The Civil War: Text Set 3

This text set is a collection of books about the Civil War. 

Henry and the Freedom Box: A True Story From the Underground Rail Road by Ellen Levine

Ages 7-10

            This picture book is about the true story of a little boy who escapes from slavery by hiding in a wooden box. The illustrations in this book are beautiful and the story is gripping. I would use this book as a read aloud in the classroom. 

Magic Tree House Civil War on Sunday by Mary Pope Osborne

Ages 8-9

            The Magic Tree House series is about a brother and sister who travel to different time periods through their magic tree house. In this book, Annie and Jake travel back to the time of the Civil War and help Clara Barton heal wounded soldiers.

B is for Battle Cry: A Civil War Alphabet by Patricia Bauer

Ages 6-9

            This book is an alphabet book where each letter of the alphabet is represented by one word that relates to the Civil War, such as specific battles and leaders. I think this book is appropriate for younger grades because the information is realistic but not too harsh.

I am Abraham Lincoln by Brad Meltzer

Ages 5-8

            This book is part of a series called Ordinary People Change the World. The book contains child like language and cartoon based images. I like this book because it is informative but I think students would like the fun cartoon themed images and appropriate language. I would like for students to read this book with a partner or I could use it as a read aloud. 

Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter

Ages 8-10

            This timeless book is the story of how a song leads slaves to freedom by following the North Star. Although there is some discrepancy on the exact history of this song, the story is engaging and memorable. I also like how this story incorporates music into the lesson.

Follow The Drinking Gourd website

Ages 10 and up

            This website contains a lot of information about the history of this story. Students can explore what the song lyrics mean, interpretations from the last twenty years, how we know what we know, and other interesting information about the song. I would like to share this website with students in a small group setting.

http://www.followthedrinkinggourd.org/index.htm

Eyewitness Civil War by Dorling Kindersley 

Ages 8-12

            The Eye Witness collection of books by DK is known for their pictures and factual information. I would have students examine this text individually or with a partner. The images of soldiers’ uniforms, weapons, and lifestyle during the Civil War will help students understand even more what it was like. 

Brain Pop Civil War

Ages 7-10

            Brain Pop is a website that shows short clips on a variety of content area topics like math, science, and social studies. Although the school needs to have a subscription to the website in order to watch the videos, individual students do not. I like to use Brain Pop clips as an introduction to a lesson or new concept. There are several videos available on the Civil War.

Ghosts of the Civil War by Cheryl Harness

Ages 7-10

            This graphic novel is the story of a girl who thinks the Civil War is just another history lesson, until she meets the gosh of Abraham Lincoln and is transferred back in time. I chose to add this book to my text set because it is a graphic novel that discusses ghosts in this historical topic. I feel that it is somewhat edgy and students would enjoy it. 

CivilWar@Smithsonian

Ages 8 and up

            The Smithsonian’s website contains a significant amount of information about the civil war. I thought the most informative information is a timeline of the Civil War and links to other websites for more information. Since this information is posted on the Smithsonian’s website I feel that it can be trusted to be accurate.

http://www.civilwar.si.edu/timeline.html