Historical fiction picture books are a wonderful resource for helping children learn to study history, especially if they're used in combination with primary sources, newspapers, artifacts, field trips and oral histories.

When I present to students in schools, I show them this slide of one of James Ransome's illustrations from SWEET CLARA AND THE FREEDOM QUILT, along with a photograph of the actual cabin at Colonial Williamsburg where James did his research.  In this illustration James is able to  seamlessly incorporate details of how people lived that help children imagine the past. To visit James Ransome's website click HERE. -- Deborah Hopkinson

HISTORICAL FICTION RESOURCES

Why and How I Teach with Historical Fiction by Tarry Lindquist
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/instructor/social1.htm
An excellent article on historical fiction from Scholastic's Instructor online.

http://www.vinton-shellsburg.k12.ia.us/tms/seventh/rdg7/hf/hftoc.html
Includes bibliographies such as Colonial and Revolutionary Life, Middle Ages, Civil War, and 20^th century themes as well.

Suffolk Web Bibliographies on Historical Fiction
http://www.suffolk.lib.ny.us/youth/bibhf19.html

Historical Fiction in the Elementary Classroom
http://www.msu.edu/~vandeki3/
Good background information and links compiled by educator Lynette Vandekieft.

Small Planet Communications Lesson Plan: The Civil War
http://www.smplanet.com/civilwar/civilwar.html