4th grade books about History
28 books commonly assigned to 4th grade students explore history— every title’s grade range covers 4th grade, so each is grade-appropriate by curriculum placement. Each links to its reading level, themes, and the curricula that cite it.
Reading difficulty: the typical 4th grade text-complexity band is 740–1010L (Common Core Appendix A). Of the 1 history titles here with a Lexile score, 0 are grade-level, 1 is more accessible, and 0 are stretch texts. Match a book to your reader’s measured Lexile rather than to the grade alone.
What this list holds: 27 of the 28 titles are cited by a US curriculum or award list for 4th grade; the rest are placed here by their grade range, first published between 1972 and 2024. The most widely cited at this grade is Not Nothing by Gayle Forman (3 lists). Themes these books most often share besides history: courage (6), survival (5), biography (4), family (4).
28 4th grade books about history
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Not Nothing
Gayle FormanCited in 3 curricula across 3 states, taught from grade 4 to 8. Also covers redemption, friendship and empathy.
Boy at War
Harry MazerCited in 2 curricula across 2 states, taught from grade 4 to 6. Also covers world war, 1939-1945 and causes.
Fever 1793
Laurie Halse AndersonCited in 2 curricula across 2 states, taught from grade 2 to 8. Also covers yellow fever, epidemics and survival.
Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust
Elisa BoxerCited in 2 curricula across 2 states, taught from grade 2 to 5. Also covers courage, Holocaust and biography.
Hoops
Matt TavaresCited in 2 curricula across 2 states, taught from grade 3 to 5. Also covers courage and perseverance.
Riding Freedom
Pam Muñoz RyanCited in 2 curricula across 2 states, taught from grade 3 to 8. Also covers mistaken identity, identification and novela juvenil.
Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Art
Hannah SalyerCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 4 to 8. Also covers art and humanity.
Because of You, John Lewis
Andrea Davis PinkneyCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 5. Also covers courage and identity.
Code Name Kingfisher
Liz KesslerCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 4 to 8. Also covers courage, family and survival.
Evidence! How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera
Deborah HopkinsonCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 6. Also covers science, biography and problem-solving.
Ghost Cadet
Elaine Marie AlphinCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 5. Also covers campaigns, ghosts and grandmothers.
Girl in a Cage
Jane YolenCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 8. Also covers princesses, childhood and youth, fantasy fiction.
Here Comes the Garbage Barge
Jonah WinterCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 2 to 8. Also covers voyages and travel, barges, refuse and refuse disposal.
Iceberg
Jennifer A. NielsenCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 7. Also covers survival and courage.
Mountain of Fire: The Eruption and Survivors of Mount St. Helens
Rebecca E. BaroneCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 4 to 8. Also covers science, survival and nature.
Nothing Else But Miracles
Kate AlbusCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 7. Also covers family and resourcefulness.
Prisoner B-3087
Alan GratzCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 8. Also covers jews, holocaust and jewish (1939-1945).
The Apothecary
Maile MeloyCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 2 to 8. Also covers cold war, adventure and adventurers, alchemy.
The Butterfly
Patricia PolaccoCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 6. Also covers jews, france and world war.
The Fire of Stars
Kirsten W. LarsonCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 4 to 8. Also covers science and perseverance.
The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed the Face of Hockey
Chad Soon & Amy MaranvilleCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 7. Also covers biography, sports and perseverance.
The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien
John HendrixCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 4 to 8. Also covers biography, friendship and writing.
The Partition Project
Saadia FaruqiCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 4 to 8. Also covers family, identity and journalism.
Tucky Jo and Little Heart
Patricia PolaccoCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 5. Also covers soldiers, kindness and world war.
Volcanoes
Nell Cross BeckermanCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 6. Also covers nature and intelligence.
The Fighting Ground
AviCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 4 to 8. Also covers united states in fiction, united states and historical fiction.
Worth
A. LaFayeCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 4 to 8. Also covers frontier and pioneer life, orphans, fathers and sons.
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
Lauren TarshisTaught from grade 2 to 5. Also covers survival, courage and family. At 590L it sits just under the 740–1010L band for this grade.
History books at other grades
2nd grade · 3rd grade · 5th grade · 6th grade · 7th grade · 8th grade · 9th grade · 10th grade
Other 4th grade themes
Friendship · Family · Courage · Humor · Identity · Adventure · Schools · Nature
← Full 4th grade reading list · All historybooks →
Frequently asked questions
What history books are good for 4th grade students?
28 books exploring history have a grade range that covers 4th grade and are assigned across US-school curricula — Common Core exemplars, AP, IB, Cambridge, and state ELA standards. Each title on this page links to its full curriculum citations and reading level.
Are these history books grade-appropriate for 4th grade?
Every title's grade range covers 4th grade. The typical 4th grade text-complexity band is 740–1010L (Common Core Appendix A); of the 1 books here with a Lexile score, 0 are grade-level, 1 more accessible, and 0 a stretch. Match a book to your reader's measured Lexile rather than to the grade alone.
How many history books are on the 4th grade list?
This page lists 28 4th grade titles about history, ordered by how many US curricula cite each one for this grade (ties alphabetical). The list expands as more curriculum references are verified.
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Canonical URL: https://readinglist.school/grade/4/history