Did you ever wonder what was it like to live a long time ago? Here's your chance to find out! These books are fiction, meaning that most of the people are made up by the authors, but the authors did a lot of research first to make sure what they wrote was based on things that really did happen! So dive in and find out what it would have been like if you lived in the United States 30, 100, even 300 years ago!
Child fiction book, and e-audiobook. Morning Girl, who loves the day, and her younger brother Star Boy, who loves the night, take turns describing their life on an island in pre-Columbian America; in Morning Girl's last narrative, she witnesses the arrival of the first Europeans to her world. Grade: 4+
Child fiction book. A fictionalized biography of Phillis Wheatley who was brought to America from Gambia as a slave and who later gained fame as an African American poet of great renown, from her time in Africa until she gained her freedom. Grade: 4+
Child fiction book, e-book, audiobook on CD, and e-audiobook. In 1687 in Connecticut, Kit Tyler, feeling out of place in the Puritan household of her aunt, befriends an old woman considered a witch by the community and suddenly finds herself standing trial for witchcraft. Grade: 5+
Child fiction book. At thirteen, Jonathan dreams of fighting in the American Revolution. Almost by accident, he is recruited into a fighting unit and experiences the reality of war, including being taken prisoner and coming to grips with his feelings about shooting to kill. Grade: 5+
Child fiction book, and e-audiobook. Recounts the tragedy that strikes the Meeker family during the Revolution when one son joins the rebel forces while the rest of the family tries to stay neutral in a Tory town. Grade: 6+
Child fiction book, e-book, large print, audiobook on CD, and e-audiobook. Johnny Tremain, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught up in the danger and excitement of 1775 Boston, just before the Revolutionary War. But even more gripping than living through the drama of Revolutionary Boston is the important discovery Johnny makes in his own life. Grade: 6+
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. Eleven-year-old Abigail presents a diary account of life in Valley Forge from December 1777 to July 1778 as General Washington prepares his troops to fight the British. Part of the Dear America series. Grade: 5+
Child fiction book. In 1776, eleven-year-old Felicity suspects that an amateur naturalist visiting her family's Virginia plantation may actually be a British spy mapping Patriot plantations in advance of British raids. Includes historical information about the Revolutionary War. A Felicity Mystery in the American Girl series.. Grade: 3+
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. From his 1776 Pennsylvania homestead, thirteen-year-old Samuel, who is a highly-skilled woodsman, sets out toward New York City to rescue his parents from the band of British soldiers and Indians who kidnapped them after slaughtering most of their community. Grade: 6+
Child fiction book. The Thrifty Guide to the American Revolution is the greatest travel guide in all of history, and we know because we checked all of history! Where else can you find answers to common tourist questions like: Should I pack my powdered wig? How can I snag an invitation to the Boston Tea Party? How can I score a lunch with Alexander Hamilton? Book 2 in The Thrifty Guide series. Grade: 4-6.
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. Eleven-year-old Nate was traveling to meet his father in New York City when he got caught up in a battle of the American Revolution. Part of the I Survived series. Grade 4+
Child fiction book, and e-book. For almost nine-year-old Hannah Perley of Fairfield, Connecticut, growing up means facing new challenges, both great and small--from saving the life of a baby lamb to helping the family prepare to send her brother Ben to join the colonial soldiers in the American Revolutionary War. Grade: 3+
Children fiction book, e-book, audiobook on CD, and e-audiobook. A fictionalized look at the last twenty years of Thomas Jefferson's life at Monticello through the eyes of three of his slaves, two of whom were his sons by his slave, Sally Hemings. Grade: 6+
Child fiction book, e-book, and audiobook on CD. Did you ever wonder where inventors get their ideas? Benjamin Franklin was one of the most famous inventors in American history, and according to this amusing book, he got most of his ideas--the good ones at any rate - from a mouse! Once you've met Amos the mouse, you'll always remember Benjamin Franklin a little differently than the history books do. Grade: 4+