Non-fiction for Middle School

Documents the heroic wartime achievements of a World War I mascot who was adopted by a soldier as an orphaned pup and who gained military honors and a display in the Smithsonian Institution for his brave service behind enemy lines. By the award-winning author of Muckrakers. (72 p.)

Through memoirs, diaries, letters, and other firsthand accounts, illuminates the lives of the American children affected by the economic and social changes of the Great Depression, including middle-class urban youth, migrant farm laborers, boxcar kids, and others. Grade 5-7 (128 p.)

Read about the importance of cotton in America's history and learn about the lives of people who picked it and worked with it. Grade 5-8(12O p.)

A first-hand account of the author's lifelong struggle for civil and human rights spans his youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., and the birth of the Nashville Student Movement. Graphic Novel, Grade 8+ (Lexile: 760) (121 p.)

The causes and results of the Dust Bowl and how the lessons learned are still used today. Grade 5-8 (Lexile: 1040) (128 p.)

Discusses the history of African Americans, from colonial days through the civil rights movement. Grade (Lexile: 1050) (108 p)

Examines the history of the atomic bomb, discussing the discovery of the behavior of uranium when placed next to radioactive Grade material, the race to build a bomb, and the impact of the weapon on societies around the world. Grade 5-9 (Lexile: 920) (266 p.)

Explores and analyzes the historical context and significance of the newspaper photograph of African American Elizabeth Eckford trying to enter Little Rock, Arkansas's all-white Central High School in 1957. Grade 5-7 (Lexile: 1010) (64 p.)

Describes how a counterfeiting ring plotted to ransom Lincoln's body to secure the release of their imprisoned ringleader, and how a fledging Secret Service and an undercover agent conducted a daring election-night sting operation. Grade 4-6 (Lexile: 930) (214 p.)

The America that Alexander Hamilton knew was largely agricultural and built on slave labor. In contrast, he envisioned something different: along with agriculture and small towns, he imagined a multiracial, urbanized, capitalistic America with a strong central government. A poor immigrant, Hamilton believed that such an America would be a land of opportunity for newcomers ... Because of the systems Hamilton set up and the ideas he left, his vision won out. Here is the story that epitomizes the American dream--a poor immigrant who made good in America. (Lexile1170) (203 p.)

Through firsthand accounts, interviews with survivors, and powerful photos, an award-winning author brings to life the experiences of 14-year-old Florence Kelly and 11-year-old Russell Park, who survived a German U-boat attack on the passenger ship Athenia, the first casualty of the Battle of the Atlantic. Grade 4-6 (Lexile: 840)

Tackling everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, the author makes the why, how, and who of scientific discovery accessible for young readers. (169 p,)

History doesn't just happen. It is made by amazing and extraordinary people! Explore the lives of twenty-four of the world's most outstanding individuals through engaging narratives, entertaining fictionalized diary entries, and informative timelines.Grade 3-5 (175 p.)

Examines the lives of the Wright brothers and discusses their personalities, mechanical ability, experiments, and triumphs in the field of flight. Grade 4-8 (64 p.)

Over the centuries, untold numbers of black men and women in America have achieved great things against the odds. Pathfindersis a collective biography of sixteen diverse American men and women of African descent who made their mark on American history in the 18th to 20th centuries. (124p.)

Women's history from aboard a bicycle, which granted females the freedom of mobility and helped empower women's liberation. (96 p.)

Describes the life and times of African American entrepreneur C.J. Walker. (Lexile 990) (112 p.)

he automobile has always symbolized freedom, and in this book we meet the first generation of female motorists who drove cars for fun, profit, and to make a statement about the evolving role of women. From the advent of the auto in the 1890s to the 1920s, when the breaking down of barriers for women was in full swing, readers will examine historical photos, art, and artifacts and to discover the many ways these women influenced fashion, the economy, politics, and the world around them. (Lexile 1250) (96 p.)

Traces the life of Fannie Sellins, a union activist who traveled the nation promoting fair wages and decent working and living conditions for workers in the garment and mining industries. (Lexile 1020) (44 p.)

Recreates the events surrounding the attack by a German U-boat on the Athenia in 1939 through firsthand accounts and interviews with survivors.