Children's Books
- Purchases may be made via a visit to our office, by telephone (317-232-2535), fax (317-232-3728), or e-mail (ihb @ history.in.gov). More info on purchasing here.
Why the Chimes Rang
Raymond MacDonald Alden
A story of two young brothers from a poor village who come to a Christmas Eve service at a church where legend says that only the perfect gift will allow the the chime bells to ring out.
cloth 16 pp. 1909 reprinted 1994 / ISBN 1-878208-46-2 / $14.94
Order No. 3116
Fighting for Equality: A Life of May Wright Sewall
Ray E. Boomhower
A biography aimed at young readers, Fighting for Equality showcases Sewall's important contributions to the history of Indianapolis, Indiana, the United States, and the world. A woman who had the "organizing touch," Sewall helped to establish such Indianapolis institutions as the Girls' Classical School, the Indianapolis Woman's Club, the Contemporary Club, the Art Association of Indianapolis (today known as the Indianapolis Museum of Art), and the Indianapolis Propylaeum.
cloth160 pp. 2007 / ISBN 978-0-87195-253-0 / $17.95
Order No. 2675
The Soldier's Friend: A life of Ernie Pyle
Ray E. Boomhower
To the millions of Americans on the home front during World War II, Ernie Pyle’s column in newspapers across the country offered a foxhole view of the struggle as he reported on the life and death of the average soldier. When he died, Pyle’s popularity and readership was worldwide, with his column appearing in 400 daily and 300 weekly newspapers.
cloth / $17.95
Order No. 2624
Abe Lincoln's Hat
Written by Martha Brenner, Illustrated by Donald Cook
Illus. in full color. Abraham Lincoln, one of our greatest presidents, started out in life as an absent-minded frontier lawyer. How did he nudge his memory? He stuck letters, court notes, contracts, and even his checkbook in his trademark top hat. When he took off his hat, it was all there!
paper 48 pp. 1994 / ISBN 0-679-84977-7 / $3.99
Order No. 2728
cloth 48 pp. 1994 / ISBN 0-679-84977-7 / $11.99
Order No. 2727
Lincoln: A Photobiography
Russell Freedman
A description of the boyhood, marriage, and young professional life of Abraham Lincoln includes his presidential years and also reflects on the latest scholarly thoughts about our Civil War president. A Newberry Medal Book.
cloth 150 pp. 1987 / ISBN 0-89919-380-3 / $20.00
Order No. 2735
Abe Lincoln Goes to Washington
Cheryl Harness
Abe Lincoln Goes to Washington paints a vivid picture of the Springfield, IL years, when Abe met and married a pretty Kentucky woman, and made his name as a lawyer and politician. Cheryl Harness gives readers a moving account of Lincoln’s rise and the tensions that dragged the nation into conflict; brilliantly detailed maps and battle scenes deepen our understanding of the Civil War; and the book’s richly imagined illustrations recreate the life of the man who will always be regarded as one of our greatest presidents.
paper 48 pp. 2008 (original copyright 1997) / ISBN 0-7922-6906-3 / $7.95
Order No. 2729
Young Abe Lincoln
Cheryl Harness
Ten score years ago, a remarkable boy was born into a remarkable country. Young Abe Lincoln tells the story of that boy, who went on to play an historic role in the shaping of his country. Written and illustrated by Cheryl Harness, this classic picture biography is now being reissued with a bold new paperback cover to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth. With vibrant artwork and carefully crafted text, Young Abe Lincoln is an appealing, insightful biography of Lincoln’s early life. With fun illustrations and a chatty narrative style, Cheryl Harness brings to life the experiences that sparked Abe to seek public office, and vividly captures the spirit of the times.
paper 32 pp. 2008 (original copyright 1996) / ISBN 978-1-4263-0437-8 / $7.95
Order No. 2730
Casper and Catherine Move to America: An Immigrant Family's Adventures, 1849-1850
Brian Hasler
Relates the adventures of Casper Hasler, a stonecutter who immigrated to Indiana in 1849, and of his children and wife, Catherine, who remained in Switzerland until their 6th child was born. Includes information about oral history and family history research.
cloth 44 pp. 2003 / ISBN 0-87195-168-1 / $17.95
Order No. 2404
Into the Wilderness: The Lewis and Clark Expedition
James J. Holmberg
By sending the Corps of Discovery to discover a way to the Pacific Ocean two hundred years ago, Jefferson dreamed of uncovering the mysteries of the lands beyond the Mississippi River. This book chronicles the exciting adventures, Indians, and samples of strange plants and animals the expedition encountered.
paper 62 pp. 2003 / ISBN 0-8131-0913-2 / $5.95
Order No. 2452
A Home in the Woods
Howard Johnson
Indianapolis of the 1820s and 1830s related in a classic account of early settler days.
paper 133 pp. ISBN 0-253-20616-2 / $17.95
Order No. 2064
Spinning through Clouds; Tales from an Early Hoosier Aviator
Max E. Knight
Aviation pioneers donned leather helmets and fur-lined goggles, climbed into open cockpits, and flew by their feelings rather than by instruments. They looped, spun, hedge hopped, and landed in farm pastures. Max Knight began flying in 1936 at the age of ten. In his book, Spinning Through Clouds: Tales from an Early Hoosier Aviator, Knight relates the flying adventures he and others enjoyed in and around his father’s airport near Lynn, Indiana. Suitable for young adult and adult readers, the book also explores stories of early state and national aviation history with characters such as Roscoe Turner and Amelia Earhart.
paper 218 pp. 2007 / ISBN 978-0-87195-256-1 / $19.95
Order No. 2698
Directory of Indiana Children's Authors & Illustrators
Sara Laughlin
The third edition of living children's authors and illustrators who are lifelong Hoosiers, or born in Indiana but now living elsewhere, or once lived in Indiana, or born outside but now living in Indiana.
paper 50 pp. 1997 / $8.95
Order No. 3117
A Child's Life at Christmas
Pamela Lawrence
Illustrated by Lori Compton
A collection of poetry and art looking at Christmas through the eyes of a child.
cloth 48 pp. 2008 / ISBN 9780982001905 / $15.95
Order No. 2714
When I Crossed No-Bob
Margaret McMullanThe Sequel to How I Found the Strong
Life as an O'Donnell is all twelve-year-old Addy knows, and life as an O'Donnell means trouble. Tucked away in a gray patch of woods called No-Bob, the O'Donnell clan has nothing but a bad reputation. So when Addy's mama abandons her on the afternoon of Mr. Frank Russell's wedding celebration, nobody is very surprised.
A reluctant Mr. Frank and his new wife take Addy in, and Addy does everything she can to prove that at least one O'Donnell has promise. But one day, Addy witnesses a terrible event that brings her old world crashing into the new. As she finds herself being pulled back into No-Bob and the grips of her O'Donnell kin, Addy is faced with the biggest decision of her life. Can she somehow find the courage to do what's right, even if it means betraying one of her own?
cloth 216 pp. 2007 / ISBN 978-0-618-71715-6 / $16.00
Order No. 2704
Hoosier Heart: A Story about Hoosiers and the great state of Indiana
Written by Luke Messer; Illustrated by Jennifer Messer
Hoosier Heart is a charming story that answers the time-honored Indiana question: "What is a Hoosier?" Three young Indiana natives, Emma, Ava and Ben, learn what it means to be a Hoosier as they journey through the state learning about Indiana's special people, places and history. The young and young at heart will enjoy this delightful, educational story and learn a little more about the state that makes Hoosiers proud.
cloth 30 pp. ISBN 978-0-9786799-1-0 / $16.95
Order No. 2620
A Good Night for Freedom
Barbara Olenyik Morrow
Two runaway slaves take refuge at Katy and Levi Coffin's home - a stop on the underground railroad. Based on historical events, this powerful story reveals the courage it took for people to run for freedom, and for one young girl to help them. Beautifully illustrated.
cloth 32 pp. 2004 / ISBN 0-8234-1709-3 / $16.95
Order No. 2455
Legendary Hoosier: Famous Folks from the State of Indiana
Nelson Price
Stories of 40 legendary Hoosiers--astronauts, basketball players, a cartoon cat, a race horse, teachers, pop music performers, and Olympic gold medalists.
cloth 189 pp. 2001 / ISBN 1-57860-097-9 / $24.95
Order No. 2353
Evie Finds Her Family Tree
Ashley B. Ransburg
Young children will enjoy the tale of Evie, a little girl who tries to discover the meaning of her family tree. This illustrated storybook includes a 32’ x 24” illustrated family tree chart that children can complete using their own family information.
cloth 30 pp. ISBN 0-87195-187-8 / $14.95
Order No 2594
The Woodland Adventures series
This series is dedicated to all The Woodland People who persevere despite hardships, inhumanity, and hostility. Their spirit, like the Eagle, soars. Their integrity, like the Turtle, persists.
Rita Kohn and Robin McBride Scott
A family of the Miami of Indiana indians and the traditional custom of planting gourds for the fall gathering give-away is the mechanizism used to teach preschool and primary grades number concepts in this beautiful picture book.
cloth 32 pp. ISBN 0-516-05203-9 / $15.00
Order No. 2364
Rita Kohn and Kevin Warren Smith
The Woodland Indian traditional powwow is the mechanizism used to teach preschool and primary grades to identify and count numbers 1 through 10 in this beautiful picture book.
cloth 32 pp. 1995 / ISBN 0-516-05201-2 / $15.00
Order No. 2366
Rita Kohn and Winifred Barnum-Newman
The Woodland Indian tradition of gathering to share in and give thanks for a plentiful harvest is the mechanizism used to teach preschool and primary grades the concept of quantity in this beautiful picture book.
cloth 32 pp. 1995 / ISBN 0-516-05202-0 / $15.00
Order No. 2363
Rita Kohn and Dorothy Sullivan
The retelling of the Lenape or Delaware Indian tale of how the first "kokolesh" (rabbit-tail) game was made is the mechanizism used to teach preschool and primary grades the concept of sequence in this beautiful picture book.
cloth 32 pp. ISBN 0-546-05204-7 / $15.00
Order No. 2365
Abigail
Portia Howe Sperry
Set in the 1830s, the story centers on a young girl and her doll Abigail, and the adventures they share while traveling by covered wagon from Kentucky to their new home in Brown County, Indiana. Recommended for young readers.
paper 162 pp. 1938 Reprinted 2000 / ISBN 0-87195-148-7 / $8.95
Order No. 2277
Georgie's Moon
Chris Woodworth
When her father goes off to Vietnam, Georgie is obliged to keep a strong façade while he is away in order to keep the family from falling apart, but dealing with her hippy classmates and a frightened little brother becomes more difficult with every passing day as she longs for her father's safe return.
cloth / $16.00
Order No.2648
Belief in Providence: A Life of Saint Theodora Guerin
Julie Young
A Belief in Providence: A Life of Saint Theodora Guerin, a youth biography, explores the life of the woman who would become Indiana's first saint.
cloth 198 pp. 2007 / ISBN 978-0-87195-255-4 / $17.95
Order No. 2640
E-mail the Indiana Historical Bureau with questions or your order.
Young Patriots Series
Amelia Earhart, Young Air Pioneer
Jane Moore Howe, Illustrated by Cathy Morrison
These true-life tales of aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, based on the remembrances of her sister Pidge, will inspire and thrill young readers. Kids will cheer as Amelia rescues two neighbor boys from an angry dog and when she builds her own "rolly coaster" off the roof of her grandparents' shed. Amelia's fascination at seeing her first airplane, as well as her curiosity, courage, and determination to learn, will make this portrayal of an American heroine a favorite of both children and adults.
cloth 111 pp. 1999 (text originally pub. 1950 & 1961) / ISBN 1-882859-02-2 / $15.95
Order No. 2733
William Henry Harrison, Young Tippecanoe
Howard Peckham, Illustrated by Cathy Morrison
When William Henry's sister Sally fell into the river, was he able to rescue her? How did William Henry, when he was just 8 years old, capture a wounded enemy soldier? Find the answers and share many more childhood adventures of the ninth U.S. President in Volume 2 of the Young Patriots Series, "William Henry Harrison, Young Tippecanoe."
cloth 112 pp. 2000 (text originally pub. 1951) / ISBN 1-882859-03-0 / $15.95
Order No. 2734
Lew Wallace, Boy Writer
Martha E. Schaaf, Illustrated by Cathy Morrison
Lew Wallace was most famous for writing the world-famous novel, Ben-Hur, but did you know that as a boy, he played hooky from school? What was the secret to Lew's "magic pencil," and can you imagine what happened when Lew saw his baby brother crawl beneath the moving wheels of a heavy carriage? In Volume 3 of the Young Patriots Series, learn the answers to these questions and join Lew Wallace as he grows up in the fields and rivers of his native Midwest.
cloth 111 pp. 2001 (text originally pub. 1961) / ISBN 1-882859-05-7 / $15.95
Order No. 2732
George Rogers Clark, Boy of the Northwest Frontier
Katherine E. Wilkie, Illustrated by Cathy Morrison
Explorer and Revolutionary War hero, General George Rogers Clark effectively doubled the size of the United States by his defeat of the British at Vincennes. He is also known for being the older brother of William Clark, one half of the legendary Lewis and Clark Expedition. But did you know that in 1783, Thomas Jefferson asked George Rogers Clark if he would be willing to head an expedition to explore the land west of the Mississippi? Clark declined, and 20 years later Jefferson asked the same question of Clark's younger brother William. William accepted and the Lewis and Clark expedition was born. Meet the young George Rogers Clark in Volume 8 of the Young Patriots Series as he grows up on the edge of the wilderness-whether he's rescuing baby raccoons from a hollow tree or rescuing his brothers from raging floodwaters, George displays the courage and determination that resulted in the hero he would become.
cloth 114 pp. 2004 (text originally pub. 1974) / ISBN 1-882859-43-X / $15.95
Order No. 2731
