Adler, David. A Picture Book Rosa Parks. New York: Holiday House, 1993.

This book portrays the life story of Rosa Parks. It gives a detailed description of her childhood in the segregated South, and gives students a basic account of segregation and racism, covering topics like the NAACP, the Ku Klux Klan and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It also shows Rosa Parks' career fighting racism before and after her historic bus ride. A time line in the back gives students important dates to remember in the civil rights movement. The drawings are water colored, and often blend into the text.

Boone-Jones, Margaret. Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Picture Story. Chicago: Children's Press, 1968.

This book serves as an introduction to the King family, beginning with early childhood. It shows how King had a normal childhood, and how he liked things just like every other kid. As King got older, his white friends began to stop coming over to play and he was prohibited from going to certain places. This deeply influenced King. This book shows how King graduated at a very young age from high school to go to college, and also covers his career as a civil rights leader. Simple colored drawings.

Brandt, Keith. Rosa Parks: Fightfight for Freedom. Troll Associates, 1993.

This begins with her famous bus ride, where she refuses to sit at the back of the bus. It follows her decision not to follow the court-imposed fine that began the bus boycotts. It also touches on the racism that prevailed throughout the American south. It shows her career in the civil rights movement and in the NAACP. This book contains a lot of text and sketch drawings.

Coles, Robert. The Story of Ruby Bridges. New York. Scholastic, Inc., 1995.

This is a biography of Ruby Bridges that describes her poor childhood in the South. It tells of her trials while attending her integrated school. It shows Ruby's strength at a very young age in the face of racism, and accounts the taunting crowds that Ruby faced every day going to school.

Fritz, Jean. Just A Few Words Mr. Lincoln. New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1993.

This story takes place during Lincoln's presidency. It describes the day in-day out life of Lincoln. It also shows his relationship with his son and how they would play together. It covers the history of the battle of Gettysburg and how it impacted the Civil War. It contains both photography and drawings.

Jassern, Kate. Sacajawea: Wilderness Guide. New York. Troll Associates.

This book begins with Sacajawea's kidnapping during a Native American battle, and her life as a slave for another tribe. She is then, sold to a trapper and is then brought north. She is married to the trapper, and he introduces her to Lewis and Clark. She becomes their guide. She has a child, and they travel across the continent with Lewis and Clark. This book contains Sketch drawings and is text heavy.

Kirkpatrick, Katherine. Redcoats and Petticoats. New York: Scholastic lnc., 1999.

This book is told from the perspective of a young boy during the Revolutionary War, and shows how children and women helped rebel soldiers by spying on British soldiers. It takes place on Long Island, New York, and briefly covers some history of the period. It contains a brief page on George Washington and gives historical notes and easy-to-understand maps.

McDonnell, Janet. Martin Luther King Day. Chicago: Children's Press, 1993.

This book begins with a fictional story of a young girl decorating with her grandfather for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The young girl asks why they celebrate the holiday, and the grandfather sits her down and explains the life of King. This book has activity pages for children. It also lists more facts about King on the last page. It has simple watercolor drawings.

Penner, Recht Lucille. Sitting Bull. New York Grosser and Dunlap, Inc., 1995.

This book covers the life story of the famous Native American chief Sitting Bull, and follows his brave exploits as a child warrior to his death on a reservation. It gives insight into Indian culture and storytelling. It gives a brief but candid description of white and Native American relations in early America, and covers historical topics like Custer's Last Stand and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The illustrations are colorful with soft coloring, and it contains many action scenes.

Woods, Andrew. Young Squanto: The First Thanksgiving. Troll Associates, 1996.

This biography of young Native American boy Squanto covers his early voyages as a guide for European settlers. It also covers his life in England and his life as a slave in Spain. The book ends with his return to America to find his people killed by European diseases. He befriends the pilgrims, shows them how to farm, and celebrates the first Thanksgiving with them.

• Use any of these books to support the appropriate section in an American History curriculum
• Use the books on Civil Rights themes during Black History Month