Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Topic: History

Based on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award-nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and illustrator Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book readers!

Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math…really good.

They participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America’s first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.

In this beautifully illustrated picture book edition, we explore the story of four female African American mathematicians at NASA, known as “colored computers,” and how they overcame gender and racial barriers to succeed in a highly challenging STEM-based career.

Meet the little leaders. They’re brave. They’re bold. They changed the world.

Did you know the treatment for leprosy was developed by a young scientist called Alice Ball? And Josephine Baker- world famous cabaret singer and dancer- was also a spy for the French resistance?

Featuring 40 trailblazing black women in the world’s history, this book educates and inspires as it relates true stories of women who broke boundaries and exceeded all expectations. Debut author/illustrator Vashti Harrison pairs captivating text with stunning illustrations as she tells the stories of both iconic and lesser-known female figures of black history, including:

Nurse Mary Seacole
Politician Diane Abbott
Mathematician Katherine Johnson
Singer Shirley Bassey

Inspire your own little leader with the stories of these amazing women.

Meet the little leaders. They’re brave. They’re exceptional. They changed the world.

Did you know that the father of African cinema was originally a bricklayer? Or that Vogue’s editor-at-large read his first Vogue magazine in his local library?

Learn all about the exceptional black men who broke barriers and fought injustice to realise their dreams and make the world a better place. With Vashti Harrison’s beautiful illustrations and illuminating writing, discover the stories of black men from all walks of life, including:

Doctor Harold Moody
Diplomat Kofi Annan
Activist Paul Stephenson
Architect Sir David Adjaye
Comic book author Dwayne McDuffie
Musician Prince

Your own little leaders will be inspired to take on the world after learning about these incredible men.

Pelé by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara is one of the books in the best-selling series, Little People, BIG DREAMS. These books explore the lives of people who achieved great things, but focus on when they started out as children with a dream.

This book looks at one of the greatest footballers of all time, Pelé – Brazil’s all-time King of Football. It is perhaps different from other books about him as it highlights not only his incredible football skills, but his work off the pitch helping those who needed it most. The book traces his early life from growing up on the poverty-stricken streets of Rio’s suburbs, to becoming a UNESCO goodwill ambassador and scoring over 1000 goals as a professional footballer. Readers will enjoy reading about Pelé’s childhood memories of playing football with a ball made from a sock stuffed with newspapers and tied with string. They will learn how at sixteen he was selected to play for his national team in the World Cup and that his early dream of leading his country to victory was realised as that year Brazil won the World Cup for the first time ever.

The book goes on to show that Pelé was an inspirational hero off the pitch too, working to unite people through the game and to give his voice to the underprivileged. The stylish illustrations will appeal to children through their use of bold lines and strong colours. At the back of the book there is a photographic timeline and a detailed biography of the man who has been described as the greatest footballer who has ever lived. Inherent in the book is the inspiring message about dreaming big and using given talents and skills for the benefit of others.

 

This recommendable narrative non-fiction book celebrates the life of Katherine Johnson, a mathematician who played a crucial role in the smooth running of the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon.

The story emphasises Katherine’s lifelong passion for mathematics – how she loved to count as a child and how she overcame barriers of inequality and prejudice to reach her dream of using her mathematical talents while working for NASA.

A fantastic biography that celebrates mathematics, space, women in STEM and following dreams.

Mo Farah is the UK’s most successful distance runner – and double gold-medalist
at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Read his story, from his childhood in Somalia
up to when he crossed the finish line at London 2012.
It takes blood, sweat and tears to get to the top of any sport,
and these short, inspirational biographies show just how tough
it can be. Focusing on top athletes and sport personalities, each
dramatic story brings to life the skill, determination and luck needed
to break through into top level competition.

Life was different long ago, but how? Jump back in time to experience the lives of children in Roman times, or the Stone Age. What did they eat? How did they defend themselves? What happens if you try to storm a Norman castle? Ready to find out all this and more? Let’s go!

Astrid has loved space ever since she can remember and wants to be an astronaut when she grows up. Even when her dad gently reminds her of the challenges ahead (eating food out of a tube, getting used to near-zero gravity, sleeping on her own amongst the stars), she is confident – “I can do that!”

This is a story full of tenderness and adventure, with a lovely surprise ending when Astrid and Dad go to pick up Mum from the airbase – where has she been?

This gentle picture book with distinctive earthy illustrations is a lovely read-aloud for Reception/Year 1 with a wonderful inclusive message at its heart, supported by the mini fact-files about female and BAME astronauts at the end.

A treasure trove of information about castles, presented in a seek-and-find format, with fun a magnifying glass included. This interactive book includes information about castles through history. Readers familiar with the Where’s Wally? books will dive right in without hesitation as they search for different characters, historical figures, symbols and objects that all build up to create a detailed picture of different aspects of castle life.

How To be an Astronaut and Other Space Jobs is a very well laid out introduction to space exploration and the jobs associated with it. It begins with a short introduction to space and why it’s worth exploring before giving an in-depth look at what it’s like to be an astronaut, including such interesting questions as what kind of training you need to do, what it feels like to be weightless and what happens to your body when you return to earth. It also covers a wide range of behind-the-scenes roles I’d never considered before such as astrobiologists, space doctors and even space chefs!

The amount and detail of the text is perfectly judged for KS1/LKS2 – blocks of text are never more than a few sentences with key words highlighted in bold. Sol Linero deserves a special mention for the excellent clear and attractive illustrations which are as important as the words.

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