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American Historical Fiction


SunnyDays
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I'm putting together my own American History outline this year, and I'm filling in with some literature selections. I have several good ideas for most time periods, but I need suggestions for early America after the revolution and early westward expansion. Basically after the Constitution but before the Civil War. :)

 

Ideas?? This is for my 4th grader, and I'm looking for books that he can read on his own or that we can read aloud, probably 4th - 6th grade level. Thanks!!

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Well, I go to American Girl books when I can, but I see you have a boy. You might still look at the Addy American Girl series. If he can get over the fact that it says "girl" in the series name, it is a good book for that age about a girl and her family escaping slavery on the underground railroad and then about their lives after freedom.

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In the American History (link in my siggy) that I put together for us (and we are still working through), we had the following historical fiction on the list:

Journeyman

Swift Rivers*

anything on Lewis & Clark (Lewis & Clark Expedition)

Naya Nuki

Justin Morgan Had a Horse

Amazing Impossible Erie Canal

By the Great Horn Spoon*

Riding the Pony Express

The Great Turkey Walk*

 

* Stars are by the ones we really enjoyed. Many of these are on the Sonlight list(s).

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Yes, I did look at the Sonlight list, that's where I got most of the ideas I DO have, LOL!! But, I looked at the one year condensed list, maybe I need to see the expanded lists for the two years.

 

As for Addy and American Girls? Um, that won't fly. I tried suggesting one of those last year. He is NOT interested. But thanks for the suggestion!!

 

RootAnn, thanks, I will take a look at the books you starred, I do recognize a few from the Sonlight list.

 

Any other ideas, keep them coming. Any good suggestions for Lewis and Clark? I remember a couple books told from the viewpoint of the dog, I need to look those up. I absolutely love his story!!

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Would "The Sign of the Beaver" and "Sarah Whitcher's Story" fit in this time period? Or are those pre-Revolution? I'm not sure and can't tell from the descriptions. :)

 

My All Through the Ages book lists Sign of the Beaver as being set during the "Colonial Wars" (1690-1765). Sarah Whitcher's Story is listed in the "Pre-Civil War / National Growth & Westward Expansion in the 19th Century." So, No for your first & Yes for your second. :001_smile:

 

And while I was looking for those, I saw that Justin Morgan Had a Horse & Journeyman are not in your requested timeframe either. They are both listed as taking place "during the Revolution." (I think they span a time greater (including after) than that, but understand why they are listed there.)

 

All the ones I starred have boys as the main characters and include action/adventure.

 

There are a LOT of Lewis & Clark books. I think there are some threads on here about good ones - depending on the age of your kid. I've linked a few threads. Some of the Seaman ones are for youngers. I saw one listed in All Through the Ages called Seaman: The Dog Who Explored the West with Lewis & Clark by Gail Langer Karwoski that was in the 4th-6th grade section. I don't have any personal recommendations however.

 

Best of luck. There are some REALLY nice books in that timeframe.

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I'm working on something similar...I've found http://www.abookintime.com/ to be really helpful. I also purchased All Through The Ages http://www.nothingnewpress.com/atta.shtml and found it to be a really great resource. Or check my blog (see link in siggy) later in the week and I'll be posting a link to my list hopefully by Thursday at the latest.

Edited by kirstenhill
Grammar
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This is what we used/are using:

 

Little House By Boston Bay (there are also sequels On Tide Mill Lane, The Road from Roxbury, and Beyond the Puddingstone Dam - all about Laura Ingalls Wilder's grandmother, Charlotte, around the War of 1812)

By the Great Horn Spoon

Ben and Me

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