Whether it was 10 years ago or 100, it’s all a long time ago to our kids. Stories from the past are like windows into what life was like at that time. Sometimes astonishing, sometimes poignant, and sometimes downright silly, these stories demonstrate the strength of the human spirit. 

14 Cows For America by Carmen Agra Deedy 
Maasai tribal members, after hearing the story of the September 11th attacks from a young Maasai, who was in New York on that day, decide to present the American people with fourteen sacred cows as a healing gift. 

Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet 
Award-winning artist Sweet tells the story of the puppeteer Tony Sarg, capturing his genius, his dedication, his zest for play, and his long-lasting gift to America–the inspired helium balloons that would become the trademark of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

Fiona’s Lace by Patricia Polacco 
Emigrating from Ireland to America, Fiona’s family settles in Chicago, where Fiona’s handmade lace keeps the family together during a devastating fire. 

Francesco Tirelli’s Ice Cream Shop by Tamar Meir 
One winter in Budapest during the Second World War, an Italian closes his ice cream shop for the season, using the storefront to hide his Jewish friends and neighbors, including a boy named Peter. Based on a true story. 

Goin’ Someplace Special by Patricia McKissack 
In segregated 1950s Nashville, a young African American girl braves a series of indignities and obstacles to get to one of the few integrated places in town: the public library. 

In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall 
Teased for his fair coloring, eleven-year-old Jimmy McClean travels with his maternal grandfather, Nyles High Eagle, to learn about his Lakota heritage while visiting places significant in the life of Crazy Horse, the nineteenth-century Lakota leader and warrior, in a tale that weaves the past with the present. 

President Taft is Stuck in the Bath by Mac Barnett 
George Washington crossed the Delaware in the dead of night. Abraham Lincoln saved the Union. And President William Howard Taft, a man of great stature – well, he got stuck in a bathtub. Now how did he get unstuck? Author Mac Barnett and illustrator Chris Van Dusen bring their full comedic weight to this legendary story, imagining a parade of clueless cabinet members advising the exasperated president, leading up to a hugely satisfying, hilarious finale. 

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson 
Two girls, one white and one black, gradually get to know each other as they sit on the fence that divides their town. 

The Wall by Eve Bunting 
A boy and his father come from far away to visit the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington and find the name of the boy’s grandfather, who was killed in the conflict. 

Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting 
In the late 1800s, Marianne travels westward on the Orphan Train in hopes of being placed with a caring family. 

Two Bobbies by Kirby Larson 
Bobbi (the dog) and Bob Cat are the best of friends. When their hometown of New Orleans was struck by Hurricane Katrina, many lost everything. Bobbi and Bob Cat only survived by staying together. This is the story of their remarkable friendship.