Book Lists — Early American History

Thanks to B-Mama’s comments on theme reading this summer, which is, to me, the best part of homeschooling which school kids can do with their families, I thought I would start to share some of my own book lists.  I have been putting this off for years because I wanted to pretty them up, but something is better than nothing!  I am going to add a new category and perhaps eventually we can even add a tab for this topic, since many of us have many great book lists!  Reading is a big, big part of Building Cathedrals.

Early American History Book List

For myself, I read Washington’s Crossing by David Hackett Fischer — and Abigail Adams by Woody Holton.  This was amazing, because I don’t generally read non-fiction, but it helped so much.  My goal is to read along with the time period for at least a few books a year, so I have more interest to share and a broader understanding of the topic I am teaching.

Leif the Lucky by D’Aulaire

Pedro’s Journal

Pocahontas and the Strangers by Robert Clyde Bulla

Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne

The Landing of the Pilgrims by James Daugherty

Who’s That Stepping on Plymouth Rock by Jean Fritz

What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin by Jean Fritz

Ben and Me by Robert Lawson

And Then What Happened, Paul Revere by Jean Fritz

Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George by Jean Fritz

A Picture Book of Benjamin Franklin by David A. Adler

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

George Washington’s Socks by Elvira Woodruff

The Winter at Valley Forge by James E. Knight

Phoebe The Spy by Judith Berry Griffin

Meet Thomas Jefferson by Marvin Barrett

If You Grew Up with George Washington by Ruth Belov Gross

A Picture Book of George Washington by David A Adler

Silver for General Washington by Enid LaMonte Meadowcroft

Childhood of Famous Americans George Washington, Ben Franklin, Paul Revere, Molly Pitcher, Abigail Adams

The Revolutionary John Adams by Cheryl Harness

Thomas Jefferson by Cheryl Harness

The Felicity Books by Valerie Tripp

When Washington Crossed the Delaware by Lynne Cheney

The American Revolution: Hands on History by Innovative Kids

G is for Garden State by Eileen Cameron

State Shapes: New Jersey by Erin McHugh

National Geographic: Our Fifty States

The Scrambled State of America book and game

Films:

HBO John Adams Film (content advisory –we skipped around and mostly showed stuff only from the beginning)

The Patriot

The Crossing

New Jersey and American History Field Trips

Washington Crossing State Park NJ/PA and Johnson’s Ferry House

Trenton Barracks Museum

Valley Shepherd Creamery

NJ State Museum

St. Mary’s Cathedral (Diocese of Trenton)

The Jersey Shore (Belmar)

Princeton University

The White House/Mount Vernon