LibGuides: Grade 4 Historical Fiction Unit: Great Depression

Non-fiction from our library collection

These are a few titles from our collection. Find more by entering "Great Depression" in the main search field of the library catalog. You could also browse the 973s section and look it up in our World Book encyclopedia in the ES library's reference section.

The Great Depression by David Downing
Call Number: E 973.91 DOW
ISBN: 1575724359
Publication Date: 2001-05-21
This series examines the causes and effects of the most important events in the last century. Each title provides in-depth background information using primary source material and detailed descriptions of an event, while also considering the issues at stake, the people involved, the aftermath, and the consequences.
The Great Depression and World War II by Sheryl Peterson
Call Number: E 973.91 PET
ISBN: 1610801997
Publication Date: 2011-08-01
Describes what life was like for Americans during the Great Depression and World War II, exploring the causes of the Depression, the impact it had on how people lived, the ways people tried to earn and save money, what it was like to be a child during the Depression, the changes that occurred when the country joined World War II, and the role women and children played in the war efforts at home.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt by Deborah Kent; Joseph A. Pika (Consultant Editor)
Call Number: E 921 Roosevelt
ISBN: 9781597162722
Publication Date: 2006-08-01
When Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed, The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, he understood his words well. In the inspiring Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Nothing to Fear , readers will learn how Roosevelt overcame a debilitating battle with polio to lead the nation through war and the Depression.

Useful database articles

The Great Depression on Britannica Online
You will need to log in with the Quick Login. Citations can be copied and pasted. Look for the checkmark icon at the top of the article page.
Great Depression on BrainPop
To cite Brainpop videos, use this format: (italicize BrainPop)
“Movie Topic.” BrainPOP. Date Viewed. < URL OF MOVIE >
The Great Depression on the History Channel site
Videos, articles and speeches. To cite a movie follow this format. To cite an article, look for the "cite" button on the left sidebar of the article.
“Movie Topic.” History.com. Date Viewed. < URL OF MOVIE >

Picture books from the library collection

These are a couple of the picture books with characters who lived during the Great Depression. To find more, enter "depression" in the main search field of the library catalog, and navigate to the end of the list. Look for books with the call number prefix PIC. Read the summary to be sure the books will be about the Great Depression and not about characters battling with depression. There are not many picture books set in that time, but quite a few chapter books so look for the call numbers that start with E.

Finding Daddy by Jo Harper; Josephine Harper; Ron Mazellan (Illustrator)
Call Number: PIC Harper
ISBN: 1890515310
Publication Date: 2005-04-15
Bonnie loves to sing while her father plays a fiddle. In better times, the family was happy in its modest home. But hard times took away Bonnie's father's job, then their house, and then even her father's fiddle. Hearing the unkind remarks of a neighbor, Bonnie's father leaves to search for work at the nearby port and to relieve the economic burden on his wife, who has started to take in laundry. A distraught Bonnie determines to take her dog, Caesar, and go find her daddy! In her search, Bonnie discovers the pivotal part she can play in rescuing her family and restoring their lives.
Tree of Hope by Amy Littlesugar; Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)
Call Number: PIC Littlesugar
ISBN: 0399233008
Publication Date: 1999-10-25
The Great Depression hits Harlem and closes the Lafayette Theater, throwing Florrie's actor dad out of work. The only reminder of the Lafayette's glory days is the Tree of Hope growing beside the theater. If a wish is made on the tree, good luck will follow. Florrie and her father wish for better times. When Orson Welles decides to stage "Macbeth" at the Lafayette, it seems their wish may be coming true. Full-color illustrations.

Grade 4 Historical Fiction Unit: Great Depression

Access to databases

Non-fiction from our library collection

Useful database articles

Picture books from the library collection