Reference & Learning Aids

A lot of education is filling in gaps. Even more is simple fact-memorization, the primary building block leading to the ability to regurgitate ideas, analyze them, and form original ones. Either way, there often isn't a better solution than stuffing names, dates, and figures in kids' heads until they can recall them at will. They hate this, generally, but it's a necessary evil.

In no way as unpleasant, but just as educational, is something most kids love to do: getting comfy with a big compendium of knowledge and turning each page, learning little tidbits about history, the world around them, how their body works, or who's been in outer space until they've had enough and go outside to hunt trolls or dig up buried treasure.

The best word to describe such books is one that every college student learns to dread: reference. If you don't get an F on your paper because you wrote it two hours before class, you definitely will because you forgot to cite your references. It's important to remember, however, that the enemy isn't reference; the enemy (for lack of a better term) is a system that places more value on following arbitrary guidelines than presenting and commenting on thoughts and information.

We're here to put the RAD back in reference. And memorization—there's nothing that says learning the times tables has to be boring. It often is, but usually only because we look at it as a chore, and not a privilege or exciting activity. This attitude often starts with parents: we didn't like math in school, so we kind of groan along with our kids whenever the ol' numbers chart comes out. If we get excited instead, our children are likely to do the same.

Below you'll find a long list of books crammed with facts. Some of them aren't important facts (usually the most fun), some of them are essential; we're not sure where the distinction should or does lie all the time, so we'll leave you to sort that out for yourselves. We would simply encourage, whether you're teaching the tens chart in math, or adding nuance to a study of the Old West by reading a short bio of female outlaw Belle Prater, that you approach "just the facts" with as much joy and anticipation as you'd like to see your children exhibit.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
Did you find this review helpful?
235 Items found Print
Active Filters: 3rd grade (Ages 8-9), Used Books & Materials
10 Days to Multiplication Mastery
by Marion Stewart
from Learning Wrap-Ups
for 2nd-4th grade
in Multiplication (Location: MATR-AR3MU)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
100 Science Experiments
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Georgina Andrews & Kate Knighton
from Usborne
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$10.00 (3 in stock)
500 Facts: American History for Kids
from Rockridge Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Africa Is Not A Country
by Margy Burns Knight
unknown from Millbrook Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Africa (Location: HISMC-AFR)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Amazing World Atlas
by Alexa Ward
from Lonely Planet
for 2nd-5th grade
in Oversized Geography (Location: GEO-OVER)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
American Heritage First Dictionary
Updated from Houghton Mifflin
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Animalium
by Jenny Broom, Illustrated by Katie Scott
from Big Picture Press
for 3rd-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$19.00 (1 in stock)
Animals in Winter
by Henrietta Bancroft
Revised from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Archaeologists Dig For Clues
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Kate Duke
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Archaeology (Location: HISRF-ARCH)
$5.99 $4.00 (3 in stock)
Baker Bible Dictionary for Kids
by Daryl J. Lucas
2nd edition from Popular Group
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIBR-STU)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Baker Bible Dictionary for Kids
by Daryl J. Lucas
1st edition from Baker Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIBR-STU)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Beginner's American History
by D. H. Montgomery
Updated from Avyx, Inc.
for 3rd-5th grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$14.00 (2 in stock)
Berries, Nuts and Seeds
Take-Along Guide
by Diane Burns
from Northword Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Bible Lands Series - 2 volumes
by Martha Fisher, illustrated by Josephine Beachy, Rhoda Shenk, Christy Collins, Arlene Martin
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIBR-STU)
$10.50 (1 in stock)
Bible Songs - DVD
by Kathy Troxel
from Audio Memory
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Miscellaneous Bible Curriculum (Location: BIB-MISC)
$15.00 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Bill of Rights in Translation
by Amie Jane Leavitt
from Capstone Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Child's First Book of American History (hardcover)
by Earl Schenck Miers, James Daugherty
from Beautiful Feet Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Beautiful Feet Books (Location: HISCUR-BFB)
$28.00 (1 in stock)
Children's Atlas of the Bible
by Henry Wansbrough
1st edition
for 1st-7th grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIBR-STU)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Collins Children's Encyclopedia of Nature
for 2nd-6th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Colonial Town: Williamsburg
by Bobbie Kalman
Revised from Crabtree Publishing
for 1st-8th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Countries Around the World: New Zealand
by Mary Colson
from Heinemann-Raintree
for 2nd-5th grade
in Australia & Oceania (Location: HISMC-AU)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Cultural History of Women in America: Finding an Identity
A Cultural History of Women in America: Volume 1
by Alex Woolf
from Chelsea House Publishing
Women's History for 3rd-8th grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Deepest Lake
by Kris Hirschmann
1st edition from KidHaven Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in River, Pond & Swamp (Location: SCI-ECO)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Digging Up Dinosaurs
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
DK Children's Illustrated Thesaurus
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Thesauruses (Location: REF-THES)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
DK Did You Know? Science
by Emily Dodd
from DK Publishing
for 1st-5th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eye Wonder: Plant
by Fleur Star
from DK Children
for 3rd-6th grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eye Wonder: Rain Forest
by Helen Sharman
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Jungles & Rainforests (Location: SCI-ECO)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness Explorers: Insects
by Steve Parker
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness Workbook: Ancient Rome
by Sue Nicholson
2nd edition from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness Workbooks: Ancient Greece
by Kate Scarborough
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Rocks & Minerals
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Rocks & Minerals w/clip art CD
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewonder: Weather
by Lorrie Mack
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$10.99 $7.00 (2 in stock)
DK Findout! Science
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK First Encyclopedia
by Anita Ganeri & Chris Oxlade
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Encyclopedias (Location: REF-ENC)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
DK First Human Body Encyclopedia
from DK Publishing
for 1st-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
DK First Human Body Encyclopedia
from DK Publishing
for 1st-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$17.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
DK Help Your Kids with Language Arts
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-8th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
DK Smithsonian: Science
by Chris Woodford & Steve Parker
2nd edition from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Electricity and Magnetism
Usborne Understanding Science
by Eliot Humberstone, Paul-Francis Law & Peter Adamczyk
from Usborne
for 3rd-7th grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$2.50 (2 in stock)
Enchantment of America: New England Country
Enchantment of America: Regional Books of the United States
by Dorothy Wood, illustrated by Tom Dunnington
Second Printing from Children's Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Readers & Textbooks (Location: VIN-READ)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of Our Earth
from Shooting Star Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Explorers News
The History News
by Michael Johnstone
from Candlewick Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$5.50 $4.00 (4 in stock)
Eyes on Adventure: Exploring Space
Eyes on Adventure
by Leigh Hope Wood
from KidsBooks, Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Fabulous Facts about the 50 States
by Wilma S. Ross, illustrated by Bill Cummings, maps by Frank Ronan
from Scholastic Book Services
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Famous Presidents
Eyes on America
by Philip Koslow
from KidsBooks, Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$2.00 (3 in stock)
Fandex Family Field Guides: American Indians
by Steven Aronson
from Workman Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$12.95 $7.00 (2 in stock)
Fandex Family Field Guides: Civil War
from Workman Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Civil War Era (1850-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$10.95 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Finding Out About Things Outdoors
Usborne Explainers
by Eliot Humberstone
from Usborne
for 1st-4th grade
in Earth Science (Location: SCI-EARTH)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
First Book of Words
by Sam and Beryl Epstein, illustrated by Laszlo Roth
from Franklin Watts
for 2nd-5th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
First Dictionary and Thesaurus
by Anne Millard
1st edition from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of Animals
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Paul Dowswell
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.00 (2 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of Our World
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Felicity Brooks
from Usborne
for 2nd-6th grade
in Earth Science (Location: SCI-EARTH)
$7.00 (3 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of Science
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Rachel Firth
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of Science
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Rachel Firth
from Usborne
for 2nd-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$7.00 (2 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of Science
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Rachel Firth
from Usborne
for 2nd-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of the Human Body
by Fiona Chandler
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of the Human Body
by Fiona Chandler
from Usborne
for 3rd-6th grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
First Fun Thesaurus
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Thesauruses (Location: REF-THES)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
First Thousand Words in Latin
by Stephen Cartwright
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Latin Resources & Reference (Location: FL-LATREF)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Fossils Tell of Long Ago
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Fossils Tell of Long Ago
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Aliki
Revised from HarperCollins
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Games for Writing
by Peggy Kaye
1st edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Geography Songs - Booklet only
Audio Memory CDs
by Larry & Kathy Troxel
5th edition from Audio Memory
for 2nd-6th grade
in Introductory Geography (Location: GEO-INTRO)
$6.95 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Geography Songs with CD
Audio Memory CDs
by Larry & Kathy Troxel
5th edition from Audio Memory
for 2nd-6th grade
in Introductory Geography (Location: GEO-INTRO)
$13.00 (1 in stock)
Gold Rush
by Bobbie Kalman
from Crabtree Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in California (Location: HISA-19CGR)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Golden Book Illustrated Dictionary - 6 volume Set
from Golden Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Golden Book of America
by Bruce Catton
Seventh Printing from Golden Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Golden Book of Space Exploration
by Dinah L. Moche
from Golden Books
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Golden Picture Book of Knowledge
from Golden Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$16.00 (1 in stock)
Grammar Songs - Book only
by Kathy Troxel
from Audio Memory
for 3rd-8th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Grammar Songs with CD
Audio Memory CDs
by Kathy Troxel
from Audio Memory
for 3rd-8th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$22.95 $15.00 (2 in stock)
Guides to History Plus
by Kathryn Stout
from Design-A-Study
for All grades
in Design-A-Study (Location: HSR-DAS)
$14.00 $6.00 (2 in stock)
History Uncovered: The U.S.A.
by Kristine Carlson Asselin
from Kane Miller
for 2nd-5th grade
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$13.00 (2 in stock)
Hot Peas & Barley-O - Book & CD
by Susan Brumfield
from Hal Leonard Corp
for 1st-6th grade
in Europe (Location: HISMC-EUR)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
How a Seed Grows
by Helene J. Jordan
Revised from HarperCollins
for 1st-3rd grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
How to Be Good at Science, Technology & Engineering
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution
If You Were There
by Kay Moore
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
If You Lived At The Time Of The Great San Francisco Earthquake
by Ellen Levine
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Titanic & 20th Century Disasters (Location: HISW-20DIS)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
If You Lived With the Iroquois
by Ellen Levine
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-5th grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
If You Lived With the Sioux Indians
If You Were There
by Ann McGovern
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
If You Sailed On the Mayflower in 1620
If You Were There
by Ann McGovern
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution
If You Were There
by Elizabeth Levy
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in New Nation (1783-1801) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$7.99 $4.00 (4 in stock)
If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island
If You Were There
by Ellen Levine & Wayne Parmenter
from Scholastic Inc.
Historical Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Immigration & Emigration (Location: HISA-20IM)
$6.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Illustrated Young Readers' Dictionary
from Simon and Schuster
for 3rd-6th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
In God We Trust
by Timothy Crater & Ranelda Hunsicker, illustrated by Drew Rose
from Victor Books
for 1st-6th grade
in America's Christian Heritage (Location: HISA-CH)
$9.00 (3 in stock)
In Search of Troy
by Giovanni Caselli
from Peter Bedrick Books
for 3rd-5th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
International Children's Bible Handbook
by Lawrence Richards
from Word Publishing
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIBR-STU)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
It Happened in America
by Lila Perl
1st edition from Henry Holt and Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Journeys in Time
by Elspeth Leacock, Susan Buckley
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$7.00 (2 in stock)
Journeys in Time: A New Atlas of American History
by Elspeth Leacock, Susan Buckley
from Houghton Mifflin
for 3rd-8th grade
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher Atlas of the Medieval World
by Simon Adams
from Kingfisher
for 3rd-6th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher Atlas of the Medieval World
by Simon Adams
from Kingfisher
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher First Dictionary
by John Grisewood
from Kingfisher
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher Young People's Book of Oceans
by David Lambert
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher Young People's Book of Space
by Martin Redfern
from Kingfisher
for 3rd-8th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Kings & Queens of England and Scotland
by Pamela Egan
Updated from Brown Bear Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in Great Britain / England (Location: HISMC-BRIT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Landmark History of the American People
by Daniel & Ruth Boorstin
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 3rd-8th grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$12.00 (2 in stock)
Life in a Greek Trading Port
Picture the Past
by Jane Shuter
from Heinemann Educational Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$7.99 $5.00 (2 in stock)
123