Intermediate Level Non-fiction

Learning Resource Center Bibliography

Bode, Janet. New Kids on the Block: Oral Histories of Immigrant Teens. New York: Franklin Watts,1989.
HQ 796 B594 1989
Eleven young immigrants tell their stories in their own words. They speak for thousands of teens who enter America, sometimes illegally, to begin new lives. They have escaped war, poverty, and repression to carve out new lives. Theirs are voices of changing America. They come from Afghanistan, El Salvador, India, Cuba, The Philippines, China, Mexico, South Korea, Greece, The Dominican Republic, and Vietnam. 121 pages.

Dobler, Lavinia & Edgar A. Toppin. Pioneers and Patriots: The Lives of Six Negros of the Revolutionary Era. New York: Zenith Books, 1965.
V E 185.96 D6
The book celebrates the lives of six Negroes who lived during the time of the American Revolutionary. One was a member of the Minutemen who served in Lexington and Concord; one founded the trading post that later became the city of Chicago; one was a famous poet; one helped plan the city of Washington D.C.; one developed a shipping business and helped found a colony for American Negroes in Africa; and one was a famous educator. 115 pages.

Faulk, Obie B. & Laura E. Faulk. The Modoc. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988.
E 99 M7 F37 1988
The Modoc lived along the Oregon-California border, fishing, hunting, and gathering foods. They were forced to change their traditional way of life in the mid-19th century when newcomers arrived. A small band of Modoc refused to move to the reservation and engaged in a guerrilla war for many years. Today they live in both Oregon and Oklahoma and continue to assert their proud heritage. This is one in a series of books: The Indians of North America. 91 pages.

Gore, Laura Locoul. Memories of the Old Plantation Home & A Creole Family Album. Vacherie, Lousisiana: The Zoe company, Inc. 2001.
F 377 S134 G67 2000
The book recounts the daily life and major events in the lives of four generations on a sugar plantation in Louisiana. The Creole world in Louisiana was very different from the Anglo world because it was founded in the French traditions and language. This fascinating book provides a unique view of plantation life, including short biographies of family members and family photographs. 166 pages.

Greenberg, Judith. Newcomers to America: Stories of Today's Young Immigrants. New York: Franklin Watts, 1996.
E 184 A1 N425 1996
This book provides intriguing dramatic views of the recent American immigrant experience through interviews and conversations. Read about people from all over the world who struggled through learning the language and culture of their adopted land. 123 pages

Iverson, Peter. The Navajos. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1990.
E 99 N3 I89 1990
The Navajo is the largest Indian Tribe in the U.S. today they live on 25, 000 square mile reservation in the southwest. This book describes the history and culture of the Navaho people from their first arrival in the southwest. It includes the long struggle they have had with the United States government, including treaties and broken treaties, conflicts, battles, and relocations. This is one in a series of books: Indians of North America. 103 pages

Kline, Susan. Fannie Lou Hamer. Chicago, Illinois: Women for Racial and Economic Equality, 1979.
E 185.97 H35 K58 1979
Fannie Lou Hamer was born in 1917. She was one of twenty children, the daughter of a sharecropper, granddaughter of a slave. She learned to read and write as a child and learned the values of hard work and honesty from her parents. In her adult life she participated in the Civil Rights movement in Mississippi. She was one of the first African Americans in Mississippi to register to vote. Her dedication and energy lead her to travel and speak out for justice and equality. 52 pages

Morley.Jacqueline. Across America The Story of Lewis & Clark. New York: Franklin Watts,1998.
This book depicts the Lewis and Clark expedition across America emphasizing the enormous adventure and technological challenges. Each page has pictures and a time line to emphasize the planning and expertise needed for this adventure into uncharted land. It describes the places they saw and the people they met on the journey from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. 31 pages.

National Japanese American Historical Society. Due Process: Americans of Japanese Ancestry and The United States Constitution. San Francisco, California: National Japanese American Historical Society, 1995.
E 184 J3 D83 1995
This book was prepared in conjunction with the Smithsonian bicentennial of the United States Constitution. It chronicles the history of Japanese immigration and discrimination in the United States and also highlights the major contributions of Japanese immigrants. The greater part of the book focuses on the Japanese Internment Camps and the resistance to that injustice. Moving photographs document this historical presentation. 99 pages.

Nhuong, Huynh Quang. The Land I Lost Adventures of A Boy in Vietnam. New York: Harper Trophy, 1982.
DS 559.92 C46 H88 1982
The author recounts daily life in a small hamlet in Vietnam. He captures the tranquil, happy time before the war with stories of his grandparents, parents, and neighbors. He writes of the customs and rituals with tenderness and passion. The author now resides in the United States. 127 pages.

Miller, Kerby & Paul Wagner. Out of Ireland: The Story of Irish emigration To America. Colorado: Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1997.
E 184 I6 M54 1997
Millions of Irish men and women over a period of two centuries left Ireland for the United States. This book captures their spirit through letters they wrote home describing their experience and their struggles to achieve economic and social equality. It has fascinating photographs of both Ireland and the United States illustrating the gradual achievements of the Irish in social and political life. 129 pages.

Olmos, Edward James, Lea Ybarra, & Manuel Monterrey. Americanos: Latino Life in the United States. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1999.
E 184 S75 O48 1999
The book is a photo documentary of Latino life. More than thirty photographers have captured life on playgrounds, in churches, on the streets, and among families. The photographs are accompanied by essays, poetry, and commentary. 170 page.

Patterson, Wayne & Hyung-chan Kim. Koreans in America. Minneapolis Minnesota : Lerner Publications Company, 1992.
E 184 K6 P37 1992
The book has four chapters. In the first it provides a brief history of Korea, next it chronicles the immigration to America, then it describes the Korean American community, and finally it highlights some of the contributions of Korean-Americans to American life. 60 pages

Standing Bear, Luther. My Indian Boyhood. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1931.
E 99 T34 S72 1988
Standing Bear describes with deep respect and tenderness the home life and education of Indian children in the 1860's. He writes about how he learned to make bows and arrows, how to catch an eagle, how animals are hunted and used. His portrayal of the Sioux tribe gives a clear picture of Indian life. 190 pages.

Stovall, TaRessa. The Buffalo Soldiers. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1997.
E 185.925 S76 1997
Black involvement in the military dates to at least the 1770s when they fought in the Revolutionary War. They have a noble history of fighting for their country, serving in the Civil War, in the frontier battles, and in all subsequent wars. They were first called "buffalo soldiers" by the American Indians. Members of all-black regiments in subsequent wars adopted the nickname in honor of those who served before them. This book provides a history of African Americans in the military. 97 pages.

Tuleja, Tad. Curious Customs. New York: Harmony books1987.
E 161 T84 1987
This book reveals some the sense and the nonsense behind 296 popular American rituals. The author uncovers customs of social behavior including mating, marriage, rites of passage and holiday celebrations. 203 pages

Woods, Willis f. Lewis and Clark's America A Voyage of Discovery. Seattle, Washington: Seattle Art Museum, 1976.
V F 592.7 L715 v.1
This book includes an essay about the Lewis and Clark expedition, journals written during the expedition, maps, and photographs of paintings, Indian artifacts and drawings. It presents the world of the west in the early 1800's through the eyes of those brave explorers. 85 pages

Wunder, John R. The Kiowa. New York: Chelser House Publishers, 1989.
E 99 K5 W85 1989
The Kiowa were nomadic hunters on the Great Plains but lost their homeland to newcomers. The buffalo herds dwindled and eventually they lost their way of life and were sent to a reservation in Oklahoma.. Today they struggle to maintain their heritage. This is one book in a series: Indians of North America. 103 pages.