Let’s Get Kids Excited to Learn About American History With Books!
American History Books, that are fun to read, are an incredible way to get children excited to learn more about the history of the United States. And I am a sucker for these types of educational books.
Over the years I have collected a wealth of these types of books about the United States to share with my children. When they were young, I would read these books to them and now that they are older, they actually choose to read them themselves, just for fun. Some of these American history books have been great, and some not so much. Below I listed our favorites!
Reading these American history books has greatly increased my children’s appreciation for our country, fostered their love of history in general, and it has also helped them to understand the importance behind the historical sites we visit when we travel. (Reading about a historical site before visiting it can turn a potentially boring road trip site (like a battlefield or monument) into something much more exciting because from reading, they actually know what happened there. And now they aren’t wondering why they are staring at an empty grass field or having no clue why that monument they’re looking at is significant.)
The books listed below turn possibly boring historical events into an action-packed stories. They transport the reader to different time periods and really help them understand what life was like. These American history books open the reader’s eyes to other people’s past hardships and they help them understand more about what’s behind some of the current events of even today. These American history books bring history to life in such an incredible way and I hope you love them as much as we do!
Below, I Would Love To Share With You
Top American History Books for Kids that are Fun to Read
TOP AMERICAN HISTORY BOOKS FOR KIDS
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BOOK CATEGORIES IN THIS POST
*Click on Any Book Title Below for More Information
This book explains what it was like to live in the New England Colonies. Kids will love learning about what colonial schools were like, the games kids used to play, what they ate and more.
This is my favorite series for understanding how different groups of people lived.
Discover fascinating facts in this book about what it was like for people who sailed on the Mayflower and their life once they reached Plymouth.What did the pilgrims take with them on the Mayflower? How did they keep clean? Did they land on Plymouth Rock? And more.
This is my favorite series for understanding how different groups of people lived.
This book is designed for younger readers and retells the story of the Pilgrims first year in America. (ages 3-7)
Historical Boston & the Revolutionary War:
Fantastic American history books for kids to read before visiting historical sites, battlefields and monuments in the Northeast United States sites from the Revolutionary War.
This book is great for older children that want to learn about Paul Revere. Learn about his life, fun facts about him and learn about the story of his famous ride.
A fantastic book series that answers practically any historical question you could have in a kid-friendly manner.
I love how well this book explains the events that led up to the Boston Tea Party and the main colonists that were involved. Wonderful illustrations also correlate with this story to really bring these events to life.
A fantastic book series that answers practically any historical question you could have in a kid-friendly manner.
This book continues the adventures of Jack and Annie and their time traveling tree house as it takes them back to the colonial times. Here they meet George Washington as he is about to lead his army in a sneak attack against the British.
This book is historical fiction and tells a story about the Revolutionary War in a fun way.
Our family loves the Magic Tree House series, and although many of the books in the series don’t revolve around historical events, this series is a fantastic read for kids and one of our favorites.
This historical fiction series is great for kids who are reluctant to learn about history. This book is told through the view point of Ranger, a golden retriever, who finds himself in the middle of the Revolutionary War and must help keep Washington’s spy safe through the battle.
Our family loves the fun Ranger in Time series. It’s one of our favorite history book series for kids.
This book reads more like a traditional history book but adds child friendly facts and activities that go along with the events that are being told. If your child likes to know factual information about historical events then this book would be perfect.
This is my middle schooler’s absolute favorite informational history series.
This is a favorite graphic novel history series in our household. One Dead Spy is the first book in this series and it tells the story of America’s first spy, Nathan Hale. Kids will love the crazy and gruesome true stories presented in this graphic novel.
My middle schooler’s absolute favorite history story series.
If you are planning on going to the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, this would be a great book to have children read before they visit. This book discusses the towers construction, their role in NYC and their tragic end.
A fantastic book series that answers practically any historical question you could have in a kid-friendly manner.
This book is best forages 8-12 years.
Our Favorite Audio about American Colonial History
Perfect to listen to on a road trip through the New England Area.
This is our favorite history CD. We love listening to this before visiting historical sites like Plymouth, Abraham Lincoln’s home, and learning about Paul Revere’s ride before visiting Massachusetts.
The CD has 12 adventures in history that are great to share with your children (and great for a car ride) so that they better understand historical sites before you visit.
This CD is recommended forages 8-12.
WESTWARD EXPANSION & LIFE ON THE PRAIRIE
(Also Perfect to Read Before Traveling in the U.S. Wild West)
Life on the Prairie/ Westward Expansion in the U.S.
Our favorite American history books for kids that are traveling out west to the plains states of the U.S.: Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and over to Washington and Oregon.
Little House on the Prairie is a true classic and a must read for anyone traveling to the plains states of the United States. This book (and series) really opens your eyes to what life was like out on the American frontier. It will help you understand their hardships and their struggles. Little House on the Prairie will make you vacation to this area of the country much more meaningful and our family highly recommends it!
Recommended for children ages 8 and older to read.
If you would prefer to listen to this incredible story try the audio version. This would be great for long car rides.
This book is a great educational book that answers almost any question you could think of about what life was like for people traveling west. How did they know where to go? Where did they sleep? What dangers did they encounter? Kids will love learning all of the fun facts that fill this book.
This is my favorite series for understanding how different groups of people lived.
My kids loved this interactive adventure where you get to choose what you do next on the Oregon Trail. Each choice is choices that real people had to make. Will these choices lead you to more opportunities, wealth, poverty, or death. There are 3 story paths your child can take with 38 choices and 17 different endings. My kids had a blast reading this again and again just to see where each different decision would lead them.
In this book Ranger, a golden retriever, ends up on an adventure on the Oregon Trail, helping a family survive this dangerous journey! This is a great historical fiction book where kids get to learn about the world in a fun way through the eyes of a dog.
Our family loves the fun Ranger in Time series. It’s one of our favorite history book series for kids.
This is a great informational book that teaches younger children all about the Oregon Trail and what life was like for people heading out west in search of a new life.
In this book Jack and Annie travel back ~200 years and discover what life was like on the Great Plains. This book is a fun historical fiction book for any child that wants to know more about the Great Plains in the United States.
Our family loves the Magic Tree House series, and although many of the books in the series don’t revolve around historical events, this series is a fantastic read for kids and one of our favorites.
Perfect for ages 6-9 years old.
Mount Rushmore
These are our favorite American history books for kids to learn more about Mount Rushmore.
George Washington was the first president of the United States and is one of the four individuals chosen to be represented on Mount Rushmore. This book is a great way to learn more about America’s Founding Father and why he should be remembered.
A fantastic book series that answers practically any historical question you could have in a kid-friendly manner.
Abraham Lincoln is one of the four faces on Mount Rushmore. This book is a great way to learn all about the sixteenth President and why he was chosen to memorialized on Mount Rushmore.
A fantastic book series that answers practically any historical question you could have in a kid-friendly manner.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and was the third U.S. President. Discover here more about this founding father and why he was chosen to be represented on Mount Rushmore.
A fantastic book series that answers practically any historical question you could have in a kid-friendly manner.
Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th president of the United States and was the fourth individual chosen to be represented on Mount Rushmore. Discover his amazing achievements and learn all about how much he influenced the direction of the United States.
A fantastic book series that answers practically any historical question you could have in a kid-friendly manner.
Great for ages 8-12 years.
The Lewis & Clark Trail
I love these American history books for kids on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
This is a fun educational book for kids to learn all about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, where they traveled and find out what happened on this two year long true-life adventure that lead them to the Pacific Ocean.
A fantastic book series that answers practically any historical question you could have in a kid-friendly manner.
This is a beautifully illustrated book that incorporates actual text for Lewis and Clark’s journal to tell the story of their incredible journey to the Pacific Ocean.
This is a great book to learn more about Sacagawea and the important role she played on the Lewis and Clark Trail. Here you can learn all about what she did and why she is still remembered today.
A fantastic book series that answers practically any historical question you could have in a kid-friendly manner.
Here a child can discover the Lewis and Clark story told through the eyes of a dog that accompanied these explorers. Beautiful illustrations and actual notes from Lewis’s journey make this a fun way to learn a little bit about history.
This book series is perfect for any child that loves history and wants to know more about Lewis and Clark. This is my oldest son’s favorite series because the information here is presented more like a textbook. Here a child can find a tons of facts, time lines and actual pictures of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
This is my middle schooler’s absolute favorite history story series.
Recommended for ages 9 and up.
The Californian Gold Rush
These are fun and informative books for kids to read before going to any gold mine out west in the U.S..
In 1848, gold was discovered in California, attracting over 300,000 people from all over the world. Hear stories from the gold-seeking “forty-niners” and see sixteen pages of photos that will bring this historic event to life.
A fantastic book series that answers practically any historical question you could have in a kid-friendly manner.
Follow the adventures of Louise and Feng, two kids living in a mining camp near San Francisco, to get a kid’s perspective of life during the California Gold Rush.
This is a fantastic story about a twelve year old boy, Jack, who sets off for California in search of gold to help his aunt who is debt and just had to sell her beloved mansion. Jack finds adventure and trouble at every turn in his search for gold in California.
This is a great read for ages 9-12 years.
The Alamo
These are our favorite American history books for kids to learn about what happened at the Alamo in Texas.
Discover why the Alamo is famous and learn all about how a small band of men held off about two thousand soldiers of the Mexican Army for twelve days! Children will love the numerous black and white illustrations found throughout as well as a 16 pages black and white photos that really help make this amazing story come alive.
A fantastic book series that answers practically any historical question you could have in a kid-friendly manner.
This is a great graphic novel, and my eldest son’s favorite, where the events of the Alamo are portrayed by relaying the facts, politics and military actions through factual yet humorous scenes that will get the attention of even the most reluctant reader or history fan.
Davy Crockett, the King of the Wild Frontier, and a man of legend, fought and died at the Alamo. This is a great supplemental book for any person that is wanting to learn more about the men that fought at the Alamo.
A fantastic book series that answers practically any historical question you could have in a kid-friendly manner.
This book is recommended for ages 8-12 years.
Native Americans in the Western U.S.
These are wonderful books to learn more about the Native Americans in the western United States.
This is a great book that answers questions about the life of the Sioux Native Americans in North and South Dakota during the 1800s. What kind of house did they live in? Did the children go to school? What kind of clothes did they wear? And more.
This is my favorite series for understanding how different groups of people lived.
I loved sharing this book with my kids because it had a great overview of the Native American tribes found in different geographical locations across the United States. This book is well layed out, easy to read and has fantastic pictures to keep children engaged.
This book presents the life of Native Americans on the Northwest Coast of the U.S.. It does a great job answering questions about how they lived, what they ate and what happened when settlers began to arrive.
This is my favorite series for understanding how different groups of people lived.
For kids that love learning about history, this is a great book that really gets into the history of the first American’s complex societies and their 500 year struggle to survive against all odds. Kids will also love the activities in this book which include learning how to make beef jerky, weave a basket and decipher a WWII Navajo Code.
This is my middle schooler’s absolute favorite history story series.
Giddyup and gallop right over to read this rootin’ tootin’ tale of an unlikely cowboy. Kids will love this story’s lively language and wildly playful pictures in this fun cowboy book.
Kids will love how this book discusses the Wild West when the territories west of the Mississippi remained untamed and lawless. It is a great introduction to how the west used to be and will really help children understand more about some of the Western towns you might visit like Tombstone, AZ, Dodge City, KS or Deadwood, SD.
A fantastic book series that answers practically any historical question you could have in a kid-friendly manner.
This is a great book for older kids to learn all about Western Expansion. It is well-written, fast paced and completely captivating! The cartoon drawings make this book fun and your kids will have a hard time putting it down.
This book is recommended for ages 10-14 years.
SOUTHERN UNITED STATES HISTORY
(Also Perfect to Read Before Traveling in the Southeast United States)
Well-written American history books for kids to learn about the history of the South and slavery.
This book discusses the hard to imagine concept that one person in America could “own” another person. Discussing this topic before visiting a site like a southern cotton plantation will greatly help children understand more about what they are seeing.
This is my favorite series for understanding how different groups of people lived.
This book is best for children ages 7-10 years old.
Follow along with two girls as they find themselves in the middle of a civil rights demonstration, and find out how the fight for equality changed the country forever.
This is my favorite series for understanding how different groups of people lived.
Even though slavery had ended in the 1860s, African Americans were still suffering under the weight of segregation a hundred years later. They couldn’t go to the same schools, eat at the same restaurants, or even use the same bathrooms as white people. But by the 1950s, black people refused to remain second-class citizens and were willing to risk their lives to make a change.
A fantastic book series that answers practically any historical question you could have in a kid-friendly manner.
In The Civil Rights Movement for Kids, children will discover how students and religious leaders worked together to demand the protection of civil rights for black Americans.
This is a great book that answers questions about what life was like to live as a Cherokee Native American. What did a Cherokee village look like? How did they make a canoe? What games did they play? And more.
This is my favorite series for understanding how different groups of people lived.
This book is best forages 7-10 years old
Major U.S. Historical Events
Perfect American history books for kids to read before visiting American battlefields, historical sites or memorials. (My oldest child is obsessed with history and below, this is his favorite informational history series. He’s read each one in this series several times, and he says it’s because they’re just that good!)
Great American history books for kids to read just for general U.S. History knowledge or before visiting Washington D.C. or other American historical sites.
A fantastic way to learn more about the struggle for Women’s Rights and inspirational stories from some of the heroes behind this movement.
Best for Ages 8-12
Best for Ages 8-12
Best for Ages 8-12
Best for Ages 8-12
Best for Ages 8-12
Best for Ages 8-10
Best for Ages 6-11
Best for 11+
Books on Immigration and Inspirational Stories for Kids
Inspirational stories and information for kids regarding what immigration is and the struggles that many individuals go through to come to our country.
Best for ages 6-10
Best for ages 8-12
Best for ages 9-12 years
Best for ages 9-12
(A Fantastic Graphic Novel and one of my favorites!)
Heroes & History of America’s Diverse Cultures
Wonderful American history books for kids regarding the history behind the many diverse cultures and backgrounds found within the United States and the inspirational heroes who made a difference.
This fun “Cat in the Hat Book” helps children learn how to read a map and learn a little about the states in the United States at the same time.
I love the Cat in the Hat Learning Library series! These books are packed with information but present it in a sing-song manner that makes it a lot of fun to learn.
Beautiful map illustrations show places of historical interest, iconic animals and plants, and fascinating facts about every region of our planet. This is a great map to visually learn about the world.
This book is great for ages 7 and up!
Videos that Can Teach Children About What They Might See On Your Next Vacation!
DVD Sets/ Shows
I can’t begin to tell you how much I love these two television series! They both do an excellent job at explaining difficult concepts so that its easy to understand for children and they make it really fun! I highly recommend both of these!
Our Family Loves this TV Cartoon Series that retells the story of the American Revolution.
I can’t count how many times my kids have watched these shows over and over, just for fun. They’re fantastic!
This series isn’t rated but in my opinion ages 7-12 would love it!
I hope you enjoyed this list of books for children to get them excited to learn about the United States.
Please feel free to share in the comments section below any books that you love sharing with your children to help them learn about the United States. I’m always looking for great books!
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If You Lived in Colonial Times 
If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 
The Story of the Pilgrims 
Paul Revere’s Ride 
Who Was Paul Revere? 
What Was the Boston Tea Party? 
Revolutionary War on Wednesday (Magic Tree House) 
Night of Soldiers and Spies (Ranger in Time #10) 
The American Revolution for Kids: A History with 21 Activities (For Kids Series) 
I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 (I Survived #15) 
George vs. George: The American Revolution As Seen from Both Sides 
Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy 
What is the Statue of Liberty (What Was?) 
What Was Ellis Island?
What Were the Twin Towers? 
For God and Country (Adventures in Odyssey) (CD)
If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon 
The Oregon Trail: An Interactive History Adventure 
Rescue on the Oregon Trail (Ranger in Time #1) 
Daily Life in a Covered Wagon 
Buffalo Before Breakfast (Magic Tree House #18) 
Who was George Washington? 
Who Was Thomas Jefferson? 
What Was the Lewis and Clark Expedition? 
How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis and Clark 
Who Was Sacagawea? 
Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog’s Tale 
If you were a Kid During the California Gold Rush 
By the Great Horn Spoon! 
What Was the Alamo? 
The Very First Americans 
If You Lived With The Indians of the Northwest Coast 
Native American History for Kids: With 21 Activities 
A Story of the Cherokee Trail of Tears
Cowboy Camp
Cowboys (All Aboard Books) 
What Was the Wild West? 
Which Way to the Wild West?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn’t tell you about Westward Expansion
If You Lived When There Was Slavery in America 
What Was the Underground Railroad? 
Long Road to Freedom (Ranger in Time #3) 
The Underground Abductor (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #5) 
If You Were a Kid in the Civil Rights Movement
What is the Civil Rights Movement?
If You Lived With the Cherokees 
Best for Ages 8-12
Best for Ages 11-18+
Best for ages 8-12
Best for ages 9-12 years
Best for ages 9-12
Best for ages 7-9
Best for ages 8-12
Best for ages 9+
Best for ages 12-17
Best for ages 5-9
Best for ages 8-12
Best for ages 8-15
Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
Black Heroes: A Black History Book for Kids
100 African-Americans Who Shaped American History
A Child’s Introduction to African American History
Timelines From Black History: Leaders, Legends, Legacies
A Kid’s Guide to Latino History (Plus 50 Activities)
Fearless Trailblazers: 11 Latinos who made U.S. History
Be Bold, Be Brave: 11 Latinas Who Made U.S. History
100 Hispanic-Americans Who Shaped American History
A Kid’s Guide to Asian American History (Plus 70 Activities)
There’s a Map on My Lap! 
Me on the Map 
National Geographic Kids Beginner’s United States Atlas
National Geographic Kids United States Atlas
Maps 
The Magic School Bus Series 
Liberty Kids – The Complete Series (DVD)