Hooked on History
By Sandy Meagher

Since we know that the majority of what we read daily is nonfiction, it's important for students to develop an interest in this genre. However, to me, history always seemed dull until I discovered historical fiction. Then I was hooked!

A series plus supplements
An excellent series for middle and upper elementary social studies is "Events That Shaped America," from Gareth Stevens Publishing. Some titles are The Anasazi Culture at Mesa Verde, Arriving at Ellis Island, The Montgomery Bus Boycott and The Battle of Gettysburg. Check www.garethstevens.com/index.html for more.

Some historical fiction titles that complement this series are Finishing Becca (Harcourt, 1994, ISBN: 0-152-05079-5), about Peggy Shippen and Benedict Arnold, by Ann Rinaldi and Evvy's Civil War by Miriam Brenaman (Penguin, 2002, ISBN: 0-399-23713-5), which shows what was expected of a young girl or woman in the 1860s. A book to thrill male readers is Revenge of the Whale by Nathaniel Philbrick (Penguin, 2002, ISBN: 0-142-40068-8). This is the true story of the events of November 20, 1830, when a whale rammed and sank the whaleship Essex. Only eight of the 20 crew members survived, including the 14-year-old cabin boy.

Gripping stories
An excellent collection of stories about the American Revolution is Young Patriots by Marcella Fisher Anderson and Elizabeth Weiss Vollstadt (Boyds Mills Press, 2004, ISBN: 1-590-78241-0). Each story could be used in literature circles for middle graders. The book also includes a bibliography, websites and a glossary.

For a series of high-interest mysteries that incorporate historical fiction try the "Cascade Mountain Railroad Mysteries" by Anne Capeci (Peachtree Publishers).

Digging into history
Recently I collaborated on a project that was very successful with upper middle grade students. I compiled bibliographies of nonfiction and complementary historical fiction books. Students were to read two nonfiction books and one historical fiction book and then report on the aspect of history on which the books focused. The report could be in the form of an art activity, a computer slide presentation, a time line with graphics, etc.

Middle school students were invited to create an art project that showed what they learned from their history readings.

I taught the use of the encyclopedia, computer catalog, use of databases, how to take notes, graphic organizers, etc. Their classroom teacher taught the history using computer presentations, video, text and more. The grade for the project was combined – the teacher determined the final grade after I graded library skills. It pleases me that so many students come to the library and continue to choose historical fiction and nonfiction.

Get ready to write
A book that would be a good springboard for writing instruction is American Moments: Scenes From American History by Robert Burleigh (Holt, 2004, ISBN: 0-805-07082-6). Eighteen remarkable moments from American history are represented and notes at the end of the book clarify each event. Students could use the book as a model to make their own book of historic events.

Another great picture book to use as a writing sample is D is for Drums: A Colonial Williamsburg ABC written and illustrated by Kay Chorao (Abrams, 2004, ISBN: 0-810-9927-X). And the state alphabets from Sleeping Bear Press are wonderful for helping students make books about any topic. Check www.sleepingbearpress.com for downloadable teacher's guides for each book.

Sophisticated picture books
Read-alouds for older students are, many times, chapter books. But here are some picture books that are definitely for older readers. Caesar Rodney's Ride: The Story of an American Patriot, by Jan Cheripko (Boyds Mills Press, 2004, ISBN: 1-590-78065-5), is the true story of the remarkable events of July 1776. Caesar Rodney's journey would change the course of history.

Also try The Lost Colony of Roanoke by Jean Fritz, (G.P. Putnam & Sons, 2004, ISBN: 0-399-24027-6). This gripping story is one of the most puzzling mysteries in America's history. Where did the 115 missing colonists go? What happened? Great food for thought for journal writing, essays or poems.

Journey to Cahokia: A Boy's Visit to the Great Mound City by Albert Lorenz (Abrams, 2004, ISBN: 0-810-95047-2) tells the story of one family's journey to the largest, most developed urban center, the city of Cahokia on the Mississippi River in approximately 1300 CE. This fascinating book contains many photographs of artifacts found during this period.

A picture book series that appeals to older readers is "The Family Heritage Series" from the Vermont Folklife Center. A good title to use when teaching about immigration is The Two Brothers by William Jaspersohn (2000, ISBN: 0-916-71816-6). Heinrich and Fredrich are brothers in Prussia who travel to America separately in the 1880s and end up working on adjacent farms in Vermont. The book includes activities that can help students interview family members or learn about their own local history.

Young survivors
When students encounter current events, many times they're unable to relate to young refugees from war-torn countries. A fine book, Fish, by L.S. Matthews (Random House, 2004, ISBN: 0-385-73180-9), tells of a young boy in a wartime village. Through a treacherous journey, the boy carries a fish in a bucket and the fish gives him hope and strength. I encourage middle grade teachers to use this compelling book as a chapter read-aloud.

A new book by Arthur Dorros, Under the Sun (Abrams, 2004, ISBN: 0-810-94933-4), presents a 13-year-old boy who makes his way alone through war-torn Bosnia. Lovers of survival stories will enjoy this book.

Fiction and nonfiction join forces to make learning fun in the Magic Tree House series.

Classroom resources
Some excellent resources for teachers and librarians are Internet Scavenger Hunts: American History by Michelle Robinette (Scholastic, 2002, ISBN: 0-439-31665-0) and Teaching Social Studies through Literature: Grades 4-6 by Nancy Keane (Linworth Publishing, 2002, ISBN: 1-586-83105-4). They offer great Internet sites and activities for the library or classroom.

Don't miss Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen (International Reading Association, 2002, ISBN: 0-872-07172-3). This book has prompts that focus on writing, prompts that focus on researching and creating projects, forms, graphs, etc. to help teachers and librarians plan.

SPECIAL SECTION
History and social studies resources for parents
Occasionally, parents ask for resources for social studies. Outstanding for all students is the "Go Facts" nonfiction reading and writing series from Newbridge. Some of the titles are Families Help Each Other, Let's Eat!, Clothes and My Family Tree. The accompanying teaching guides include "Reading and Discussing the Text," "Phonemic Awareness" and "Links to Writing." This program teaches the elements of nonfiction text and covers K-5+. Learn more at www.newbridgeonline.com

Another exemplary set of books is the SandCastle series from Abdo Publishing. Parents can go to www.abdopub.com to see books for emerging readers, beginning readers, transitional readers and fluent readers.

Don't forget that wonderful fiction series, "The Magic Tree House," by Mary Pope Osborne. Kids love these books and the nonfiction guides that go with them. If a child enjoyed Magic Tree House #16: Hour of the Olympics (Random House, 1998, ISBN: 0-679-89062-9) and wants to know more about Greece, we can refer the child to the Magic Tree House Research Guide: Ancient Greece and the Olympics (Random House, 2004, ISBN: 0-375-92378-0). The book is written in a readable style, yet it presents factual information. The back matter features information on conducting research and list of museums with exhibits about ancient Greece. Students can also check out
www.randomhouse.com/magictreehouse

Parents are an important part of the learning process. I encourage our students' parents to reinforce their children's learning by visiting local historical museums or attending programs through the library, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H clubs or school groups. As my own children approached third grade we traveled to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Boston. Not only do we have great family memories from these trips, we also learned a lot.

Wherever you live, try to involve children, parents and friends in learning about culture. Not only does learning take place, it's lots of fun too!

Sandy Meagher is the Library Department Chairperson and School Librarian in the Wayne Highlands School District, Honesdale, PA.