Social Change Archives | Homeschool Librarian

Lexile/Reading Level
Recommended for 9-12 Grade & Adult

Woodcutter, The

Author: Bartholomew, Steve

In the winter of 1888, Dana Reynolds has no reason to believe in anything, until he runs afoul of Wovoka. Dana doesn’t believe in Truth. Telling the truth was what lost him his job back at the Chronicle in San Francisco. Well, that and drinking a little too much. In Nevada he’s learning that Indian agents can be as crooked as politicians. Just asking a few too many questions around here earned him a beating and a cracked rib. Now he was supposed to report on that so-called Paiute prophet, Wovoka, the Woodcutter. The only nice thing about Greenfield, Nevada was Charlene, the telegraph operator. Seems like even she’s gullible enough to fall for the Woodcutter’s line. He’s obviously another fake, as much a fake as Dana himself. Or is he?

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Lexile/Reading Level
740L Recommended for 4-8 Grade

Genre/Category
Fiction | Science Fiction

Historical Time Period
FutureDate
FutureTopic
Futuristic | Other Worlds | Social ChangeMain Character
Boy(s)Format
Audiobook | Book | Ebook

Last Book in the Universe

Author: Philbrick, Rodman

This fast-paced action novel is set in a future where the world has been almost destroyed. Like the award-winning novel Freak the Mighty, this is Philbrick at his very best.

It’s the story of an epileptic teenager nicknamed Spaz, who begins the heroic fight to bring human intelligence back to the planet. In a world where most people are plugged into brain-drain entertainment systems, Spaz is the rare human being who can see life as it really is. When he meets an old man called Ryter, he begins to learn about Earth and its past. With Ryter as his companion, Spaz sets off an unlikely quest to save his dying sister — and in the process, perhaps the world.

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Lexile/Reading Level
1010L

Genre/Category
Biographies | History | Nonfiction

Up from Slavery

Author: Washington, Booker T.

Booker T. Washington, the most recognized national leader, orator and educator, emerged from slavery in the deep south, to work for the betterment of African Americans in the post Reconstruction period.

“Up From Slavery” is an autobiography of Booker T. Washington’s life and work, which has been the source of inspiration for all Americans. Washington reveals his inner most thoughts as he transitions from ex-slave to teacher and founder of one of the most important schools for African Americans in the south, The Tuskegee Industrial Institute.

Booker T. Washington’s words are profound. Washington includes the address he gave at the Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition in 1895, which made him a national figure. He imparts `gems of wisdom’ throughout the book, which are relevant to Americans who aspire to achieve great attainments in life.

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Lexile/Reading Level
840L

Genre/Category
Fiction | Historical

Pale Assassin (Pimpernelles #1)

Author: Elliott, PatriciaPart of a Series: Pimpernelles

Set during the French Revolution, this novel about a teen aristocrat who must question the justice of her own wealth while facing the cataclysmic divisions of her society will captivate readers as secrets come out, sympathies shift, and every choice can change or end a life.

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Lexile/Reading Level
980L Recommended for 10-12 Grades

Genre/Category
Classics | Fiction | Historical

Fathers and Sons

Author: Turgenev, Ivan

Bazarov—a gifted, impatient, and caustic young man—has journeyed from school to the home of his friend Arkady Kirsanov. But soon Bazarov’s outspoken rejection of authority and social conventions touches off quarrels, misunderstandings, and romantic entanglements that will utterly transform the Kirsanov household and reflect the changes taking place all across nineteenth-century Russia.

Fathers and Sons enraged the old and the young, reactionaries, romantics, and radicals alike when it was first published. At the same time, Turgenev won the acclaim of Flaubert, Maupassant, and Henry James for his craftsmanship as a writer and his psychological insight. Fathers and Sons is now considered one of the world’s greatest novels.

A timeless depiction of generational conflict during social upheaval, it vividly portrays the clash between the older Russian aristocracy and the youthful radicalism that foreshadowed the revolution to come—and offers modern-day readers much to reflect upon as they look around at their own tumultuous, changing world.

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Lexile/Reading Level
Recommended for 5-8 Grades

Genre/Category
History | Nonfiction

Historical Time Period
ModernDate
1800s | 1900sTopic
City Life | Social ChangeGeographic Region
United States - AmericaFormat
Audiobook | Book | Ebook

Rise of the Cities: 1820 – 1920 (The Drama of American History Series Book 16)

Author: Collier, James and ChristopherPart of a Series: Drama of American History

The Rise of the Cities discusses the factors leading to the settlement and growth of cities in the United States and examines some of the social problems that are part of city life. The authors explore the role of technological advances, governing strategies, and social welfare. The text is enhanced with photographs, and images of historic art & artifacts.

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Lexile/Reading Level
Recommended for 5-8 Grades

Genre/Category
History | Nonfiction

Historical Time Period
Great DepressionDate
1900sTopic
Depression | Politics | Social ChangeGeographic Region
United States - AmericaFormat
Audiobook | Book | Ebook

Progressivism, the Great Depression, and the New Deal: 1901 – 1941 (The Drama of American History Series)

Author: Collier, James and ChristopherPart of a Series: Drama of American History

Progressivism, the Great Depression, and the New Dealemphasizes economic trends and the role of the government in regard to the economy from the beginning of the twentieth century to America’s entry into World War II. The authors discuss the boom of the 1920s, the crash of 1929, the ensuing Depression, and the country’s response. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “hundred day” and programs such as the works Progress Administration (WPA) are examined in detail.

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Lexile/Reading Level
840L

Genre/Category
Nonfiction | Social Sciences

Historical Time Period
ContemporaryTopic
Helping | Making a Difference | Social ChangeMain Character
Boy(s) | Girl(s)Award-Winning Book
Christophers Book AwardsFormat
Book | Ebook

It’s Our World, Too! Stories of Young People Who Are Making a Difference

Author: Hoose, Phillip

This invaluable companion to the award-winning We Were There, Too! gives young readers the tools to bring about change. After the tragic and transforming events of the past year, young people are seeking out ways to become constructively engaged in their world. This book couldn’t be more timely.

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GRADE	LEXILE
1st	0-300L
2nd	140-500L
3rd	330-700L
4th	445-810L
5th	565-910L
6th	665-1000L
7th	735-1065L
8th	805-1100L
9th	855-1165L
10th	905-1195L
11th/12th	940-1210L
College+	1210+