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.
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201 Items found Print
Active Filters: 3rd grade (Ages 8-9), Used Books & Materials
10 Days to Multiplication Mastery - Teacher Edition
by Marion W. Stuart
from Learning Wrap-Ups
for 2nd-4th grade
in Multiplication (Location: MATR-AR3MU)
$7.00 (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)
$9.00 (2 in stock)
3-D Engineering
from Nomad Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
America from the Beginning - Student Manual
by Joshua Franklin, Debbie Lawrence
from Answers in Genesis
for 3rd-8th grade
in U.S. History Curriculum (Location: HISCUR-US)
$29.00 (1 in stock)
American Moments
by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Bruce Strachan
from Henry Holt and Company
for 1st-4th grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$4.50 (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 (2 in stock)
Baker Bible Dictionary for Kids
by Daryl J. Lucas
1st edition from Popular Group
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIB-STU)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Beginning Dictionary
from Macmillan
for 2nd-4th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Beginning Outlining
by Anne Sattler
from Remedia Publications
for 3rd-4th grade
in Grammar Reference (Location: REF-GRA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Behind the Mask
by Ruth Heller
from PaperStar Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$8.99 $5.00 (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 (2 in stock)
Cache of Jewels and Other Collective Nouns
by Ruth Heller
from Scholastic Reference
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
Cat in the Hat Beginner Book Dictionary in Spanish
by P.D. Eastman
from Random House
for 1st-4th grade
in Spanish Resources (Location: FL-SPARE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Child's Introduction to Natural History
by Heather Alexander, illustrated by Meredith Hamilton
from Black Dog & Leventhal
for 3rd-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Children's Illustrated Dictionary
for 1st-4th grade
in Dictionaries (Location: REF-DIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Cobblestone "Laura Ingalls Wilder: Growing Up on the Prairie"
Volume Seven: Number Two
from Cobblestone Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$1.50 (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)
$4.50 (2 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)
Creepy, Crawly Caterpillars
by Margery Facklam
from Little, Brown & Company
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$2.50 (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 (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: Astronomy
by Kristen Lippincott
from DK Children
for 3rd-8th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Pond & River
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in River, Pond & Swamp (Location: SCI-ECO)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Predator
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewonder: Space
by Carole Stott
from DK Publishing
for 1st-6th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$5.50 (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)
Electricity and Magnetism
Usborne Understanding Science
by Eliot Humberstone, Paul-Francis Law & Peter Adamczyk
from Usborne
for 3rd-7th grade
in Electricity & Magnetism (Location: SCI-PHY)
$2.70 (2 in stock)
Enchantment of America: New England Country
by Dorothy Wood, illustrated by Tom Dunnington
Second Printing from Children's Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Readers & Textbooks (Location: VIN-READ)
$9.00 (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)
$6.99 $4.50 (4 in stock)
Eye Wonder: Rocks & Minerals
by Caroline Bingham
1st edition from DK Publishing
for 1st-4th Grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$3.50 (1 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)
Famous Presidents
Eyes on America
by Philip Koslow
from KidsBooks, Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$2.00 (4 in stock)
Fandex Family Field Guides: American Indians
by Steven Aronson
from Workman Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Native Americans (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 (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$10.95 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Finding Out About Deserts
Usborne Explainers
by Angela Wilkes
2nd edition from Usborne
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Deserts & Grasslands (Location: SCI-ECO)
$2.70 (1 in stock)
Finding Out About Things Outdoors
Usborne Explainers
by Eliot Humberstone
from Usborne
for 1st-4th grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
First Book of America
by L. Somerville
from Usborne
for 1st-5th grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$2.25 (1 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of Animals
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Paul Dowswell
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$6.30 (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)
$6.30 (3 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of Science
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Rachel Firth
from Usborne
for 2nd-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$5.40 (1 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of Science
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Rachel Firth
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of Science
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Rachel Firth
from Usborne
for 2nd-6th grade
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$6.30 (3 in stock)
First Encyclopedia of the Human Body
by Fiona Chandler
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$5.40 (1 in stock)
First Fun Thesaurus
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Thesauruses (Location: REF-THES)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
For Home & Country
by Angela Herb & Norman Bolotin
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
For You They Signed
by Marilyn Boyer
from Master Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in America's Christian Heritage (Location: HISA-CH)
$27.99 $18.00 (1 in stock)
For You They Signed (old)
by Marilyn Boyer
from Learning Parent
for 3rd-8th grade
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$12.50 (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)
Gold Rush
by Bobbie Kalman
from Crabtree Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in California State History (Location: HISA-19CGR)
$5.00 (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 (3 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 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 (1 in stock)
Greetings From the 50 States
by Sheila Keenan, Illustrated by Selina Alko
from Scholastic Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in United States Geography (Location: GEO-REFUS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Guide to Egypt
by Michael March
from Highlights for Children
for 1st-6th grade
in Near & Middle East (Location: HISMC-NME)
$1.50 (2 in stock)
Guide to South Africa
by Michael March
from Highlights for Children
for 1st-6th grade
in Africa (Location: HISMC-AFR)
$1.50 (3 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 (3 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 (1 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 Mountains Are Made
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$3.00 (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 (1 in stock)
If You Lived at the Time of the Civil War
If You Were There
by Kay Moore
from Scholastic Inc.
Historical Non-fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$3.00 (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 in Colonial Times
If You Were There
by Ann McGovern
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.00 (4 in stock)
If You Lived With the Iroquois
by Ellen Levine
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-5th grade
in Native Americans (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 Americans (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$4.00 (2 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 (1 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 (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$7.99 $5.00 (1 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)
Imaginaries: Little Scraps of Larger Stories
by Emily Winfield Martin
from Random House
for 3rd-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
In God We Trust
by Timothy Crater & Ranelda Hunsicker
from Victor Books
for 1st-6th grade
in America's Christian Heritage (Location: HISA-CH)
$12.00 (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)
Information Please! - Getting Started
by Pat Wesolowski
for 3rd-6th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
International Children's Bible Dictionary
by Lynn Waller
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIB-STU)
$6.00 (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: BIB-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)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
It's My State! Oregon
It's My State!
by Joyce Hart and Jacqueline Laks Gorman
from Marshall Cavendish Education
for 3rd-6th grade
in Pacific States (Location: HISV-PNW)
$5.00 (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 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher Atlas of the Ancient World
from Kingfisher
for 2nd-6th grade
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$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 Atlas of World History
by Simon Adams
Revised from Kingfisher
for 3rd-5th grade
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$24.99 $17.50 (1 in stock)
Kites Sail High
by Ruth Heller
from PaperStar Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Kites Sail High
by Ruth Heller
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Kites Sail High
by Ruth Heller
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 1st-4th grade
in Grammar Picture Books (Location: GRA-PIC)
$3.00 (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 (4 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)
Life in Ancient Mesopotamia
by Shilpa Mehta-Jones
from Crabtree Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient Mesopotamia & Persia (Location: HISW-ANME)
$8.95 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Life in Ancient Rome
by William Crouch
from Crescent Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Living in Castle Times
by Robyn Gee
from Usborne
for 1st-4th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Lots More Tell Me Why
by Arkady Leokum
from Grosset & Dunlap
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
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