A Bibliography of Books and Materials for Teachers and Students

Angelou, Maya. Kofi and his Magic. (NY: Clarkson Potter Publishers, 1996)

______. My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken and Me. (NY: Clarkson Potter Publishers, 1994)

Alicea, Gil C. and Carmine DeSena. The Air Down Here: True Tales from a South Bronx Boyhood. (San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 1995) For middle and high school students.

Berger, Melvin and Gilda. Where Did Your Family Come From? A Book About Immigrants. (Nashville, TN: Ideals Children's Books/Discovery Readers, 1993) Explains immigration and concentrates on the lives of four young immigrants today, from Russia, Mexico, Italy and Korea.

Berliner, Alan (Director). Nobody's Business. (New York: Milestone Film and Video, 1996.)  Berliner "takes on his reclusive father as the reluctant subject of his poignant and graceful study of family history and memory.(60 minutes.)

Boy Scouts of America. Genealogy. (Irving, TX: Boy Scouts of America, 1995) Handbook for completing a merit badge on genealogy.

Breckler, Rosemary K. Huang Breaks the Lucky Teapot. (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1992) About a Vietnamese family; appropriate for elementary students.

Caney, Steven. Kids' America. (New York: Workman Publishing, 1978)

Caroli, Betty Boyd. Immigrants Who Returned Home. (New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1990) Explores a rarely-discussed aspect of immigration.

Cobb, Mary. The Quilt Block History of Pioneer Days, with Projects Kids Can Make. (Brookfield, CT: The Millbrook Press, 1995) An activity book for elementary and middle school students.

Davis, John Rivard. Not Merely Ancestors: A Guide for Teaching Genealogy in the Schools. (Baltimore, MD: Clearfield Company by Genealogical Publishing Co., 1993)

Dollarhide, William. British Origins of American Colonists, 1629-1775 . (Bountiful, UT: Heritage Quest, 1997) Includes maps.

Donahue, Barbara, and the Farmington Historical Society Research Team. Speaking for Ourselves: African American Life in Farmington, Connecticut. (Farmington, CT: Farmington Historical Society, 1998) This catalog was prepared to accompany a traveling exhibit presented by the Farmington Historical Society. Full of original photos and documents, it is a creative model for other projects documenting local history.Topics include race and color; names; personal stories; African American slaves and free Blacks in New England in the 18th and 19th centuries; the Amistad revolt; and a useful timeline of New England events from 1635 to the present. Probably appropriate for 5th grade to adult.

Dresser, Norine. I Felt Like I Was From Another Planet: Writing From Personal Experience. (Addison-Wesley, Innovative Learning, 1994) For middle school students.

Flexner, Stuart Berg. Listening to America: An Illustrated History of Words and Phrases from Our Lively and Splendid Past. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982) For middle school and high school students.

Fradin, Dennis Brindell and Judith Bloom Fradin. From Sea to Shining Sea: Puerto Rico. (Chicago, Children's Press, 1995) A look at life in Puerto Rico today; its history; and a glossary of words.

Friedman, Ina R. How My Parents Learned to Eat. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1984) A Reading Rainbow selection.

Gift to the Future2000, Inc. Your Story: A Guided Interview Through Your Personal & Family History. (Rhinebeck, NY: Gift to the Future2000, Inc., 1992)

Hakim, Joy. A History of Us: Liberty For All? (NY: Oxford University Press, 1994)

Hausherr, Rosemarie. Celebrating Families. (New York: Scholastic Press, 1997) 

Hunter, Latoya. The Diary of Latoya Hunter: My First Year of Junior High School. (New York: Crown Publishers, 1992) For middle school students.

Jungreis, Abigail. Know Your Hometown History: Projects and Activities. (New York: Franklin Watts, 1992)

Kraus, Joanna Halpert. Tall Boy's Journey. (Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books, Inc., 1992) For elementary students.

Lee, Kathleen. Tracing Our Italian Roots. (Santa Fe, NM: John Muir Publications, 1993, part of the American Origins Series)

Levine, Ellen. ....If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island. (New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1993)

Magocsi, Paul R. The Russian Americans. (New York and Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1989). Part of The Peoples of North America series. This series "celebrates our common ethnic heritage. Each volume tells the story of a specific native immigrant or native population, describing their history, examining their culture, and following their achievements up to the present as they continue to enrich the continent..."

Metcalf, Fay D. and Matthew T. Downey. Using Local History in the Classroom. (Nashville, TN: American Association for State and Local History, no date).

Moscinski, Sharon. Tracing Our Polish Roots. (Santa Fe, NM: John Muir Publications, 1994. Part of the American Origins Series)

_____. Tracing Our Irish Roots. (Santa Fe, NM: John Muir Publications, 1993. Part of the American Origins Series)

Murphy, Jim. Across America on an Immigrant Train. (New York: Scholastic Books, 1993) Illustrated, bibliography.

Pferdehirt, Julia, and staff at Knowledge Unlimited. One Nation, Many Peoples: Immigration in the United States A Resource Book. (Madison, WI: Knowledge Unlimited, 1997). Includes historical summaries, primary source documents, reproducible activities, creative projects and research ideas.

Provenzo, Eugene F., Jr., Asterie Baker Provenzo and Peter A. Zorn, Jr. Pursuing the Past: Oral History, Photography, Family History and Cemeteries (Vol. I). (Menlo Park, CA and Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1984)

_____. Pursuing the Past: Maps and Mapping, City and Neighborhood, Architecture, and the World of Work (Vol. II) . (Menlo Park, CA and Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1984) Includes teacher's guide and reproducible activity sheets

Sims, Glenda. Who Am I? Investigating Personal History Grades 4-6. (Cypress, CA: Creative Teaching Press, 1994)

Smead, Howard. The Afro-Americans. (New York and Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1989). Part of The Peoples of North America series.

Taylor, Maureen A. Through the Eyes of Your Ancestors: A Step-by-Step Guide to Uncovering Your Family's History. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999) Written for young people and/or adults on a variety of ways to explore family history including names and what they mean, oral history techniques, computer applications, and much more. Features many photographs and helpful charts. Maureen Taylor is a regular contributor to New England Ancestors .

______. Uncovering Your Ancestry through Family Photographs. (Cincinnati, OH: Betterway Books, 1999) Follow this guide's step-by-step instructionsin identifying different family photographs by date, location, and photographer.

Weitzman, David. My Backyard History Book. (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1975) Hands-on history activities.

______. Underground . Hands-on activities and creative ways to explore history with young people.

Wilber, Jessica. Totally Private and Personal: Journaling Ideas for Girls and Young Women. (Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing, Inc., 1996) Ideas for journal writing and related topics for girls grade 6 and up.

Whiston, Norris, and his 5th Grade Students of Tatamagouche Elementary School (Nova Scotia) of 1987-1988. Forgotten Corners: Volume I. Historical Fiction About Our Ancestors in the 1700s in their Native Lands and Genealogies of 66 Immigrant First Families .

Willard, Jim and Terry, with Jane Wilson. Do People Grow on Family Trees? Genealogy for Kids and Other Beginners . (New York: Workman Publishing, 1991) Includes a teacher's guide . Appropriate for all grade levels.

Yans-McLaughlin, Virginia, and Marjorie Lightman, with The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation. Ellis Island and the Peopling of America: The Official Guide . (New York: The New Press, 1997) Six sections: scholars discuss how immigration shaped American history; immigration to the U.S. from the Age of Exploration to the present; immigration policy past and present and how Ellis Island was used; the individual immigrant's experience through historical documents, maps and charts; how this guide may be used as a teaching resource; a bibliography for teachers; annotated listing of related films, videos and filmstrips. Timeline and illustrations included. For older students (grades 6 or 7 and higher).