ELL

HISTORY

Reading levels are indicated: “beginning” is for readers who are starting to learn English, while “intermediate” and “advanced” are for readers with some experience in the language.
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Bartali's Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy's Secret Hero
by Megan Hoyt
The inspiring, true story of Gino Bartali, a beloved Italian cyclist and secret champion in the fight for Jewish lives during World War II. (beginning)
For Which We Stand 
​by Jeff Foster
Illustrations and infographics combine wih clear text to explain how the government of the United States works. ​Discusses the branches of the federal government, political parties, the electoral process, and the different responsibilities of city, state, and federal governments. Brief explanations of the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation and a thorough description of the Constitution. (nonfiction) (advanced)
Forgotten Founders: Black Patriots, Women Soldiers, and Other Thinkers and Heroes Who Shaped Early America 
​by Mifflin Lowe
Features brave men and women who were vital contributors to the founding of the United States, but are often not mentioned in accounts of the "Founding Fathers." In addition to the profiles, there are sidebars with fun facts and "think deeper" questions that encourage readers to do deep dives into the historical questions that arise from the text. (nonfiction) (intermediate-advanced)
History Smashers series
​by Tod Olson
The Mayflower
Read any of the books from this series that uses primary sources to debunk common misconceptions about the Wampanoag and the pilgrims, women's voting and the American Revolution. (advanced)
In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, and Years after the 9/11 Attacks 
​by Don Brown
For a new generation living in a post-9/11 era, Brown writes and illustrates the events of the terrorist attack immediately after not only at Ground Zero but the country and military operations abroad. With a style that befits the mood, the combination of words and art shines. (advanced)
Muhammad Najem, War Reporter: How One Boy Put the Spotlight on Syria 
​by Muhammad Najem
The war in Syria began when Muhammad was eight. By the time he was 15, it was still going on and he had had enough. He began using his phone and social media to report on how the war was affecting him and other kids. (memoir in graphic novel format) (beginning)
Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration
​by Elizabeth Partridge
After the attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II, the United States government moved Japanese Americans into so-called internment camps. Three photographers documented life in the camp called Manzanar. Dorothea Lange was asked by the government to document the conditions. Toyo Miyatake was a resident of the camp who took pictures secretly. Ansel Adams was hired by the director of the camp. Their different perspectives are combined in this book to show a more complete picture of those who experienced this unjust imprisonment. (nonfiction) (beginning)
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You
​by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
This reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future. It takes you on a race journey from then to now, shows you why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. (advanced)
They Called Us Enemy
by George Takei
Takei revisits his haunting childhood in American concentration camps, as one of over 100,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned by the U.S. government during World War II. Told in a black and white graphic novel format. (intermediate)
Torpedoed! The True Story of the WWII Sinking of “The Children’s Ship”
by Deborah Heiligman
In September 1940, passenger liner SS City of Benares set sail for Canada with one hundred children on board. The boat and It’s passengers  never made it to Canada, but out of the tragedy, many heroes emerged. (intermediate)
Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem 
by Rosalyn Schanzer
Examines the famous Massachusetts witch hunt that took more than a dozen lives and ruined hundreds more.  (advanced)
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