Carla Jean Whitley | cwhitley@al.com

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Learn Alabama history with these 64 children's books

School has been in session for a few weeks, but in some minds, it's not really back-to-school time until after Labor Day. With that in mind, we've compiled a list of children's books related to Alabama history. They cover a range of time periods and are appropriate for a variety of ages. Whether your child will focus on the subject as a fourth grader this year or you want to revisit the subject yourself, these books will increase your understanding of the state's past.

Got others you love? Tell us about them in the comments.

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Carla Jean Whitley | cwhitley@al.com

Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages

Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages

By Thomas Holtz

Grade level: 8-12

Did you know Alabama is the best place in this part of the country to find dinosaur fossils? Study up on all sorts of dinosaurs with this book. Smithsonian.com's Brian Switek wrote, "No group is left out, and the eye-popping illustrations by Luis Rey will no doubt make this book a favorite of readers who love dinosaur restorations."

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Alabama Native Americans: A Kid's Look at Our State's Chiefs, Tribes, Reservations, Powwows, Lore, and More from the Past and the Present

By Carole Marsh

Grade level: 3-8

This hard-to-find book is chock full of tidbits about Native Americans in Alabama. Facts are broken out alphabetically for a digestible overview of the state’s Native American history.

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Carla Jean Whitley | cwhitley@al.com

Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing

By James Rumford

Grade level: 1-4

Although this beautiful picture book doesn’t deal directly with place, “Sequoyah” will help children understand the culture of Cherokee people.

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Alabama Roots Biography Series

Various authors

Grade level: 8-12

This series of 45 books profiles Alabama people of all stripes: Well-known folks including musicians Nat King Cole and Hank Williams Sr., civil rights heroes Rosa Parks and Fred Shuttlesworth and more, as well as less-familiar names, such as Winston County's Chris Sheats, who was against the state's secession. Find a complete list of these biographies at willpublishing.com/Alabama_roots.html.

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Carla Jean Whitley | cwhitley@al.com

Ordinary People Change the World series

By Brad Meltzer, illustrations by Christopher Eliopoulous

Grade level: K-3

Brad Meltzer established himself as an author of adult thrillers, but his passion project is this collection of children's biographies. Of the 11 books published thus far, three feature heroes who lived for a time in Alabama: Helen Keller, Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Each book includes a bibliography and a list for further reading. Visit ordinarypeoplechangetheworld.com for additional resources.

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Carla Jean Whitley | cwhitley@al.com

A Picture Book of Jesse Owens

By David A. Adler, illustrations by Robert Casilla

Grade level: 1-4

Young children will learn about Jesse Owens' athletic feats as well as Nazi Germany in this easy-to-read picture book. Owens won four gold medals in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Adler's "A Picture Book of" series also includes biographies of Helen Keller, Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.

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Carla Jean Whitley | cwhitley@al.com

Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow

By James Sturm and Rich Tommaso

Grade level: 5-6, but note that there is some mature language

This graphic novel recounts the different treatment of black and white people through the lens of Mobile native and baseball player Satchel Paige. The book includes discussion points at the end, including lynching and the use of the n word.

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Carla Jean Whitley | cwhitley@al.com

Leaving Gee's Bend

By Irene Latham

Grade level: 4-6

Novels can offer historical insight, too. Ludelphia Bennett chooses to do the unthinkable—leave the tiny town of Gee's Bend—in search of medicine for her mother. The journey outside of her community opens Ludelphia to the world outside her Depression-era, predominantly black town. Find discussion guides on Latham's site, irenelatham.com.

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Carla Jean Whitley | cwhitley@al.com

March trilogy

By John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrations by Nate Powell

Grade level: 8 and up

Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.) recalls his experience in the civil rights era in this trio of graphic novels. The series includes the Selma-Montgomery March, lunch counter sit ins, the March on Washington, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and more.

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The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963

By Christopher Paul Curtis

Grade level: 5-8

Byron Watson has become a troublemaker, but his parents have a plan: The family travels from Flint, Michigan, to Birmingham, Alabama, for a visit with grandma. Surely she'll be able to straighten Byron out. But the family arrives in town just before the bombing of Grandma's church. This novel, which deals with the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing, was adapted into a movie in 2013.

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Graphic Library series

Various authors

Grade level: 2-6

Some readers prefer visual learning to reading books that are heavier on text. The Graphic Library series from Capstone appeals to those learners with 173 books to choose from. Try "Booker T. Washington: Great American Educator," "Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott" and "Helen Keller: Courageous Advocate" for a taste of Alabama history. Each book concludes with a list of facts, a glossary and references for more reading.

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Carla Jean Whitley | cwhitley@al.com

We March

By Shane W. Evans

Grade level: Preschool-3

Evans' beautiful illustrations complement the book's simple text. They depict scenes from the march on Washington and leave plenty of space for parents to explain the civil rights movement to their children.

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Carla Jean Whitley | cwhitley@al.com

The Groundbreaking, Chance-Taking Life of George Washington Carver and Science & Invention in America

By Cheryl Harness

Grade level: 4-8

Harness' National Geographic biography of George Washington Carver combines detailed illustrations with tons of facts about the scientist's life and agricultural work. The book also delves into his time in Tuskegee, where Booker T. Washington recruited Carver to teach.

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Carla Jean Whitley | cwhitley@al.com

Y is for Yellowhammer: An Alabama Alphabet (Discover America State by State series)

By Carol Crane, Illustrations by Ted Burn

Grade level: 1-3

Younger children will love this book's A-to-Z rhymes, while older children may delve more deeply into Alabama history with each letter's longer explanations. Adults may learn along the way, too—I certainly did. Find a teacher's guide at carolcrane.org.