior and the incredible power of nature, and one determined dog that changed famous naturalist, John Muir’s, opinion of domesticated animals.

Edwards, Judith. GREAT EXPEDITION OF LEWIS AND CLARK. [Picture Book ED]
An account of the difficulties and wonders that were part of the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the land obtained as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

Edwards, Pamela. WRIGHT BROTHERS.  [Picture Book ED]
Young readers are gradually introduced to all of the steps that led up to the Wright Brother’s remarkable historic aviation accomplishments.

Flowers, Pam. BIG-ENOUGH ANNA. [Picture Book FL]
Describes how a small dog became the lead dog as her musher, Pam Flowers, prepared for and made her historic journey alone across the North American Arctic.

Gaffney, Timothy. WEE AND THE WRIGHT BROTHERS. [Picture Book GA]
A rodent reporter from the “Mouse News” travels from Dayton, Ohio, to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to cover Wilbur and Orville Wright’s historic 1903 flight.

Garland, Michael. PRESIDENT AND MOM’S APPLE PIE.  [Picture Book GA]
When President William Howard Taft arrives in town, he finds that the cheering crowd pales in comparison to a delicious smell wafting on the summer breeze.

Gerstein, Mordicai. MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS. [Picture Book GE]
A lyrical evocation of Philippe Petit’s 1974 tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers.

Gerstein, Mordicai. SPARROW JACK.  [Picture Book GE]
In 1868, John Bardsley, an immigrant from England, brought 1,000 sparrows from his home country back to Philadelphia, where he hoped they would help save trees from destructive inch-worms.

Gerstein, Mordicai. WHAT CHARLIE HEARD.  [Picture Book GE]
Describes the life of Charles Ives, an American composer, who wrote unique music which expressed all the sounds he heard in the world, but which was not well received during his lifetime.

Hartfield, Claire. ME AND UNCLE ROMIE. [Picture Book HA]
A boy from North Carolina spends the summer in New York City visiting the neighborhood of Harlem, where his uncle, collage artist Romare Bearden, grew up. Includes a biographical sketch of Bearden and instructions on making a story collage.

Hearth, Amy. DELANEY SISTERS REACH HIGH.  [Picture Book HE]
The true story of two remarkable African-American women.

Hopkinson, Deborah. GIRL WONDER: A BASEBALL STORY IN 9 INNINGS.  [Picture Book HO]
In the early 1900s, Alta Weiss, a young woman who knows from an early age that she loves baseball, finds a way to play, even though she is a girl.

Kelly, Irene. SMALL DOG’S BIG LIFE: AROUND THE WORLD WITH OWNEY. [Picture Book KE]
Letters tell the story of Owney, a dog who became the mascot of the Albany, New York, post office in 1888 and traveled around the world.

Krull, Kathleen. BOY ON FAIRFIELD STREET: HOW TED GEISEL GREW UP TO BECOME DR. SEUSS. [Picture Book KR]
Introduces the life of renowned children’s book author and illustrator Ted Geisel, popularly known as Dr. Seuss.

Libby, Barbara. I RODE THE RED HORSE: SECRETARIAT’S BELMONT RACE. [Picture Book LI]
Secretariat deserved his reputation as a Superhorse. In 1973, he won the Triple Crown, the first horse in 25 years to win racing’s hardest test.

Lyon, George Ella. MOTHER TO TIGERS. [Picture Book LY]
Helen Martini cared for both lion and tiger cubs in her New York City apartment before building the Bronx Zoo's first nursery back in 1944.

McCully, Emily Arnold. SQUIRREL AND JOHN MUIR. [Picture Book MC]
In the 1860s, a wild little girl nicknamed Squirrel meets John Muir, later to become a famous naturalist, when he arrives at her parents’ hotel in Yosemite Valley seeking work and knowledge about the natural world.

Moss, Marissa. MIGHTY JACKIE: THE STRIKE-OUT QUEEN. [Picture Book MO]
In 1931, seventeen-year-old Jackie Mitchell pitches against Babe Ruth and Lou  Gehrig in an exhibition game, becoming the first professional female pitcher in baseball history.

O’Connor, Jane. IF THE WALLS COULD TALK: FAMILY LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. [JE 973 Early Nonfiction]
A fun glimpse into the lives of the Presidents and their families who have occupied the White House for over 200 years.

Oppenheim, Shulamith Levey. RESCUING EINSTEIN’S COMPASS. [Picture Book OP]
Young Theo takes the famous scientist, Albert Einstein, sailing on the lake and rescues his compass when it falls in the water.

Provensen, Alice. GLORIOUS FLIGHT: ACROSS THE CHANNEL WITH LOUIS BLERIOT, JULY 25, 1909. [Caldecott Picture Book PR]
A biography of the man whose fascination with flying machines produced the Bleriot XI, which in 1909 became the first heavier-than-air machine to fly the English Channel.

Rappaport, Doreen. MARTIN’S BIG WORDS: THE LIFE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.  [Picture Book RA]
A captivating Picture Book about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Raschka, Chris. CHARLIE PARKER PLAYED BEBOP. [Picture Book RA]
Introduces the famous saxophonist and his style of jazz known as bebop.

Ray, Deborah Kogan. FLOWER HUNTER: WILLIAM BARTRAM, AMERICA’S FIRST NATURALIST. [Picture Book RA]
Young Billy Bartrum keeps a journal of his experiences learning about the plants of the colonial United States from his father, John Bartam, as they travel together gathering specimens and planting seeds.

Ryan, Pam Munoz. WHEN MARIAN SANG.  [Picture Book RY]
An introduction to the life of Marian Anderson, extraordinary singer and first African American to perform with the Metropolitan Opera.

Ryan, Pam Munoz. AMELIA AND ELEANOR GO FOR A RIDE. [Picture Book RY]
A fictionalized account of the night famous aviator, Amelia Earhart flew First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt over Washington, D.C. in an airplane.

Schanzer, Rosalyn. HOW WE CROSSED THE WEST: THE ADVENTURES OF LEWIS AND CLARK. [Picture Book SC]
Provides an exciting colored map of the route of Lewis & Clark westward from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean from May 1804 to November 1805 on endpapers.

Schroeder, Alan. RAGTIME TUMPIE.  [Picture Book SC]
Tumpie, a young black girl who will later become famous as the dancer Josephine Baker, longs to find the opportunity to dance amid the poverty and vivacious street life of St. Louis in the early 1900s.

Shehata, Kat. SEABISCUIT VS WAR ADMIRAL. [Picture Book SH]
In 1938 two champion racehorses met. Seabiscuit, the western underdog, and War Admiral, the high-spirited favorite, ran one-on-one in one of the most exciting horse race in history.

Sis, Peter. SMALL TALL TALE FROM THE FAR FAR NORTH. [Picture Book SI]
With the help from Eskimos, Jan Welzl survives a perilous journey from central Europe to the Arctic regions in the late 1800s.

St. George, Judith. SO YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT. [Caldecott Picture Book ST]
Presents an assortment of facts about the qualifications and characteristics of U.S. presidents, from George Washington to Bill Clinton.

Taylor, Joanne. MAKING ROOM. [Picture Book TA]
Based on the true story of John William, who lived in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in the 1800’s, this is a warm and witty look at what makes a home and who makes up a family.

Turner, Ann. WHEN MR. JEFFERSON CAME TO PHILADELPHIA: WHAT I LEARNED OF FREEDOM, 1776. [Picture Book TU]
In Philadelphia in 1776, Ned meets Thomas Jefferson, who is staying in his mother’s inn while debating the topic of freedom in Congress and writing the Declaration of Independence.

Yolen, Jane. MY BROTHERS’ FLYING MACHINE: WILBUR, ORVILLE AND ME. [Picture Book YO]
Provides a look at the lives of Orville and Wilbur Wright, as seen through the eyes of their younger sister, Katharine, who provided support and encouragement while they worked on their many inventions.

HISTORICAL EVENTS: Stories & Early Nonfiction

Alda, Arlene. MORNING GLORY MONDAY. [Picture Book AL]
Life in a tenement during the 1930s is difficult. No wonder Mama is homesick for sunny Italy. Her little daughter discovers just the right thing to cheer her up.

Avi. SILENT MOVIE. [Picture Book AV]
In 1909, an immigrant Swedish family encounters hardships in New York City until the son is cast in a silent movie.

Barasch, Lynne. COUNTRY SCHOOLHOUSE. [Picture Book BA]
A grandfather relates to his grandson tales of the small country school he attended in the 1940s.

Bartoletti, Susan. FLAG MAKER. [Picture Book BA]
A story of the star-spangled banner.

Bates, Katharine. AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL (PATRIOTIC SONG SERIES).  [Picture Book BA]
Provides a history and words to all four verses of the song called “America the Beautiful”.

Battle-Levert, Gwendolyn. PAPA’S MARK. [Picture Book BA]
After his son helps him learn to write his name, Samuel T. Blow goes to the courthouse in his Southern town to cast his ballot on the first election day ever on which African Americans were allowed to vote.

Bearden, Romare. LI’L DAN THE DRUMMER BOY: A CIVIL WAR STORY.  [Picture Book BE]
When a company of black Union soldiers tells Li’l Dan that he is no longer a slave, he follows them, and uses his beloved drum to save them from attack. Includes a CD of the story read by Maya Angelou.

Bildner, Phil. TWENTY-ONE ELEPHANTS. [Picture Book BI]
Eight-year-old Hannah, upon completion of the Brooklyn Bridge, enlists the help of P.T. Barnum and his 21 elephants to prove to her father and all of Brooklyn that the bridge is safe.

Davidson, Rebecca Piatt. ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE. [Picture Book DA]
An introduction to some of the characters and plays of William Shakespeare, written in the style of “The House That Jack Built.”

Drummond, Allan. FLYERS. [Picture Book DR]
In 1903, a group of children on the beach at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, dream of flying and witness the first flight of the Wright Brothers.

Drummond, Allan. LIBERTY!  [Picture Book DR]
Describes the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty and its importance as a symbol of freedom.

Fleming, Candance. BOXES FOR KATJE. [Picture Book FL]
After a young Dutch girl writes to her new American friend in thanks for the care package sent after World War II, she begins to receive increasingly larger boxes.

Fuchs, Bernie. RIDE LIKE THE WIND: A TALE OF THE PONY EXPRESS. [Picture Book FU]
This story capture the spirit, strength and stamina of one young Pony Express rider, Johnny Free, as he and his beloved pony, JennySoo, face an unusually dangerous journey.

Gibbons, Faye. DAY THE PICTURE MAN CAME.  [Picture Book GI]
The arrival of a professional photographer brightens a young girl’s day in this story of an American farm family at the turn of the 20^th century.

Glass, Andrew. WONDROUS WHIRLIGIG: THE WRIGHT BROTHER’S FIRST FLYING MACHINE. [Picture Book GL]
Inspired by a model helicopter and encouraged by their parents and sister, young Orville and Wilbur Wright attempt to build a life-size helicopter from scrap.

Greenstein, Elaine. ICE CREAM CONES FOR SALE!  [Picture Book GR]
Reveals who really invented the ice cream cone, even before the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair where five people claim they did so.

Hall, Donald. OX-CART MAN.  [Caldecott Picture Book HA]
Describes the day-to-day life throughout the changing seasons of an early 19th-century New England family.

Hazen, Barbara Shook. KATIE’S WISH.  [Picture Book HA]
In this beautifully spun tale of longing and forgiveness set during the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s, Katie finally learns the truth about wishes: The only ones that matter are those that come from the heart.

Hesse, Karen. CATS IN KRASINSKI SQUARE. [Picture Book HE]
The cats in Krasinski Square once belonged to someone, and so did a young girl whose family has been destroyed by war. Even as she and her sister struggle to survive amid the war’s chaos, they risk their lives on a plan to help those still trapped behind Warsaw’s infamous Ghetto walls.

High, Linda Oatman. GIRL ON THE HIGH DIVING HORSE.  [Picture Book HI]
Eight-year-old Ivy spend the summer of 1936 in Atlantic City and dreams of being the girl who perches on a horse as it dives into a tank of water.

Hopkinson, Deborah. BAND OF ANGELS: A STORY INSPIRED BY THE JUBILEE SINGERS. [Picture Book HO]
The daughter of a slave forms a gospel singing group and goes on tour to raise money to save Fisk University.

Hopkinson, Deborah. PACKET OF SEEDS. [Picture Book HO]
When a pioneer family moves west, the mother misses home so much that she will not even name the new baby until her daughter thinks of just the right thing to cheer her up.

Hopkinson, Deborah. UNDER THE QUILT OF NIGHT.  [Picture Book HO]
A young girl flees from the farm where she has been worked as a slave and uses the Underground Railroad to escape to freedom in the north.

Houston, Gloria. MY GREAT-AUNT ARIZONA.  [Picture Book HO]
An Appalachian girl, Arizona Houston Hughes, grows up to become a teacher who influences generations of school children.

Howard, Ellen. LOG CABIN CHURCH.  [Picture Book HO]
On the Michigan frontier, while adults disagree over whether there are enough settlers yet to build a church, a young girl tries to recall what church is all about.

Howard, Elizabeth. VIRGIE GOES TO SCHOOL WITH US BOYS.  [Picture Book HO]
In the post-Civil War South, a young African American girl is determined to prove that she can go to school just like her older brothers.

Johnson, Angela. JUST LIKE JOSH GIBSON. [Picture Book JO]
A young girl's grandmother tells her of her love for baseball and the day they let her play in the game even though she was a girl.

Kay, Verla. COVERED WAGONS, BUMPY TRAILS.  [Picture Book KA]
Illustrations and simple rhyming text follow a pioneer family as they make the difficult journey by wagon to a new home across the Rocky Mountains.

Kay, Verla. HOMESPUN SARAH.  [Picture Book KA]
Nothing comes easy in colonial life. Sarah’s days are filled with many chore. She dreams of a brand new dress – sewn just for her!

Kay, Verla. ORPHAN TRAIN. [Picture Book KA]
Illustrations and rhyming text tell the story of a sister and two brothers in the late 1900s who become orphans, are taken in, and make a journey aboard an orphan train to separate new homes.

Kennedy, Frances. PICKLE PATCH BATHTUB. [Picture Book KE]
In 1915, times were hard for Donna and her family growing cucumbers for a canning company and sharing one little galvanized tub for baths and laundry. With the money they earned, they purchased a glorious claw-footed metal bathtub.

Key, Francis Scott. STAR-SPANGLED BANNER (PATRIOTIC SONG SERIES).  [Picture Book KE]
Provides a history and words to all four verses of the song called “The Star-Spangled Banner”, which became the national anthem of the United States in 1931.

Lawson, Julie. KLONDIKE CAT. [Picture Book LA]
When Noah and his Pa prepare to join the thousands of gold seekers heading for the Klondike in the late 1890s, Pa insists that the journey will be too difficult for a cat. But Noah can’t leave Shadow behind, and plans to sneak him along for the journey. 

Levinson, Riki. WATCH THE STARS COME OUT. [Picture Book LE]
Grandma tells about her mama's journey to America by boat, years ago.

Lewin, Ted. LOST CITY: THE DISCOVERY OF MACHU PICCU. [Picture Book LE]
In 1911, Yale professor, Hiram Bingham discovers a lost Incan city with the help of a Peruvian boy.

Lied, Kate. POTATO: A TALE FROM THE GREAT DEPRESSION.  [Picture Book LI]
During the “Great Depression”, a family seeking work finds employment for two weeks digging potatoes in Idaho.

Littlesugar, Amy. LISETTE’S ANGEL. [Picture Book LI]
In World War II France, a young girl's prayer for an angel to come rescue her from the Nazi occupation is answered by the arrival of an American paratrooper. Inspired by the author's memories of his father-in-law who was a paratrooper.

Maestro, Betsy. COMING TO AMERICA: THE STORY OF IMMIGRATION.  [JE 304 Early Nonfiction]

Martin, Jacqueline Briggs. ON SAND ISLAND. [Picture Book MA]
In 1916 on an island in Lake Superior, Carl build’s himself a boat by bartering with the other islanders for parts and labor.

McKissack, Patricia. GOIN’ SOMEPLACE SPECIAL.  [Picture Book MC]
In segregated 1950s Nashville, a young African-American girl braves a series of indignities and obstacles to get to the one of the few integrated places in town – the public library.

Morrow, Barbara. GOOD NIGHT FOR FREEDOM. [Picture Book MO]

Hallie discovers two runaway slaves and must decide whether to turn them in or help them escape to freedom.

Nelson, Vaunda. ALMOST TO FREEDOM. [Picture Book NE]
Tells the story of a young girl's dramatic escape from slavery via the Underground Railroad, from the perspective of her beloved rag doll.

Nivola, Claire. ELISABETH.  [Picture Book NI]
Forced to flee the Nazis, a young girl and her family eventually end up in the United States where, years later, with a young daughter of her own, she is improbably reunited with the beloved doll she left behind in Germany.

Peterson, Jeanne. DON’T FORGET WINONA. [Picture Book PE]
Like so many Americans in the late 1930s, Winona’s family must flee the dust bowl and begin the long trip west to California in hopes of starting a better life.

Polacco, Patricia. BUTTERFLY.  [J Fiction Polacco]
A story in Picture Book format about how during the Nazi occupation of France, Monique's mother hides a Jewish family in her basement and tries to help them escape to freedom.

Polacco, Patricia. KEEPING QUILT.  [Picture Book PO]
A homemade quilt ties together the lives of four generations of an immigrant Jewish family, remaining a symbol of their enduring love and faith.

Polacco, Patricia. PINK AND SAY.  [J Fiction Polacco]
A story in Picture Book format about a boy named Say Curtis describing his meeting with Pinkus Aylee, a black soldier, during the Civil War, and their capture by Southern troops.

Pushker, Gloria . TOBY BELFER VISITS ELLIS ISLAND. [Picture Book PU]
Toby takes a trip to Ellis Island and retraces her family’s arrival in 1904.

Ransom, Claire . LIBERTY STREET. [Picture Book RA]
Kezia is a young slave, living in nineteenth-century Fredericksburg, Virginia, until her mother helps her escape to freedom.

Reed, Nancy Amis . ORPHANS OF NORMANDY.  [Youth Nonfiction J 940.53 A]
A true story of World War II told through the drawings by children.

Say, Allen . GRANDFATHER’S JOURNEY.  [Caldecott Picture Book SA]
A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America which he later also undertakes, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries.

Shange, Ntozake . ELLINGTON WAS NOT A STREET. [Picture Book SH]
A lyrical tribute to African-American history.

Slate, Joseph. GREAT BIG WAGON THAT RANG: HOW THE LIBERTY BELL WAS SAVED.  [Picture Book SL]
A farmer rescues the Liberty Bell from the British in his big wagon.

Smith, Samuel Francis . AMERICA, MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE (PATRIOTIC SONG SERIES).  [Picture Book SM]
Provides a history and words to the song called “America, My Country Tis of Thee”.

Spinelli, Eileen . SOMETHING TO TELL THE GRANDCOWS. [Picture Book SP]
Hoping to have an adventure to impress her grandcows, Emmadine the cow joins Admiral Richard E. Byrd on his 1933 expedition to the South Pole.

Steig, William. WHEN EVERYBODY WORE A HAT. [Picture Book ST]
The story of when famous illustrator, William Steig, was 8 years old in 1916, when fire engines were pulled by horses, there was no TV, you could see a movie for a nickel and everybody wore a hat.

Stevenson, Harvey. LOOKING AT LIBERTY. [Picture Book ST]
A moving account of the building of the Statue of Liberty, from its conception in France, to its dedication in the New York Harbor in 1886.

Thomsom, Sarah . STARS ANDSTRIPES: THE STORY OF THE AMERICAN FLAG. [JE 929 Early Nonfiction]
An introduction to the history of the American flag.

Turner, Ann .  DUST FOR DINNER.  [Early Reader T]
Jake tells the story of his family’s life in the Oklahoma dust bowl and the journey from their ravaged farm to California during the Great Depression.

U’Ren, Andrea. MARY SMITH. [Picture Book UR]
Before the invention of alarm clocks, early in the morning Mary Smith walks through the town, waking people up by shooting at their windows with her peashooter.

Van Leeuwen, Jean . AMAZING HOT AIR BALLOON.  [Picture Book VA]
On a clear summer day in 1784, an amazing thing happened in the city of Baltimore. An enormous balloon made of multicolored silk rose high above the city.

Vaughan, Marica . ABBIE AGAINST THE STORM.  [Picture Book VA]
A girl tends her family’s  lighthouse during a fierce storm on the coast of Maine in the winter of 1856.

Wargin, Kathy-Jo. EDUMUND FITZGERALD: SONG OF THE BELL. [Picture Book WA]
Describes the voyage and sinking of the giant transport ship, the Edmund Fitzgerald, which was caught in a raging storm while crossing Lake Superior in November, 1975.

Weitzman, David. JOHN BULL: A BRITISH LOCOMOTIVE COMES TO AMERICA. [Picture Book WE]
Describes how John Bull, a steam locomotive, was built in England, brought to the United States in 1831, assembled, put to work, and modified over time, leading the way for modern rail transportation.

Wiles, Debbie. FREEDOM SUMMER. [Picture Book WI]
In 1964, Joe is pleased that a new law will allow his best friend John Henry, who is African American, to share the town pool and other public places with him, but he is dismayed to find that prejudice still exists.

Williams, Sheron . IMANI’S MUSIC.  [Picture Book WI]
Imani, an African grasshopper, brings music to the new world when he travels aboard a slave ship.

Winter, Jeanette . FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD. [Picture Book WI]
An old solider named Peg Leg Jo teaches slaves a special song that will guide them to freedom along the underground railroad.

Winter, Jeanette . KLARA’S NEW WORLD.  [Picture Book WI]
A Swedish family faces many hardships when they emigrate to America in search of a better life.

Yin . COOLIES.  [Picture Book YI]
A young boy hears the story of his great-great-great- grandfather and his brother who came to the United States to make a better life for themselves helping to build the transcontinental railroad.