Alive & Well: Great Historical Non-Fiction

Here is a selection of quality non-fiction. Don’t let the recommended grades fool you – if you’re interested in a certain topic, you’re bound to love the book.

Blair, Margaret Whitman. Liberty or death: the surprising story of runaway slaves who sided with the British during the American Revolution. 2010. 7th Grade.
Liberty or Death is the little-known story of the American Revolution told from the perspectives of the African-American slaves who fought on the side of the British Royal Army in exchange for the promise of freedom.

Hopkinson, Deborah. Titanic: voices from the disaster. 2012. 7th-8th Grade.
Tells the tale of the sinking of the Titanic using the narratives of the witnesses and survivors to the disaster.

Miller, Brandon Marie. Women of the frontier: 16 tales of trailblazing homesteaders, entrepreneurs, and rabble-rousers. 2013. 9th Grade.
Using journal entries, letters sent home, and song lyrics, the women of the West speak for themselves in these tales of courage, enduring spirit, and adventure. Miller recounts the impact pioneers had on those who were already living in the region as well as how they adapted to their new lives, and the rugged, often dangerous landscape, this exploration also offers resources for further study and reveals exactly how these influential women tamed the Wild West.

Povich, Lynn. The good girls revolt: how the women of Newsweek sued their bosses and changed the workplace. 2012. 11th Grade.
Chronicles the sexual discrimination class action lawsuit that women journalists brought against their employer, Newsweek, in 1970.

Sheinkin, Steve. The notorious Benedict Arnold: a true story of adventure, heroism, and treachery. 2010. 7th Grade.
An introduction to the life of Benedict Arnold that highlights not only the traitorous actions that made him legendary, but also his heroic involvement in the American Revolution.

Swanson, James L. Bloody times: the funeral of Abraham Lincoln and the manhunt for Jefferson Davis. 2011. 8th Grade.
On the morning of April 2, 1865, Jefferson Davis received a telegram from General Robert E. Lee. There is no more time – the Yankees are coming, it warned. That night Davis fled Richmond, setting off an intense manhunt for the Confederate president. Two weeks later, President Lincoln was assassinated, and the nation was convinced that Davis was involved in the conspiracy that led to the crime.