34 Books About New Jersey for Children
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We just finished our unit study on the state of New Jersey. The list of children's books below are all the books we read together to help us discover and explore this state, along with a short review of what we liked about each book. Do you have any good ones that I missed? If so, leave a comment and let me know so we can read it. We hope you find this list helpful as you use living books to help you learn about New Jersey.
G is for Garden State: A New Jersey Alphabet by Eileen Cameron is a great introduction to the state of New Jersey for young and old. There is a cute little rhyme that goes through each letter of the alphabet for the younger children and then there is more information for older children and adults. The illustrations are beautiful.
The Mars Family: M&M Mars Candy Makers by Joanne Mattern tells the story of the invention of M&M candies that were first made in Newark, New Jersey. This books tells all kinds of fascinating information about the M&M candies including their use in war and space. This book is made even more fun if you have the real thing next to you as a fun treat to eat while you read.
Barn Dance by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault is a fun rhythmic book that tells the tale of a good old farm dance with square dancing which is the state dance of New Jersey.
Buzz Aldrin: Pioneer Moon Explorer by Jessie Alkire tells the story of the second man to walk on the moon who was born in Montclair, New Jersey. After we read this story, my kids had fun looking up videos of him dancing on Dancing with the Stars, which is mentioned in this book.
Poetry for Kids - Walt Whitman - A book of poems for children written by Walt Whitman who resided in Camden, New Jersey before his passing. You can still visit the Walt Whitman house in that town. The beauty of this book is that it breaks his longer poems down into excerpts that kids can handle, gives simple definitions for hard to understand words and has beautiful illustrations to further help you understand what the poem is talking about.
What's the Matter with Albert? A Story of Albert Einstein by Frieda Wishinsky tells the story in an interview style, of one of the most popular scientists of all time who became famous simply by being curious and asking lots of questions. You can still visit the Albert Einstein House in Princeton, New Jersey which was the scientists last home before his death in 1955.
Morris and Buddy: The Story of the First Seeing Eye Dog by Becky Hall tells the story of the state dog of New Jersey, the seeing eye dog. Visually impaired individuals still attend The Seeing Eye located in Morristown, New Jersey to get matched up with a guide dog to help them become more independent. This story tells the beginnings of how that happened.
Frankie Liked to Sing by John Seven is a book about Frank Sinatra who was born in Hoboken, New Jersey and followed his dream to become a famous singer. The story is delightful and a good reminder to chase after the talents you have and never give up. At the end of the book is a list of Frank's songs that are enjoyable for children. We had fun listening to each one and picking our favorite one.
The Legend of the Jersey Devil by Trinka Hakes Noble is a fictional tale that is a little bit scary. A fun campfire story that tells a tale about what makes the Pine Barrens of New Jersey such a mysterious place. My boys really liked this book.
Samuel Morse, That's Who! by Tracy Nelson Maurer tells the story of the invention of Morse Code which happened in Morristown, New Jersey.
Ice-Cream Cones For Sale! by Elaine Greenstein tells the story of the great debate over who invented the ice cream cone. Abe Doumar, one of the people credited with the invention hails from New Jersey. Who do you think was the real inventor? A fun story to read while enjoying your own ice cream cone.
Brothers at Bat by Audrey Vernick is the true story of the Acerra family who had an amazing all-brother baseball team from New Jersey. The family had 16 children and 12 of them were boys who were all apart of the baseball team. Sports fans will enjoy learning about this part of American history where small town baseball teams were a part of the American spirit.
16 Words William Carlos Williams & The Red Wheelbarrow by Lisa Rogers & Chuck Groenink is a book that tells a story about how William Carlos Williams, a poet from New Jersey, came up with the poem, "The Red Wheelbarrow." It will help children to look for inspiration for their creative writing from ordinary, everyday experiences.
Patience Wright Americas's First Sculptor and Revolutionary Spy by Pegi Deitz Shea This book tells the true story of a real American hero who used her art to help soldiers in American know what the British were planning. I had never heard this story before and I found it so interesting. I love how she used her creativity to do what she loved while being an asset to her country from afar.
Horse DK Eyewitness by Juliet Clutton-Brock is a great book to teach you about the importance of the horse through the ages. Since the horse is the state animal of New Jersey, this book will help you get a good grasp of this amazing animal.
Goldfinches by Lisa J. Amstutz presents basic facts about the New Jersey state bird and is written at a first-grade level. However, the photographs inside this book, make it worth reading because you get a nice close-up view of this bird. Great for young kids, but my 5th-6th grade boys enjoyed using it as a guide on how to color the goldfinch birds that I had them color.
The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees - A Scientific Mystery by Sandra Markle is a book of much importance. The honeybee is the state insect of New Jersey and it is of vital importance that children learn ways to help the honeybee survive. Most of the world's food is dependant on the work of the honeybee.
The Battle of Monmouth by Scott P. Waldman is a book that describes the different ways in which the British and American troops were preparing for and fighting in the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey.
Alice Paul by Elizabeth Raum is about this extraordinary woman from Mt. Laurel, New Jersey who championed the way for equal rights for women eventually working for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment in the US Constitution allowing women the right to vote.
My United States - New Jersey by Nel Yomtov is a great overview of the state that discusses the land and wildlife, government, history, and culture of New Jersey.
Thomas Edison by Kay Barnham is a book that talks about some of Edison's great inventions and about the people who helped him in his labs. From the phonograph to the lightbulb, discover why he is known as the Wizard of Menlo Park. I liked this book so much that I put together a short unit study that goes along with this book. You can access it by going to Unit Study of Thomas Edison.
They Called her Molly Pitcher by Anne Rockwell is the amazing story of Molly, who followed her husband from Valley Forge to the Battle of Monmouth with one of her only possessions, a pitcher. She would use that pitcher to bring water to thirsty, tired soldiers and by using what she had, she eventually becomes one of the heroes of that historical war. A great book to teach your children that it doesn't matter how much you have, but what you do with what you do have. Very inspirational.
Flotsam by David Wiesner is a true picture book with no words. Flotsom is a word used to describe things that float onto shore from the ocean. I love using picture books with no words to teach creative writing with middle school aged children. The children observe the pictures and write their own stories. You can use this technique homeschooling many different ages or in a classroom full of children. Each story will be unique and different because each child will think of different things. Then teach grammar, spelling, and research techniques as you help children edit their stories. This book has such intriguing illustrations that you are sure to have some wonderful stories come out of this one.
Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives by Gene Barretta is a great book for today's children. In some ways, I think all books about inventors should resemble this book. It shows what Edison was working on his lab inventing in his time and then the opposite page shows how we benefit from his inventions in today's world. For example, on the page where it shows him inventing the phonograph, on the present day page it shows kids with walkman's sterios and DJ's. It really helps you to understand how we benefit in the here and now because of the studious work of someone in the past.
Henry Hudson by Claude Hurwicz is about the great explorer who the Hudson River is named after. Learn all about his different voyages and discoveries and the Hudson Bay.
The Legend of the Cape May Diamond by Trinka Hakes Noble is the story about the pure quartz crystal and how they ride the river and become polished so that once they land on the shores of Cape May in New Jersey, they actually resemble shiny diamonds. This book really makes you want to go there and find your own.
The Ballot Box Battle by Emily Arnold McCully is a book about the fight in Tenafly, New Jersey about Elizabeth Cady Stanton who was a leader in the women's right to vote movement. A wonderful book that teaches children to have the courage to fight for what you believe in.
Oak Tree by Gordon Morrison is a beautifully illustrated and written book all about oak trees and the wildlife that lives in and around them. The Red Oak is the state tree of New Jersey, and this book helps you learn about this fascinating tree. After reading this book, we went to a local park and found some oak trees and acorns and then came home and painted the acorns.
Little Shaq by Shaquille O'Neal, a famous basketball player from New Jersey, is a series of three books that are very fun, quick reads for boys that they can relate to. They all teach valuable lessons. My boys loved all three. The other two are, Little Shaq Takes a Chance, and Little Shaq: Star of the Week.
Locomotive by Brian Floca tells the incredible story of the early days of laying down the railroad and it's long journey. The beauty of this book is that the whole story is told in rhyme that really almost sounds like the train chugging along on it's tracks. It also includes a wonderful diagram of the train and all it's parts. While this book isn't necessarily about the state of New Jersey, this state along with many others were dependant on the steam locomotive.
The Oak Inside the Acorn by Max Lucado is a wonderful tale that uses the state tree of New Jersey to teach kids to just be who they were created to be.
Who Was Woodrow Wilson by Margaret Frith tells the amazing story of a boy who wasn't fond of school because he thought teachers were boring, who went on to become a professor at three famous colleges including Princeton in New Jersey and later went on to become the US President and won the Nobel Peace Prize. Your children will be fascinated and inspired by his life.
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