Looking for some ideas for integrating children’s literature into social studies instruction? These sites offer some great starting points.
Thematic Book Lists from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center
40 Books About Labor
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/detailListBooks.asp?idBookLists=104
40 Books About Peace and Social Justice
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/detailListBooks.asp?idBookLists=77
Global Reading: Selected Literature for Children and Teens Set in Other Countries
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/detailListBooks.asp?idBookLists=280
Literature for Children and Teenagers About WWII
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/detailListBooks.asp?idBookLists=274
Thematic Book Lists from Book Links Magazine
Around the World in 22 Books
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/aroundtheworldin22books.cfm
Children Caught in War
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/childrencaught.cfm
Discovering the Bill of Rights Through Fiction
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/billrights.cfm
Ellis Island and American Immigration
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/EllisIsland.pdf
Exploring the Civil Rights Movement
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/exploringthecivilrightsmovement.pdf
From the Dust Bowl to Harlem: The Arts in Depression-Era America
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/dustbowl.pdf
Get Out the Vote! Books About Elections
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/getoutthevote.pdf
Huffing and Puffing Through Economics
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/huffingpuffing.cfm
Picture Perfect Geography
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/pictureperfectgeography.cfm
Recent History in Threes: Fiction, Nonfiction and the Web
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/Recenthistoryinthrees.pdf
Seeing the U.S.A. Through Books
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/usa.pdf
Shrouded in Mystery: Mummies and Ancient Burial
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/mummies.cfm
Stories From the Silk Road
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/SilkRoad.pdf
Struggle for Freedom: Slavery to Reconstruction
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/slaveryreconstruction.cfm
Other Resources
Carter G. Woodson Book Award Winners
http://www.socialstudies.org/awards/woodson/
Children’s Books That Build Character
http://www.charactercounts.org/booklist.php
Children’s Literature with Social Studies Themes
http://www.udel.edu/dssep/literature.html
EconKids: Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children
http://econkids.rutgers.edu/
Economics and Geography Lessons for 32 Children’s Books
http://web.archive.org/web/20071203015008/http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/socialstd/Econ_Geog.html
Great Picture Books to Teach Social Studies, 4-6
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor/social_books_46.htm
Great Picture Books to Teach Social Studies, K-3
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor/social_books_k3.htm
Growing Up Around the World: Books as Passports to Global Understanding
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/alscresources/booklists/GrowingUpAroundWorld.htm
Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards
http://www.janeaddamspeace.org/jacba/index_jacba.shtml
KidsEconPosters Literature Connection
http://www.kidseconposters.com/keb/Literature%20Connection.htm
Notable Trade Books for Young People (NCSS)
http://www.socialstudies.org/resources/notable/
One Hundred Picture Books for Peace
http://www.mvls.info/lists/peace.html
Opening Doors to Social Studies with Children’s Literature
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-literature/lit.html
Pages of the Past: History/Social Science Literature K-6
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/literature/k6/
PBS Teacher Recommended Books for Social Studies
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/bookslinks/linkspages/socialstudies-archive.html
Social Studies Literature Articles
http://www.udel.edu/dssep/articles.htm
Traveling Through American History (Children’s Fiction Books on 1492 through 1990s)
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/reading/elem/pichistorychron.HTM
If you have a link to suggest, please leave a comment and I will review the site for inclusion on this list.