Handpicked by Our Editors

Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson
Age 5+
4

Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson

Why We Recommend It

Jackie Robinson was special on the baseball field and off. His daughter's bio of the slugger-as-dad emphasizes courage.

Read our full review
Finding great books for children makes them lifelong readers.

When you give your children books they love, you give them a gift that lasts forever. But finding books that appeal to kids when there's so much else competing for their time has become really tough. Our recommended lists by theme and topic will help you find books for children of all ages and interests, from All Things Harry Potter to the best books to share with dads.

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showing: history
AliensAreComing.jpg
Aliens Are Coming! by Meghan McCarthy
Parents Need to Know...

that this picture book describes the very real drama following the 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast. The content is handled very well, but the story is likely to prompt conversations about public panic, trusting news reports, and ... read more

Age 5+
Aliens Are Coming!
4
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The Train of States by Peter Sis
Parents Need to Know...

that this isn't a book that you'll want to read straight through. Instead, it's a book to explore, full of fascinating facts that encourages you to flip around, skipping to the information that most interests you and coming back again and ... read more

Age 5+
The Train of States
4
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Presidents' Day
Parents Need to Know...

that this book is a friendly and fun introduction to four of our most famous presidents. read more

Age 4+
Presidents' Day
3
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Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out by Various Various
Parents Need to Know...

that the main thing to be concerned with here is context and accuracy. Some opinion is presented as fact, some facts are simply wrong, and some are presented without their historical context, all of which will require help and ... read more

Age 9+
Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out
3
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Madam President: The Extraordinary, True (and Evolving) Story of Women in Politics by Catherine Thimmesh
Parents Need to Know...

that this collection of stories about women in politics is an inspiring introduction to amazing women from the United States, as well as a few from other countries. Though it's far from being complete, it presents a solid beginning. ... read more

Age 9+
Madam President: The Extraordinary, True (and Evolving) Story of Women in Politics
4
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Tuttle's Red Barn by Richard Michelson
Parents Need to Know...

that, as this story follows the Tuttle farm through 12 generations, it traces the development of the United States from the days of the early settler to the present time. Readers get a good sense of important milestones in American ... read more

Age 5+
Tuttle's Red Barn
4
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Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz
Parents Need to Know...

that there is some violence here, including what would now be considered child abuse, and that medieval Christian society was prejudiced against Jews and Muslims. read more

Age 9+
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village
5
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The Secret World of Hildegard by Jonah Winter
Parents Need to Know...

that this biography only gives part of the story of Hildegard and creates a strange, somewhat terrifying, mystical world that might disturb some kids. The book is quite religious in nature and a better fit for those with a specific ... read more

Age 8+
The Secret World of Hildegard
3
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Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh
Parents Need to Know...

that there is nothing to concern parents, and much to inspire children, in this book. read more

Age 9+
Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon
4
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Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building by Deborah Hopkinson
Parents Need to Know...

that there's not much to be concerned about here, but some things may need explanation and context. This takes place during the Great Depression, and your kids may want to know why children are scavenging for firewood in the streets of ... read more

Age 5+
Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building
4
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Castle: Medieval Days and Knights by Kyle Olmon
Parents Need to Know...

that this pop-up book is so chock full of historical information that kids won't be able to take it all in on the first round. A bloodless joust is illustrated, and readers learn about armor and battles. read more

Age 7+
Castle: Medieval Days and Knights
5
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Pirates by John Matthews
Parents Need to Know...

that this look at historical pirate life includes discussion of torture, execution, and war. Illustrations of weapons include splashes of blood underneath knives and axes. The book also includes a recipe for grog (a rum drink) and a ... read more

Age 8+
Pirates
4
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Rosa by Nikki Giovanni
Parents Need to Know...

that this book deals with the historical realities of discrimination, focusing on Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott, but also mentioning the Emmet Till lynching. Much is left unexplained, and an adult will be needed to fill in the ... read more

Age 4+
Rosa
4
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Anno's U.S.A. by Mitsumasa Anno
Parents Need to Know...

that this is a selective visual history of the United States, full of cunning and humor, with each two-page spread capable of sparking an extended discussion on the pictured locale. The horse rider's journey is depicted in stunning, ... read more

Age 4+
Anno's U.S.A.
4
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Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-Li Jiang
Parents Need to Know...

that the foreign words and phrases in this book can be confusing, though the glossary is helpful. Jiang's writing sometimes strains for effect, and the narrative ends abruptly, but the story is engaging. read more

Age 13+
Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution
4
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We Are Witnesses: Five Teenagers Who Died in the Holocaust by Jacob Boas
Parents Need to Know...

that the diary excerpts lack the power of a continuous narrative, though their cumulative effect is devastating. Only one photo of each diarist is provided; they range from muddy to riveting. read more

Age 13+
We Are Witnesses: Five Teenagers Who Died in the Holocaust
4
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If You Grew Up With George Washington by Ruth Belov Gross
Parents Need to Know...

that the illustrations will help children familiarize themselves with new words. The question-answer format breaks history up into fascinating bite-size chunks. read more

Age 6+
If You Grew Up With George Washington
4
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Buried Blueprints: Maps and Sketches of Lost Worlds and Mysterious Places by Albert Lorenz
Parents Need to Know...

that Imaginative kids will study the maps and illustrations despite the visual overload, and the tongue-in-cheek but unpolished and sometimes historically confusing essays might entertain them and adults reading aloud. But the line ... read more

Age 11+
Buried Blueprints: Maps and Sketches of Lost Worlds and Mysterious Places
3
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Mill by David Macaulay
Parents Need to Know...

that this story has a Dickensian atmosphere and explains lucidly how a mill worked -- and why. read more

Age 9+
Mill
5
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Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp by Jerry Stanley
Parents Need to Know...

that a matter-of-fact writing style and striking photographs combine to tell the intense, personal story of dislocated children and the school they attended. read more

Age 12+
Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp
5
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On Board the Titanic: What It Was Like When the Great Liner Sank by Shelley Tanaka
Parents Need to Know...

that one of the book's diagrams depicts the number of survivors according to their station on the boat. It's tragic -- although no shock -- that the higher one's class, the higher one's chance of survival. read more

Age 9+
On Board the Titanic: What It Was Like When the Great Liner Sank
3

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