Here are the top 30 history books for 12 year olds. Please click Read Review to read book reviews on Amazon. You can also click Find in Library to check book availability at your local library. If the default library is not correct, please follow Change Library to reset it.
1. The Book Thief
by: Markus Zusak Release date: Mar 08, 2016 Number of Pages: 592 Find in Library Read Review |
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.
Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.
In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.
2. Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans
by: Rush Limbaugh Release date: Oct 29, 2013 Number of Pages: 225 Find in Library Read Review |
MEET RUSH LIMBAUGH’S REALLY GOOD PAL, RUSH REVERE!
Okay, okay, my name’s really Rusty—but my friends call me Rush. Rush Revere. Because I’ve always been the #1 fan of the coolest colonial dude ever, Paul Revere. Talk about a rock star—this guy wanted to protect young America so badly, he rode through those bumpy, cobblestone-y streets shouting “the British are coming!” On a horse. Top of his lungs. Wind blowing, rain streaming…
Well, you get the picture. But what if you could get the real picture—by actually going back in time and seeing with your own eyes how our great country came to be? Meeting the people who made it all happen—people like you and me?
Hold on to your pointy triangle hats, because you can—with me, Rush Revere, seemingly ordinary substitute history teacher, as your tour guide across time! “How?” you ask? Well, there’s this portal. And a horse. My talking horse named Liberty. And—well, just trust me, I’ll get us there.
We’ll begin by joining a shipload of brave families journeying on the Mayflower in 1620. Yawn? I don’t think so. 1620 was a pretty awesome time, and you’ll experience exactly what they did on that rough, dangerous ocean crossing. Together, we’ll ask the pilgrims all our questions, find out how they live, join them at the first Thanksgiving, and much more.
So saddle up and let’s ride! Our exceptional nation is waiting to be discovered all over again by exceptional young patriots—like you!
3. Rush Revere and the First Patriots: Time-Travel Adventures With Exceptional Americans
by: Rush Limbaugh Release date: Mar 11, 2014 Number of Pages: 256 Find in Library Read Review |
Rush Revere rides again! Saddle up with Rush Limbaugh’s really good pal for a new time-travel adventure.
“Whoa there, young historians! Before we go rush, rush, rushing off anywhere, I’d like a moment. I’m Liberty, Rush Revere’s loquacious equine companion—his trusty talking horse! Always at the ready to leap from the twenty-first century into America’s past, that’s me. When he says ‘Let’s go!’ I’m so there. I’m jazzed, I’m psyched, I’m—”
“Ah, excuse me, Liberty?”
“Yeah, Rush?”
“Usually you say ‘oh no, not again!’ and ‘while we’re in colonial Boston, can I try the baked beans?’”
“Okay, fine—you do the talking. I’ll just be over here, if you need me.…”
Well, he’s sulking now, but I couldn’t be your tour guide across time without Liberty! His name says it all: the freedom we celebrate every July Fourth with fireworks and hot dogs (and maybe some of those baked beans). But how did America get free? How did thirteen newborn colonies tell the British king where he could stick his unfair taxes?
Jump into the bustling streets of Boston in 1765, where talk of revolution is growing louder. I said LOUDER. You’ll have to SHOUT to be heard over the angry cries of “Down with the king!” and “Repeal the Stamp Act!” that fill the air. You’ll meet fierce supporters of liberty like Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and my idol, Paul Revere, as they fearlessly defy British rule. It’s an exciting, dangerous, turbulent, thrilling time to be an American…and exceptional young patriots like you won’t want to miss a minute. Let’s ride!
4. The Hiding Place
by: Corrie ten Boom, Tim Foley, Lonnie DuPont Release date: Apr 28, 2015 Number of Pages: 208 Find in Library Read Review |
It’s World War II. Darkness has fallen over Europe as the Nazis spread hatred, fear and war across the globe. But on a quiet city corner in the Netherlands, one woman fights against the darkness.
In her quiet watchmaking shop, she and her family risk their lives to hide Jews, and others hunted by the Nazis, in a secret room, a “hiding place” that they built in the old building.
One day, however, Corrie and her family are betrayed. They’re captured and sent to the notorious Nazi concentration camps to die. Yet even in that darkest of places, Corrie still fights.
This is her story–and the story of how faith, hope and love ultimately triumphed over unthinkable evil.
5. Rush Revere and the American Revolution: Time-Travel Adventures With Exceptional Americans
by: Rush Limbaugh, Kathryn Adams Limbaugh, Kathryn Adams Limbaugh Release date: Oct 28, 2014 Number of Pages: 257 Find in Library Read Review |
Join us on this incredible time-travel adventure!
Liberty, my wisecracking horse, our old friends Cam, Tommy, Freedom, and I are off to meet some super-brave soldiers in the year 1775. Yep, that’s right. We’ll be visiting with the underdog heroes who fought for American independence, against all odds—and won! But not before eight very real years of danger and uncertainty. Be a part of Rush Revere’s crew as we rush, rush, rush into a time when British rule had become a royal pain, and rebellion was in the air. We’ll be on hand to see two lanterns hung in the Old North Church, prevent a British spy from capturing Paul Revere, and grapple with danger at the battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill.
The extra special part of this trip is that right here in the twenty-first century, Cam’s dad is a soldier fighting in Afghanistan, and Cam has been pretty angry that he is away. Visiting with exceptional American heroes like Dr. Joseph Warren and George Washington, racing along after Paul Revere on his midnight ride, and seeing the Declaration of Independence signed make Cam see his own dad in a new and special way.
But don’t worry. Along with the danger, excitement, and patriotism, there will still be time to stop for a delicious spinach, oats, and alfalfa smoothie. No, wait—that one’s for Liberty. The kids and I voted for strawberries.
Now let’s open the magic portal to the past!
6. Gifts from the Enemy (The humanKIND Project)
by: Trudy Ludwig, Craig Orback Release date: Apr 04, 2014 Number of Pages: 32 Find in Library Read Review |
7. The Underground Abductor (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #5): An Abolitionist Tale about Harriet Tubman
by: Nathan Hale Release date: Apr 21, 2015 Number of Pages: 128 Find in Library Read Review |
8. The Blackberry Patch
by: Gina McKnight Release date: May 26, 2009 Number of Pages: 24 Find in Library Read Review |
9. Horse Diaries #7: Risky Chance (Horse Diaries series)
by: Alison Hart, Ruth Sanderson Release date: Sep 13, 2011 Number of Pages: 178 Find in Library Read Review |
Like Black Beauty, this moving novel is told in first person from the horse’s own point of view and includes an appendix full of photos and facts about thoroughbreds, horse racing, and the Great Depression.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
10. Adventures of Rush Revere: Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims, Rush Revere and the First Patriots, Rush Revere and the American Revolution
by: Rush Limbaugh, Kathryn Adams Limbaugh Release date: Dec 01, 2015 Number of Pages: 736 Find in Library Read Review |
Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims: Hold on to your pointy triangle hats. We’ll begin by joining a shipload of courageous families journeying on the Mayflower in 1620. Yawn? I don’t think so. 1620 was an awesome time, and you’ll experience that rough, dangerous ocean crossing too. Together, we’ll ask the pilgrims all our questions, find out how they live, and join them at the first Thanksgiving.
Rush Revere and the First Patriots: Jump into the bustling streets of Boston in 1765, where talk of revolution is growing louder. You’ll meet fierce supporters of liberty, such as Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere, as they fearlessly defy British rule. It’s an exciting, turbulent, thrilling time to be an American.
Rush Revere and the American Revolution: We’re off to meet some super-brave heroes who fought for American independence in 1775, against all odds—and won! We’ll be on hand to see two lanterns hung in the Old North Church, prevent a British spy from capturing Paul Revere, and dodge musket balls at some famous battles.
11. Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom
by: Tim Tingle, Jeanne Rorex Bridges Release date: Apr 01, 2008 Number of Pages: 40 Find in Library Read Review |
When it was first published, Crossing Bok Chitto took readers by surprise. This moving and original story about the intersection of Native and African Americans received starred reviews and many awards, including being named an ALA Notable Children’s Book and a Jane Addams Honor Book. Jeanne Rorex Bridges’ illustrations mesmerized readers—Publishers Weekly noted that her “strong, solid figures gaze squarely out of the frame, beseeching readers to listen, empathize and wonder.”
Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle blends songs, flute, and drum to bring the lore of the Choctaw Nation to life in lively historical, personal, and traditional stories.
Artist Jeanne Rorex Bridges traces her heritage back to her Cherokee ancestors.
12. If You Were Me and Lived in…Viking Europe
by: Carole P. Roman, Mateya Arkova Release date: Sep 05, 2016 Number of Pages: 78 Find in Library Read Review |
Learn what your name could be and the kind of food you might eat. Read about the different levels of society, how they affect where you would live, and the type of clothing you might wear.
Mateya Arkova’s beautiful illustrations illustrate what Vikings ate and their children did for fun.
If You Were Me and Lived in.. Viking Europe is an exciting trip that shows a colorful culture through the eyes of a child.
13. No Good
by: John Hope Release date: Jun 06, 2014 Number of Pages: 146 Find in Library Read Review |
Soon after, Tommy J is found murdered, and the town forms a posse to track down the killer. The town’s main suspect is an elderly Negro nicknamed Old Man Badeau, who all the kids in town think is bewitched. But Josh knows more about Old Man Badeau than anyone else. And when Johnny squeals the secret, Josh runs off with the killer still on the loose. Johnny must now track Josh down before it’s too late. In the process, he discovers who he really is.
Recipient of the Florida Writers Association’s Royal Palm Literary Award, this heart-felt story brings to life a lost segment of American life when boys could be boys as they struggle to understand racial prejudice and how to see people for who they really are.
14. The Eye of Midnight
by: Andrew Brumbach Release date: Mar 08, 2016 Number of Pages: 256 Find in Library Read Review |
On a stormy May day in 1929, William and Maxine arrive on the doorstep of Battersea Manor to spend the summer with a grandfather they barely remember. Whatever the cousins expected, Colonel Battersea isn’t it. Soon after they settle in, Grandpa receives a cryptic telegram and promptly whisks the cousins off to New York City to meet an unknown courier and collect a very important package. Before he can do so, however, Grandpa vanishes without a trace. When the cousins stumble upon Nura, a tenacious girl from Turkey, she promises to help them track down the parcel and rescue Colonel Battersea. But with cold-blooded gangsters and a secret society of assassins all clamoring for the mysterious object, the children soon find themselves in a desperate struggle just to escape the city’s dark streets alive.
“A youthful mystery worthy of John Bellairs, with lyrical language reminiscent of Edith Nesbit; yet it stands on its own, creating a fully realized world with clearly defined lines of good and evil, and just a dash of magic.” —Booklist
“Readers of R. L. LaFevers’s Theodosia Throckmorton series as well as lovers of the Rick Riordan books will enjoy this. A well-crafted adventure with a dash of magic.” —School Library Journal
“Brumbach’s vivid descriptions and terse, to-the-point dialogue keep the action moving and readers constantly engaged and surprised. . . . A fast-paced, action-packed adventure.” —Kirkus Reviews
From the Hardcover edition.
15. Last Ride of Caleb O’Toole
by: Eric Pierpoint Release date: Sep 03, 2013 Number of Pages: 304 Find in Library Read Review |
“I need you to be strong.”
Caleb O’Toole could hear his mother’s last words as clearly as if she was sitting right next to him. He promised her he’d keep his sisters safe. But safety is over a thousand miles away in the rugged Bitteroot Mountains—past dust-choked deserts and thorny tumbleweeds and as sun so hot, it’s hard to breathe. Tornadoes and hungry wolves wait for them on the path ahead. But with the infamous Blackstone Gang hot on their trail, Caleb has no choice but to keep going. There’s no telling how far the gang will go to keep their latest murder a secret. And Caleb is the number one witness to their crime.
Caleb O’Toole can hear his mother’s last words: “I need you to be strong.” and he can’t let her down.
16. Wheels of Change
by: Darlene Beck Jacobson Release date: Sep 23, 2014 Number of Pages: 180 Find in Library Read Review |
17. When on Earth?
by: DK Release date: Apr 07, 2015 Number of Pages: 160 Find in Library Read Review |
Find out how the first farmers lived and worked. Discover the Viking world. Learn about the Arab Spring. Beautiful illustrations, 3-D graphics, clear annotations, and fun facts bring history to life and show how it fits in to the world at large. Whether your child is a visual learner or a geography buff, When on Earth? is perfect for any student of history, giving a guide to our shared past and a birds-eye view of the history of life on Earth.
18. Renewable Energy: Discover the Fuel of the Future With 20 Projects (Build It Yourself)
by: Joshua Sneideman, Erin Twamley, Heather Jane Brinesh Release date: Apr 12, 2016 Number of Pages: 128 Find in Library Read Review |
In Renewable Energy: Discover the Fuel of the Future, readers ages 9 to 12 learn about these renewable energy sources and discover how sunshine can be used to power light bulbs and how the earth’s natural heat can be used to warm our houses. Young readers weigh the pros and cons of different energy sources and make their own informed opinions about which resources are the best choices for different uses.
Renewable energy industries provide a booming field for future scientists and engineers. This book shows kids these future jobs and gets them excited about contributing to a world run on clean energy. Hands-on projects, essential questions, links to online primary sources, and science-minded prompts to think more about energy, the environment, and the repercussions of our choices make this book a key addition to classrooms and libraries.
19. The Crystal Navigator: (Mom’s Choice Book Award Recipient)
by: Nancy Kunhardt Lodge, Nancy Kunhardt Lodge, Evi Gstottner Release date: Apr 24, 2014 Number of Pages: 166 Find in Library Read Review |
20. Two Little Savages (Dover Children’s Classics)
by: Ernest Thompson Seton Release date: Oct 27, 2011 Number of Pages: 320 Find in Library Read Review |
This is one of the great classics of nature and boyhood by one of America’s foremost nature experts. It presents a vast range of woodlore in the most palatable of forms, a genuinely delightful story. It will provide many hours of good reading for any child who likes the out-of-doors, and will teach him or her many interesting facts of nature, as well as a number of practical skills. It will be sure to awaken an interest in the outdoor world in any youngster who has not yet discovered the fascination of nature.
The story concerns two farm boys who build a teepee in the woods and persuade the grownups to let them live in it for a month. During that time they learn to prepare their own food, build a fire without matches, use an axe expertly, make a bed out of boughs; they learn how to “smudge” mosquitoes, how to get clear water from a muddy pond, how to build a dam, how to know the stars, how to find their way when they get lost; how to tell the direction of the wind, blaze a trail, distinguish animal tracks, protect themselves from wild animals; how to use Indian signals, make moccasins, bows and arrows, Indian drums and war bonnets; how to know the trees and plants, and how to make dyes from plants and herbs. They learn all about the habits of various birds and animals, how they get their food, who their enemies are and how they protect themselves from them.
Most of this information is not generally available in books, and could be gained otherwise only by years of life and experience in suitable surroundings. Yet Mr. Thompson Seton explains it so vividly and fully, with so many clear, marginal illustrations through the book, that the reader will finish “Two Little Savages” with an enviable knowledge of trees, plants, wild-life, woodlore, Indian crafts and arts, and survival information for the wilds. All of this is presented through a lively narrative that has as its heroes two real boys, typically curious about everything in the world around them, eager to outdo each other in every kind of endeavor. The exciting adventures that befall them during their stay in the woods are just the sort of thing that will keep a young reader enthralled and will stimulate his or her imagination at every turn.
21. Soldier Bear
by: Bibi Dumon Tak, Laura Watkinson Release date: Aug 22, 2011 Number of Pages: 158 Find in Library Read Review |
Based on a real series of events that happened during World War II, Soldier Bear tells the story of an orphaned bear cub adopted by a group of Polish soldiers in Iran. The soldiers raise the bear and eventually enlist him as a soldier to ensure that he stays with the company. He travels with them from Iran to Italy, and then on to Scotland. Voytek’s mischief gets him into trouble along with way, but he also provides some unexpected encouragement for the soldiers amidst the reality of war: Voytek learns to carry bombs for the company, saves the camp from a spy, and keeps them constantly entertained with his antics.
Always powerful and surprising, Bibi Dumon Tak’s story offers readers a glimpse at this fascinating piece of history.
22. You Found Me: God’s Relentless Pursuit to Find You
by: Keith M. Robinson Release date: Jan 23, 2014 Number of Pages: 176 Find in Library Read Review |
Maybe you are facing circumstances even worse than Keith’s. Maybe you’ve made choices that have hurt you and the people around you. Maybe your family has failed or damaged you, leaving scars you’re sure will never heal. Or maybe you just can’t bring yourself to care anymore, because you’ve forgotten how to dream big. How ever lost you are, you have not been abandoned–a relentless God is pursuing you.
You Found Me is Keith’s story of a tragic life redeemed, but it’s more than that: It’s the story of anyone willing to be found.
23. Hearts and Dreams: Katherine
by: Cameron Dokey Release date: Nov 01, 1997 Number of Pages: 184 Find in Library Read Review |
24. Magnificent Minds: 16 Pioneering Women in Science and Medicine
by: Pendred E. Noyce Release date: Mar 01, 2015 Number of Pages: 180 Find in Library Read Review |
National Science Teachers Foundation/Children’s Book Council, Outstanding Science Trade Book Award
Full of the inspirational stories girls need for exploring a future in science
Did you know that Florence Nightingale pioneered the use of statistics in public health? That Marie Curie is still the only person to have won the Nobel Prize in both physics and chemistry—and the only winner whose daughter also won a Nobel Prize? That in the 17th century, the most accomplished scholar in mathematical astronomy was a Polish woman, Maria Cunitz? That the pysicist who first explained nuclear fission was a woman, Lise Meitner?That two of the pioneers of computer science were women, Ada Lovelace and Grace Hopper? For centuries, women have risen above their traditional roles to pursue new understanding of the natural world. This book, which grows out of an exhibit at the Grolier Club in New York, introduces the lives, sayings, and dreams of sixteen women over four centuries and chronicles their contributions to mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, computer science, and medicine. Sweeping and inspirational, this book should be read by all girls and young women who share curiosity about the world and the dream of making a difference.
25. The Peace Tree from Hiroshima: The Little Bonsai with a Big Story
by: Sandra Moore, Kazumi Wilds Release date: Jul 14, 2015 Number of Pages: 32 Find in Library Read Review |
**Winner of the 2015 Silver Evergreen Medal for World Peace**
This true children’s story is told by a little bonsai tree, called Miyajima, that lived with the same family in the Japanese city of Hiroshima for more than 300 years before being donated to the National Arboretum in Washington DC in 1976 as a gesture of friendship between America and Japan to celebrate the American Bicentennial.
From the Book:
“In 1625, when Japan was a land of samurai and castles, I was a tiny pine seedling. A man called Itaro Yamaki picked me from the forest where I grew and took me home with him. For more than three hundred years, generations of the Yamaki family trimmed and pruned me into a beautiful bonsai tree. In 1945, our household survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In 1976, I was donated to the National Arboretum in Washington D.C., where I still live today—the oldest and perhaps the wisest tree in the bonsai museum.”
26. Who Was Clara Barton? (Who Was…?)
by: Stephanie Spinner, David Groff Release date: Jul 24, 2014 Number of Pages: 112 Find in Library Read Review |
27. Aliens, Dudes, and Redcoats
by: Mary Smigliani Release date: Dec 30, 2014 Number of Pages: 162 Find in Library Read Review |
PJ is really looking forward to his birthday. His grandfather has promised to take him to opening day at the ballgame. So when his swim coach organizes a mandatory practice on the same day, PJ decides he’d rather quit the team.
At the same time, his new video game keeps turning on randomly and scrolling “One if by land, two if by sea,” across the screen—and it’s a game about robots, not the American Revolution.
Things get really weird when a freak storm transports PJ and his sister Sammy back in time to 1775 Boston. There they meet Copper, a colonial kid helping Paul Revere gather information on British troop movements. Copper’s convinced the strangely dressed time travelers are British spies. And just when it seems things can’t get any stranger, they encounter Pog, a kid alien desperate to save his abducted parents.
Now PJ and Sammy have to help their new friends while they evade Pog’s enemies and the Redcoats. If they’re going to succeed—and find their way home—PJ, Sammy, Pog, and Copper need to work as a team, even if PJ’s given up on teamwork.
28. Frederick Douglass for Kids: His Life and Times, with 21 Activities (For Kids series)
by: Nancy I. Sanders Release date: Jun 01, 2012 Number of Pages: 144 Find in Library Read Review |
Few Americans have had as much impact on this nation as Frederick Douglass. Born on a plantation, he later escaped slavery and helped others to freedom via the Underground Railroad. In time he became a bestselling author, an outspoken newspaper editor, a brilliant orator, a tireless abolitionist, and a brave civil rights leader. He was famous on both sides of the Atlantic in the years leading up to the Civil War, and when war broke out, Abraham Lincoln invited him to the White House for counsel and advice.
Frederick Douglass for Kids follows the footsteps of a true hero, one of the leading African Americans of his day. And to better appreciate Douglass and his times, readers will:
· form a debating club
· create a sailor’s tarpaulin hat and cravat that Douglass wore during his escape
· make a Civil War haversack
· participate in a microlending program
and more
29. National Geographic Kids Everything Volcanoes and Earthquakes: Earthshaking photos, facts, and fun!
by: Kathy Furgang Release date: Oct 08, 2013 Number of Pages: 64 Find in Library Read Review |
30. Women Making America
by: Heidi Hemming, Julie Hemming Savage Release date: Oct 31, 2014 Number of Pages: 379 Find in Library Read Review |
Best Selling Books for 12 year olds:
- Action & Adventure
- Activities, Crafts & Games
- Animals
- Biographies
- Classics
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Technology
- Early Learning
- Education & Reference
- Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
- History
- Holidays & Celebrations
- Humor
- Literature & Fiction
- Mysteries & Detectives
- Religions
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports & Outdoors
- Children’s Cookbooks
Recommended Books for 12 year olds:
- Action & Adventure
- Activities, Crafts & Games
- Animals
- Biographies
- Classics
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Technology
- Early Learning
- Education & Reference
- Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
- History
- Holidays & Celebrations
- Humor
- Literature & Fiction
- Mysteries & Detectives
- Religions
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports & Outdoors
- Children’s Cookbooks
Best Selling History Books for:
- 1 Year Olds
- 2 Year Olds
- 3 Year Olds
- 4 Year Olds
- 5 Year Olds
- 6 Year Olds
- 7 Year Olds
- 8 Year Olds
- 9 Year Olds
- 10 Year Olds
- 11 Year Olds
- 12 Year Olds
- Teen & Young Adults
Recommended History Books for:
- 1 Year Olds
- 2 Year Olds
- 3 Year Olds
- 4 Year Olds
- 5 Year Olds
- 6 Year Olds
- 7 Year Olds
- 8 Year Olds
- 9 Year Olds
- 10 Year Olds
- 11 Year Olds
- 12 Year Olds
- Teen & Young Adults
Last updated: Monday, December 5, 2016 9:23 AM