Teaching Elementary Social Studies with

by Joseph Lambert

Hellen Keller was born blind and deaf. This story focuses on the relationship between Helen Keller - famous speaker and author - and her teacher Annie Sullivan. It shows her early education and the challenges they faced to figure out how to communicate.

Ages 10+

by Kay Melchisedech Olson

This biography is told in graphic novel form. Read about the iconic American figure and his career as a leader, inventor, printer, and scientist. There are many more books in this series if you are interested in other graphic biographies.

Ages 8-14

by Patricia C. McKissack

Nat Love, also known as Deadwood Dick, was the most famous African American cowboy in the West. Born into slavery in 1854, this exciting biography follows some of his adventures with sharp shooting, roping, and life in the Old West.

Ages 13+

by Eric Braun

This is another in the Graphic Library collection of biographies. Booker T. Washington was a champion of education and African American rights. This is his biography.

Ages 8-14

by Matt Doeden

This graphic novel details the events of the Boston Tea Party. It is historically accurate and written for children.

Ages 8-10

by Trina Robbins

This book comes from a series of graphic biographies from the Graphic Library collection. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first women to get a medical degree in the US. This is her story.

Ages 8-14

by Connie Colwell Miller

This graphic novel biography follows Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who fought for votes for women. The author is a teacher so the book is educational and engaging.

Ages 8-14

by Wayne Vansant

This story illustrates one of the most important battles in history. The author shows the events of the battle and the events that led to Gettysburg.

Ages 13+

by C. M. Butzer

This graphic history text tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg as well as President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. The author used primary sources to create this graphic novel.

Ages 9 - 13

by Don Brown

This nonfiction text illustrates the 1930’s Dust Bowl disaster. It shows the effects on the people, the economy, and the environment.  

Ages 6-12

by Stephanie True Peters and Nelson Evergreen

This book is a retelling of the folktale of John Henry. The African American figure worked on the American railroads, and faced the challenge of man vs. machine for the jobs of his community. Thanks to the illustration and the series, readers can see how the railroads were built and problems facing the invention of new machines.

Ages 8-11

by Nick Bertozzi

This book follows the adventures of Lewis and Clark on their journey from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean in 1804. Full of adventure, the author’s also include some humourous moments amongst the unfrie

Ages 8-12

by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin

The March series follows Congressman John Lewis on his experiences with civil and human rights in mid century America. From his childhood in rural Alabama, he becomes a civil rights activist, encountering Martin Luther King Jr. and fighting against segregation. As John Lewis himself is one of the authors, this story is first hand and very personal.

Ages 13+

by Nathan Hale

This is the story of Nathan Hale, rebel spy in the American Revolutionary War. Packed full of adventure, this book is a great graphic way to learn about American history.

Ages 8-12

by Michael J Martin

This graphic novel tells the story of the famous Salem witch trials in 1692. Not only will the reader learn about this event in history, but also about Puritan beliefs and life in colonial America. This dramatic story is a great introduction to the topic for upper elementary students.

Ages 8-14

by Matt Phelan

This historical fiction graphic novel takes place in a small Kansas town during the 1930’s Dust Bowl. Jack Clark faces illness, bullies, and a difficult little sister. The eleven year old then must solve a mystery of a suspicious man hanging around the town.

Ages 10-14

by E. F. Abbott

This story is based on a true story. Two years after the ride of Paul Revere, 16 year old Sybil Ludington must go on a ride of her own to warn troops when the British invade Danbury, Connecticut.

Ages 8 - 12

by Matt Dembicki

This story is a collection of various Native American myth retellings, done by different authors and illustrators.

Ages 12+

by Elizabeth Raum

This novel takes several true stories and fictionalizes them to show the events and issues of the Revolutionary War in graphic novel format.

Ages 8-14

by Jonathan Hennessey and Aaron McConnell

This illustrated story goes through the different parts of the Constitution and why it was written the way it was.

Ages 12+

by Sid Jacobson

A graphic retelling of the reports of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. This book covers the facts, and uses the original wording in the official government report.  A serious retelling, it focuses on politics, major figures, and the events which led to the attack. The author’s summarized the long original report to make it more accessible to Americans.

Ages 13+