Growing Readers Will Love These Books About History

History plays an important role in determining the values we hold on a personal, cultural, and societal level — and books provide kids with a great way to understand that. 

This book list captures riveting tales from different eras, from ancient civilizations to World War II, and even current events. These interesting reads bring the past to life and will help your child understand the events that have shaped our world today. 

Historical Fiction About Slavery

Many teachers recommend the book Henry’s Freedom Box, a riveting story about Henry Brown, a boy born into slavery. He doesn’t know how old he is because nobody keeps records of slaves’ birthdays. Years later, Henry attempts to mail himself to the North in a crate. After a long journey, Henry finally has his birthday wish: freedom.  

Powerful Women in History

The Who Was Series Pack: Amazing Ladies celebrates five inspiring women from different periods in history and the important contributions they have made to society, such as championing for women’s rights to an education. These empowering reads highlight contemporary activists, like Malala Yousafzai, and significant figures of the past, such as Sojourner Truth. Ask your child questions about the books they read to help them hone their reading comprehension skills. 

A Visual Novel About 9/11 

For graphic novel lovers, I Survived Graphic Novel: The Attacks of September 11, 2001 recounts one of the most tragic attacks in modern history through the eyes of a boy named Lucas, whose life is forever changed after that fateful day. 

There’s even a nonfiction section in the back of the book with real-life images from the scene. For more graphic novels about other important points in history, check out the I Survived Graphic Novel collection. 

Gripping Stories for Older Readers

For older kids learning about World War II, Prisoner B-3087 covers the Holocaust and the Nazi invasion in various parts of Europe. It follows Yanek, a Jewish boy who has been taken to 10 different concentration camps and is fighting to survive. But amid the horror and tragedy around him, Yanek finds hope.

If your child is interested in similar books, the Alan Gratz Collection has action-packed titles covering different periods of significant historical events.

Shop more books about history below! You can find all books and resources at The Scholastic Store. 

Explore more children's books by age and interest. For more books that will appeal to history lovers, check out picture books about girls who change the world and the full list of I Survived historical fiction novels (perfect for grades 3+). Plus, see our guide for how to talk to your child about civil rights. 

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