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History CurriculumHistory Resources

As with most things, C.S. Lewis had a unique view of history. For him, the really important bits were the stories—he makes a distinction between actual historical realities and the idealized versions of them handed down which make heroes and villains of mere men and women. It's not that the stories are completely false, but their value is for character-building, not as factual data.

The tales of George Washington's bravery in battle, coolness under pressure, rigorous truthfulness, and unflagging piety may accurately preserve the essence of his temperament and nobility, but not all of them are strictly historical. The point of these stories isn't to impart facts, however, it's to offer an example of goodness for the rest of us to emulate.

Getting the facts right is still important, though. As Christians, we can't afford to have a false understanding of "the old days." Mankind is fallen, and the story of his sojourn on Earth is filled with war, suffering, disease, unfaithfulness, pride and envy; a study of history that omits those elements is both false and useless. False, because it is incomplete, and useless, because it tells us nothing of the human condition or our current situation.

It's a bit of a mystery to us why non-Christians are motivated to study the past. For believers, the end goal isn't just acquisition of facts about events and cultures, it's the instillation of a thoroughly Christian worldview, an understanding of the course of the human endeavour as decreed and guided by God Himself.

The story of Jesus Christ is central. It is the only history story that fulfills the character-building element Lewis looked for, while remaining absolutely true in every detail. Man is fallen and he does struggle against God, but through Christ there is hope of redemption, a chance to connect heaven and earth through the Atonement. Christ is the ultimate example of God's providence.

In the Reformed tradition, God's sovereignty is a very big deal. According to the doctrine of divine decree, God has ordered all things that were, are and will come to be for His own good pleasure and glory. His hand is thus present everywhere, in the privatest private life and the most public and widespread crisis. God is in control, providentially guiding nations, men, and the entire cosmos.

This very doctrine is perhaps what best explains the humanist's interest in history (whether he be atheist, agnostic, pagan). Man's natural bent is to make himself the hero of the story, to show how people can sway the trajectory of all things. God's version is quite different, and the two are naturally in conflict. Resolution may only be found in Christ.

For, while God decrees and guides all things, He has also (paradoxically) decreed man's free will and personal responsibility. Men do change the course of kingdoms, but it is only through God's agency. A proper Christian study of history takes both truths into account, and tells the stories of good guys and bad guys through the light of everything God's Word says about human nature and divine control.

We encourage you to take great comfort and joy in your study of history. Read books, watch movies (carefully noting that a lot of the story is likely to be inaccurate in detail), go on fieldtrips to forts and battlefields and birthplaces. Most of all, talk about these things. The end goal, after all, isn't to know a bunch of trivia, but to understand what God has done and continues to do.

No one knows for sure what the end of history will look like, except that every knee in heaven and on earth will bow to the returned glorious Christ, who comes to judge the living and the dead. What we believe about Him will determine whether that culmination will be filled with joy or loathing (everyone will be terrified). He is the author of history, and its centerpiece; honor Him in your study of it.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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18 Penny Goose
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Sally M. Walker
from HarperCollins
Realistic fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.24
Abraham Lincoln
A Discovery Book
by Anne Colver, illustrated by William Moyers
from Dell Yearling
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Aesop's Fables
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by Aesop
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Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Kindergarten-4th grade
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$6.79
Aladdin and Other Tales from the Arabian Nights
Puffin Classics
by N.J. Dawood, illustrated by William Harvey
from Puffin Books
Fairy Tales for 2nd-6th grade
$6.79
All-of-a-Kind Family
by Sydney Taylor, illustrated by Helen John
from Yearling
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$6.79 $2.80 (1 in stock)
Amazing Mind of Granville Woods
The Good and the Beautiful Library
by Maggie Felsch; illustrated by Kessler Garrity
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America the Beautiful
by Katharine Lee Bates, illustrated by Chris Gall
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$2.80 (1 in stock)
American Family of the Colonial Era - Paper Dolls
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from Dover Publications
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American Pioneer Family - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
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in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
Ancient Egyptian Costumes - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
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Ancient Egyptian Design
by Ed Sibbett, Jr.
from Dover Publications
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in History of the World Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISW)
And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?
by Jean Fritz & Margot Tomes
from PaperStar Books
Biography for 2nd-4th grade
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$8.99 $4.50 (3 in stock)
Ben and Me
by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64
Blast Back!: The Civil Rights Movement
by Nancy Ohlin, illustrated by Roger Simo
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) (Location: HISA-20CIV)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Boy of the Three-Year Nap
by Dianne Snyder
from Sandpiper Books
Word Books for Preschool-2nd grade
1989 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.79
Bravest Dog Ever
Step Into Reading Level 3
by Natalie Standiford
from Random House
Animal Stories for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$5.09
Caleb's Story
by Patricia MacLachlan
from HarperCollins
Family Stories for 2nd-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$5.94
Canada Geese Quilt
by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
from Puffin Books
Realistic Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$4.24
Canada Geese Quilt
by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
from Cobblehill Books
Realistic Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
Chang's Paper Pony
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Eleanor Coerr
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
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$4.24
Child's History of the World
by Virgil M. Hillyer
from Stellar Classics
World History Reference for 2nd-6th grade
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Civil War Paper Soldiers in Full Color
by A. G. Smith
from Dover Publications
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Colonial Fashions - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
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in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
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by Susan E. Goodman
from Aladdin Paperbacks
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in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.80 (2 in stock)
Courage of Sarah Noble
by Alice Dalgliesh
Reissue from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-6th grade
1955 Newbery Honor Book
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Cowboys
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from Random House
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$2.00 (1 in stock)
Days of Knights & Damsels
by Laurie Carlson
from Chicago Review Press
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$8.00 (2 in stock)
Drinking Gourd OSI
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by F. N. Monjo
from HarperCollins
Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
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$2.00 (2 in stock)
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by Clyde Robert Bulla, Illustrated by Tom Two Arrows
from Scholastic Inc.
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Emily's Runaway Imagination
by Beverly Cleary, illustrated by Tracy Dockray
2008 edition from HarperCollins
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Emily's Runaway Imagination (Krush illustrations)
by Beverly Cleary, illustrated by Beth and Joe Krush
from HarperCollins
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Extraordinary Life of Anne Frank
by Kate Scott, illustrated by Anke Rega
from Kane Miller
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$2.80 (1 in stock)
Extraordinary Life of Katherine Johnson
by Devika Jina, illustrated by Maggie Cole
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$2.80 (1 in stock)
Extraordinary Life of Rosa Parks
by Dr. Sheila Kanani, illustrated by Nan Lawson
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$2.80 (1 in stock)
Fashions of the First Ladies - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
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Fireflies in the Dark
by Susan Goldman Rubin
from Scholastic Inc.
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in Holocaust (Location: HISW-20WW2H)
$2.50 (2 in stock)
Five Chinese Brothers OSI
by Claire Huchet Bishop & Kurt Wiese
from PaperStar Books
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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$6.79
George the Drummer Boy
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Nathaniel Benchley
from HarperCollins
Historical fiction for 2nd-4th grade
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George Washington's Breakfast
by Jean Fritz
from PaperStar Books
Biography for 1st-4th grade
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$6.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
Going West
by Jean Van Leeuwen
from Puffin Books
Historical fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$6.79
Gonna Sing My Head Off
by Kathleen Krull
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Music Education & Reference (Location: ELE-MUSREF)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Grain of Rice
by Helena Clare Pittman
from Yearling
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 2nd-4th grade
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Great Characters From Shakespeare - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
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in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
Great Fashion Designs of the Victorian Era - Paper Dolls in Full Color
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
Guide to Australia
by Michael March
from Highlights for Children
for 1st-6th grade
in Australia & Oceania (Location: HISMC-AU)
$1.50 (3 in stock)
Harry Houdini: Master of Magic
by Robert Kraske
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Hill of Fire
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Thomas Lewis & Joan Sandin
from HarperCollins
Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$5.09 $2.40 (2 in stock)
Hundred Penny Box
by Sharon Bell Mathis
from Scholastic Inc.
Realistic Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
Newbery Honor
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$1.20 (1 in stock)
Hundred Penny Box
by Sharon Bell Mathis
from Puffin Books
Realistic Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
1976 Newbery Honor Book
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.79
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
by Lauren Tarshis
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
If You Lived with the Cherokee
by Peter Roop, Connie Roop
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
by Bette Bao Lord
from HarperCollins
Immigration for 2nd-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.64 $3.20 (7 in stock)
Johnny Appleseed
by Reeve Lindbergh
from Little, Brown & Company
Poetry for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49
Josefina Story Quilt
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Eleanor Coerr
from HarperCollins
Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$5.09 $2.00 (2 in stock)
King Tut - Coloring Book
by Patricia J. Wynne
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in History of the World Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISW)
$3.39
Les Miserables (adapted)
Stepping Stones: A Chapter Book
by Victor Hugo, Adapted by Monica Kulling
from Random House
Historical Fiction for 1st-4th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Lion to Guard Us
by Clyde Robert Bulla
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction for 2nd-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$8.49 $3.20 (3 in stock)
Long Way to a New Land
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Joan Sandin
from HarperCollins
Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.24 $2.00 (3 in stock)
Long Way Westward
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Joan Sandin
from HarperCollins
Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.24 $2.00 (3 in stock)
Magic Tree House #16 - Research Guide / Fact Tracker
by Mary Pope Osborne
from Random House
for 2nd-5th grade
in Magic Tree House (Location: SER-MTH)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Magic Tree House #44 (Merlin Mission #16) - Fact Tracker
Magic Tree House
by Mary Pope Osborne & Natalie Pope Boyce
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Magic Tree House (Location: SER-MTH)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Marie Antoinette - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
Matchlock Gun
by Walter Edmonds
from PaperStar Books
Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
1942 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.64 $3.60 (2 in stock)
Meet Abraham Lincoln
Second Series Landmark / Step Up reprints
by Barbara Cary
from Random House
Biography for 1st-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$5.94
Minstrel in the Tower
by Gloria Skurzynski
from Random House
Historical Fiction for 1st-4th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$5.94 $2.40 (1 in stock)
Missionary Stories with the Millers
by Mildred A. Martin
from Green Pastures Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Miller Family Series (Location: SER-MILLER)
Molly's Pilgrim
A Bantam First Skylark
by Barbara Cohen, illustrated by Daniel Mark Duffy
from HarperTrophy
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$1.60 (4 in stock)
Mr. Revere and I
by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Muddleheaded Wombat
by Ruth Park, illustrated by Noela Young
from Angus and Robertson
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$13.99
Next Stop, New York City!
The Polk Street Kids on Tour
by Patricia Reilly Giff, illustrated by Blanche Sims
from Yearling
for 2nd-5th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Oh Boy, Boston!
The Polk Street Kids on Tour
by Patricia Reilly Giff, illustrated by Blanche Sims
from Yearling
for 2nd-5th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
One Morning in Maine
by Robert McCloskey
from Puffin Books
Realistic Family Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1953 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49
Owls in the Family
by Farley Mowat
from Yearling
Realistic Animal Stories for 2nd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.79
Ox-Cart Man
by Donald Hall
from Puffin Books
Realistic Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1980 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.64
Paul Revere's Ride
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, illustrated by Ted Rand
from Puffin Books
American Poetry for 2nd-6th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.64
Pilgrims at Plymouth
by Lucille Recht Penner, illustrated by S. D. Schindler
from Random House
Non-fiction for 2nd-6th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
Pirate's Promise
by Clyde Robert Bulla, illustrated by Peter Burchard
from HarperTrophy
for 1st-3rd grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Pompeii
Step Into Reading Level 4
by Edith Kunhardt & Michael Eagle
from Random House
Non-Fiction for 2nd-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$5.09 $2.40 (3 in stock)
Pride and Prejudice - Paper Dolls
by Brenda Sneathen Mattox
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
Sam the Minuteman
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Nathaniel Benchley & Arnold Lobel
from HarperCollins
Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Sarah Morton's Day
by Kate Waters
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-fiction for Nursery-3rd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$6.79 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Sarah, Plain and Tall
by Patricia MacLachlan
30th Anniversary from HarperCollins
Family Stories for 2nd-6th grade
1986 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.79 $2.80 (3 in stock)
Seven Wonders of the Natural World
from Silver Burdett Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in International Landmarks & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANINT)
Shh! We're Writing the Constitution!
by Jean Fritz
from PaperStar Books
Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in New Nation (1783-1801) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Skylark
by Patricia MacLachlan
from HarperCollins
Family Stories for 2nd-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$5.94
Snowshoe Thompson
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Nancy Smiler Levinson & Joan Sandin
from HarperCollins
Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.24
Southern Belle Ball Gowns - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
Southern Belles - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
Story About Ping
by Marjorie Flack
from Grosset & Dunlap
Animal Realistic for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.09
Story of Daniel Boone, Wilderness Explorer
A Dell Yearling Biography
by Walter Retan
from Yearling
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Story of the Underground Railroad - Coloring Book
by Peter F. Copeland
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in History of America Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISA)
$5.09
Sword in the Tree
by Clyde Robert Bulla
from HarperCollins
Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$5.09 $2.80 (3 in stock)
Teddy Roosevelt and the Treasure of Ursa Major
by Tom Isbell (based on the play by), adapted by Ronald Kidd, illustrated by Ard Hoyt
from Simon and Schuster
for 2nd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
The Spark
by Shannen Yauger; illustrated by Alessia Ray
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 2nd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Trail of Tears
Step into Reading Level 5
by Joseph Bruchac
from Random House
Historical Non-fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$5.09
Trapped By the Ice
by Michael McCurdy
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Trojan Horse
Step Into Reading Level 5
by Emily Little
from Random House
Greek Mythology for 2nd-4th grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$5.09 $2.40 (1 in stock)
Tut's Mummy
Step Into Reading Level 4
by Judy Donnelly & James Watling
from Random House
Non-fiction for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$5.09 $2.40 (3 in stock)
Understanding the U.S. Constitution
by Sally Senzell Isaacs
from Crabtree Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in New Nation (1783-1801) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Velveteen Rabbit
by Margery Williams, illustrated by William Nicholson
from Avon Books
Personification for 1st-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49
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