History Books for Kids
1,385 books in history. Every book rated for reading level and content intensity.
History books for kids span a wider readiness range than parents usually expect. The same genre category contains gentle picture books and high-intensity middle-grade novels — Reading-level and grade-level scores measure text complexity, not what's actually in the story. A history title appropriate for a confident 8-year-old reader could still cover themes a sensitive 12-year-old isn't ready for.
Across HootRated's 1,385 history titles, books span picture books through Grade 10. About 85% are rated Gentle or Mild — safe picks for sensitive readers and kids reading ahead of their emotional readiness. 2% sit at the Intense or Very Intense end. Average content intensity is 1.6/5.
Use the intensity badges (green → red, low → high) to filter by emotional readiness rather than just age. For deeper detail on how we rate, see our rating methodology.
English colonies in the Americas
Lewis K. Parker
English colonies in the Americas
Lewis K. Parker
Chief Joseph
Laura K. Murray
Chief Joseph
Laura K. Murray
The Thirteen Colonies
Dennis B. Fradin
The Thirteen Colonies
Dennis B. Fradin
Minnesota
Dennis B. Fradin
Minnesota
Dennis B. Fradin
Albania
David K. Wright
Albania
David K. Wright
The White House
Lloyd G. Douglas
The White House
Lloyd G. Douglas
Robert E. Lee
Marian G. Cannon
Robert E. Lee
Marian G. Cannon
North American Indian
David Murdoch
North American Indian
David Murdoch
The Washington Monument (National Landmarks)
Muriel L. Dubois
The Washington Monument (National Landmarks)
Muriel L. Dubois
Hawaii
Patricia K. Kummer
Hawaii
Patricia K. Kummer
Kentucky
Patricia K. Kummer
Kentucky
Patricia K. Kummer
Tennessee
Patricia K. Kummer
Tennessee
Patricia K. Kummer
The Mexican War, 1846-1848
Susan E. Haberle
The Mexican War, 1846-1848
Susan E. Haberle
The bald eagle
Debbie L. Yanuck
The bald eagle
Debbie L. Yanuck
Inca Mummies: Sacrifices And Rituals (Edge Books: Mummies)
Michael Martin
Inca Mummies: Sacrifices And Rituals (Edge Books: Mummies)
Michael Martin
Daily Life - Pirates (Daily Life)
Patricia D. Netzley
Daily Life - Pirates (Daily Life)
Patricia D. Netzley
New Jersey
Teresa L. Hyman
New Jersey
Teresa L. Hyman
Colorado
Tamra Orr
Colorado
Tamra Orr
Russia
Susan Heinrichs Gray
Russia
Susan Heinrichs Gray
The White House
Susan Heinrichs Gray
The White House
Susan Heinrichs Gray
Secrets of the ice man
Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Secrets of the ice man
Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Beyond the frontier
Edward F. Dolan
Beyond the frontier
Edward F. Dolan
The Salem witch trials
Edward F. Dolan
The Salem witch trials
Edward F. Dolan
In an Egyptian City (Child's Day)
Khaled Eldash
In an Egyptian City (Child's Day)
Khaled Eldash
The Salem witchcraft trials in American history
David K. Fremon
The Salem witchcraft trials in American history
David K. Fremon
The L.A. riots
Michael D. Cole
The L.A. riots
Michael D. Cole
The Union and the Civil War in American history
Mary Hull
The Union and the Civil War in American history
Mary Hull
Shays' Rebellion and the Constitution in American history
Mary Hull
Shays' Rebellion and the Constitution in American history
Mary Hull
New France
Robert Livesey
New France
Robert Livesey
Scottish clans and tartans
Dwayne E. Pickels
Scottish clans and tartans
Dwayne E. Pickels
Japan (Modern World Nations)
Charles F. Gritzner
Japan (Modern World Nations)
Charles F. Gritzner
John Paul Jones
Tracie Egan
John Paul Jones
Tracie Egan
Little Sure Shot
Jennifer Silate
Little Sure Shot
Jennifer Silate
America's gold rush
Joanne Mattern
America's gold rush
Joanne Mattern
Kids during the American Civil War
Lisa A. Wroble
Kids during the American Civil War
Lisa A. Wroble
The colony of New York
Susan Whitehurst
The colony of New York
Susan Whitehurst
Bmx in the X Games
Christopher Blomquist
Bmx in the X Games
Christopher Blomquist
Making Origami Cards Step by Step
Michael G. LaFosse
Making Origami Cards Step by Step
Michael G. LaFosse
Home life in ancient Rome
Daniel C. Gedacht
Home life in ancient Rome
Daniel C. Gedacht
Japanese-American internment in American history
David K. Fremon
Japanese-American internment in American history
David K. Fremon
Infantry of the future
Roderic D. Schmidt
Infantry of the future
Roderic D. Schmidt
The colony of Massachusetts
Jake Miller
The colony of Massachusetts
Jake Miller
The colony of Virginia
Jake Miller
The colony of Virginia
Jake Miller
The Dirty Thirties, (American History Through Primary Sources)
Sean Price
The Dirty Thirties, (American History Through Primary Sources)
Sean Price
The Battle of Trenton
Lewis K. Parker
The Battle of Trenton
Lewis K. Parker
The Declaration of Independence
Jon Wilson
The Declaration of Independence
Jon Wilson
Canada
Cari Meister
Canada
Cari Meister
The secret of Gabi's dresser.
Kacer Kathy
The secret of Gabi's dresser.
Kacer Kathy
Delaware
Jay D. Winans
Delaware
Jay D. Winans
Sweet home Alaska
Carole Estby Dagg
Sweet home Alaska
Carole Estby Dagg
Yellowstone National Park
Audra Wallace
Yellowstone National Park
Audra Wallace
Hostage to War
Tatjana Wassiljewa
Hostage to War
Tatjana Wassiljewa
Boy Who Didn't Want to Die
Peter Lantos
Boy Who Didn't Want to Die
Peter Lantos
Greek warriors
Charlotte Guillain
Greek warriors
Charlotte Guillain
Aztec warriors
Charlotte Guillain
Aztec warriors
Charlotte Guillain
Plateau Indians
Christin Ditchfield
Plateau Indians
Christin Ditchfield
What's great about Kentucky?
Sherra G. Edgar
What's great about Kentucky?
Sherra G. Edgar
Geography Matters in Ancient Rome
Melanie Waldron
Geography Matters in Ancient Rome
Melanie Waldron
The Holocaust
Stuart A. Kallen
The Holocaust
Stuart A. Kallen
Barbarians
Valerie Bodden
Barbarians
Valerie Bodden
Showing our 60 curated picks of 1,385 rated history books. Search all of them.
For teens (ages 13+)
174 history books are written for readers 13 and up. A few of them:
Marianne Dreams
Catherine Storr
Marianne Dreams
Catherine Storr
Past Pandemics and COVID-19
Walt K. Moon
Past Pandemics and COVID-19
Walt K. Moon
Slaves to Soldiers
Wallace B. Black
Slaves to Soldiers
Wallace B. Black
Parallel journeys
Eleanor H. Ayer
Parallel journeys
Eleanor H. Ayer
Canada
John F. Grabowski
Canada
John F. Grabowski
Life on the Oregon Trail
Gary L. Blackwood
Life on the Oregon Trail
Gary L. Blackwood
Australia
John F. Grabowski
Australia
John F. Grabowski
Japan (Modern Nations of the World)
Patricia D. Netzley
Japan (Modern Nations of the World)
Patricia D. Netzley
The Way People Live - Life on an Everest Expedition (The Way People Live)
Patricia D. Netzley
The Way People Live - Life on an Everest Expedition (The Way People Live)
Patricia D. Netzley
Modern Nations of the World - Israel (Modern Nations of the World)
Laurel Corona
Modern Nations of the World - Israel (Modern Nations of the World)
Laurel Corona
Rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement
Samantha S. Bell
Rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement
Samantha S. Bell
The Civil Rights Movement Revisited
Patrick B. Miller, Therese Frey Steffen, Elisabeth Schäfer-Wünsche
The Civil Rights Movement Revisited
Patrick B. Miller, Therese Frey Steffen, Elisabeth Schäfer-Wünsche
Questions parents ask about history books
- What are the best history books for kids?
- HootRated catalogs 1,385 history children's books spanning picture books through Grade 10. Each is rated on reading level and content intensity. The picks above are sorted by quality signals — hook factor, discussion potential, and content appropriateness.
- Are history books appropriate for sensitive readers?
- 1,177 (85%) are rated Gentle or Mild — safe for sensitive readers. 22 (2%) are rated Intense or Very Intense. Average intensity is 1.6/5. Filter by intensity badge to match your child's emotional readiness.
- What reading level are history books?
- History books in our catalog span picture books through Grade 10. The typical reading level lands around Grade 4. Reading level measures text difficulty — separate from content intensity, which measures emotional weight. The two often don't track together for kids who read above their age — the reading-level gap.