Do your kids groan when it comes to social studies? Maybe you could liven up your lessons with one of the Great Depression books for kids listed below. A good book may be all it takes to help children understand what life was like during the Great Depression. The list below contains 20 books with a variety of reading levels, from Pre-K up to 8th grade.
1. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Students in grades 5-7 will love to read about 10-year-old Bud who lives in an orphanage in Flint, Michigan during the Great Depression. Desperate to find the father he's never met, Bud embarks on a long journey across the state.
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2. Rudy Rides the Rails by Dandi Daley Mackall
Black Tuesday '29 left Rudy's family destitute. When Rudy hears of other boys leaving Salem, Ohio in search of jobs elsewhere, he hops a train in search of better luck. This engaging read is great for grades 1-4.
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3. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
A riveting novel for middle schoolers, this Newbery novel follows the Logan family as they struggle with racism and violence while also trying to keep up their farm in Mississippi during the Great Depression.
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4. Rose's Journal: The Story of a Girl in the Great Depression by Marissa Moss
For grades 2-5, this is a beautiful story of 11-year-old Rose and her family learning how to survive together during the seemingly unending drought in the Dust Bowl.
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5. The Macaroni Boy by Katherine Ayres
In this coming-of-age book for grades 3-7 set in inner city Pittsburg during the Great Depression, Mike stumbles upon a big mystery even while dealing with bullying.
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6. The Lucky Star by Judy Young
Ruth struggles with all the hardships in the Great Depression, but her mother teaches her another perspective. This novel will help 1st-4th grade students learn gratitude amidst hard times.
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7. Dorothea's Eyes by Barb Rosenstock
This biography of the photographer Dorothea Lange includes a gallery of her photographs documenting the victims of time. Students in grades 2-5 will enjoy hearing the true story of someone who lived through the Great Depression.
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8. Voices of the Dust Bowl by Sherry Garland
This picture book for younger grades (1st-3rd) includes stories told from several different perspectives of people living in the Dust Bowl, including a child who had never seen rain.
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9. Lucky Beans by Becky Birtha
Not many of the Great Depression books for kids in grades 1-3 are based on true stories, but in this one, the author uses stories from her grandmother's account of living during the Great Depression to create a delightful fictional tale.
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10. My Heart Will Not Sit Down by Mara Rockliff
If you would like to inspire your K-3 students to be a part of changing the world, then share with them this story based on true events about a young girl in Cameroon who hears about the Great Depression in America and decides to help starving families across the ocean.
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11. Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Esperanza is devastated when she has to leave her family’s ranch and her beautiful things in Mexico after tragedy strikes. A thought-provoking book for 6th and 7th graders, Esperanza struggles with adjusting to life in a labor camp during the depression.
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12. A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck
Siblings Joey and Mary Alice visit their eccentric grandma for one month every summer during the Great Depression. The hilarious Grandma Dowdel and her antics will keep your 5th-6th graders laughing until the end.
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13. A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
The sequel to A Long Way From Chicago, this book focuses on 15-year-old Mary Alice whose parents are struggling to recover financially after the depression. She must learn to live with Grandma Dowdel while her brother Joey works in the Civilian Conservation Corps.
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14. Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
One of the Great Depression books for kids that captivates from beginning to end, this one tells the story of Abilene who moves to Kansas while her dad works on the railroad. This story is sure to excite all students in grades 3-7 as they try to help Abilene solve a family mystery.
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15. Nothing to Fear by Jackie French Koller
When their dad leaves to find work, 13-year-old Danny and his pregnant mother have to survive alone in New York during the Great Depression. Kids in grades 5-7 will find themselves rooting for Danny as he is forced to beg for food for his family.
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16. The Truth About Sparrows by Marian Hale
Sadie is one of the many children who work at the cannery to help their families make ends meet during the Great Depression. This memorable book is a heartwarming read for grades 5-6.
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17. The Babe & I by David A. Adler
A fun picture book for PreK-3rd grades, this story follows two boys selling newspapers outside of the Yankee Stadium to help make money for their families during the Great Depression. Who knows? Maybe they’ll meet someone famous!
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18. The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
One of the Great Depression books for kids that shows lots of heart along with beautiful illustrations is found in this picture book for grades 1-3. Even though Lydia has to move to the city when her dad loses his job, she brings her garden with her.
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19. Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
This coming-of-age book set in the depression is sure to entertain kids in grades 3-7. Beans has big plans, despite the hardships the adults around him try to downplay.
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20. Born and Bread in the Great Depression by Jonah Winter
K-4th graders will be fascinated hearing the author’s true account of growing up with 7 siblings during the Great Depression and the strength that the family had together.
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