Civil War Books, Movies, and Resources List For Kids!

American Civil War Unit Study-  Books, Movies & Resources for Kids

 

Grab your notebook, a pen, and a BIG cup of coffee, because this American Civil War book list is so much more than just a list of books!

This is Part 5 in our ongoing unit study series, and it’s packed with carefully chosen resources to make learning about the difficult topics of the Civil War and slavery a unit that your family will remember for years to come!

You’ll find family-friendly movies everyone can watch together, hands-on activity guides that bring Civil War themes to life, craft kits, coloring books, and even a few games that are perfect for family nights—all centered around the American Civil War.

If you’re looking for:
+Great books and activities to teach American Civil War history
+A free American Civil War unit study for elementary and middle grades
+Resources that explore daily life during the Civil War, both on the home front and the battlefield
+Homeschool or classroom history resources covering the 1860s
…this Civil War Books & Resources List will help you find just that!

Perfect for homeschool families, classrooms, and anyone wanting to make American history come alive for kids!

 

S0…pick some books, make a list of movies, grab your FREE Civil War Unit Study, and step back in time to the 1860s, and into one of the most defining chapters of American history!
From the bustling Northern cities and quiet Southern towns to army camps, battlefields, and the home front, this Civil War Unit Study explores what life was really like during a nation divided.   And through these stories, hands-on activities, and family-friendly resources, this time in history will come alive page by page.
I think your entire family will have so much fun learning TOGETHER as you explore the people, places, and lessons of the American Civil War.

+Do I need every book on this list to use the unit study?
Not at all! The unit can be completed without any of the resources in this list.
That said, these books, movies, and activities add rich details, powerful true stories, and a lot of excitement to your Civil War studies. I recommend choosing a handful that fit your family best. Start by shopping your own shelves, placing a library hold list, or grabbing a few directly through the links on this page.
—>Amazing Library Resources You Might Not Know About

+Is this unit a good fit for BOYS too?
This is one of the most common questions I receive—and the answer is a big YES!
The Civil War is full of topics that grab kids’ attention: military strategy, famous battles, brave soldiers, historical leaders, spies, and life in army camps. Whether you’re teaching boys, girls, or both together, this resource list includes plenty of engaging books beyond the American Girl titles, making it easy to tailor the study to your kids’ interests without extra planning.  You’ll even find all kinds of ideas in the Q&A introduction to the unit!

+Where can I find the *free* Civil War Unit Study?
If you landed on this Books & Resources List before seeing the unit itself, you’ll want to head over to the  FREE American Civil War Unit Study.
There you can download the PDF version, print optional companion worksheets, and then pair the lessons with a few of the books listed below—whether from your home library, the local library, or online. Once you’ve got those pieces, you’re ready to jump right in!

 

 

+Are there other Fields of Daisies’ Resources for this Unit Study?
+FREE Pioneer America Unit Study – AG Kirsten
+Kirsten Printable Power Pack
+Pioneer America (Kirsten) Unit Study- PDF Version
+America’s Pioneers  (Kirsten) Books & Resources List
+FREE* Kirsten’s Swedish Pioneer Christmas Unit
+A Pioneer Christmas-  PDF Version
+A Pioneer Christmas Printable POWER Pack
+Kirsten-  Pioneer America Pinterest Board
+Pioneer America (Kirsten) Christmas Pinterest Board
+Kirsten-  Pioneer America Pinterest Board

–>You may also supplement this unit study for your older students by using some or all of the suggestions in the
Free Early American History Curriculum  and the Early American History Book List

+Required Disclaimer:
The links below go mostly to Amazon for which I am an affiliate.  I make a small commission on any sales when you click directly from this site…BUT at no extra cost to you!  Thanks friends  🙂

 

 

 

*Historical Fiction and Stories for the American Civil War –

*Addy:  An American Girl  (6 Book Set)
*Meet Addy
*Addy Learns a Lesson
*Addy’s Surprise
*Addy BeForever 3 Book Set
*Addy Mysteries Series –  Shadows on Society Hill
*Welcome to Addy’s World 1864

*The Civil War:  An Interactive History
*The Underground Railroad:  An Interactive History
*The Civil War !  (An Interactive History Adventure)
*I Survived The Battle of Gettysburg

*Imagination Station: Freedom At The Falls!
*Caught In The Rebel Camp!

   

*The Last Brother:  A Civil War Tale
*The Boys War
*Brady
*A Time To Dance: Virginia’s Civil War Diary
*Mr. Lincoln’s Drummer
*Boys Of Wartime:  Will At The Battle of Gettysburg

*I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy a Freed Girl
*Listen For The Whippoorwill
*When Will This Cruel War Be Over ?
*Flying Free:  Corey’s Underground Railroad Diary
(The used versions of this older book are much cheaper!)

*With Lee In Virginia
*Across Five Aprils
*The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg
*The Girls of Gettysburg
*Escape By Night:  A Civil War Adventure

*The Forty Acre Swindle- George Washington Carver  (What happened AFTER the Civil War?)
*Spy In The Sky
*Top Secret Files:  The Civil War

 

*Civil War on Sunday (Magic Treehouse)  
*Abe Lincoln At Last
*Abe Lincoln- Fact Tracker Companion 
*Just A Few Words Mr. Lincoln
*Abe Lincoln’s Hat

*From Slave To Soldier

*Two Miserable Presidents

   

*Follow the Drinking Gourd
*Words Set Me Free
*Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
*Henry’s Freedom Box
*Pink & Say
*Escape North! The Story of Harriet Tubman
*Clara & Davie   (Clara Barton)
*Brave Clara Barton
*A Slave Set Free: John Newton
(Not set during the Civil War, but great for understanding slavery)

*Horse Diaries:  Bell’s Star
*Dog Diaries: Fido

*The Magic School Bus: The Giant Germ
*The Magic School Bus:  Inside Ralphie

 

 

   

*Civil War Non-Fiction Books-

*Welcome to Addy’s World 1864
(See the Unit Study Q & A section to find a list of other places to find this book!)

*DK Eyewitness- The Civil War
*The Civil War
*A Kid’s Life During The American Civil War
*The Civil War Visual Encyclopedia 
*DK Civil War
*Battles of the Civil War: Expanding & Preserving the Union
*Great Battles For Boys- The Civil War

*Daily Life on a Southern Plantation  1853
*What Was The Battle of Gettysburg?

*If You Lived At the Time of the Civil War
*You Wouldn’t Want To Be A Civil War Soldier
*You Wouldn’t Want To Be A Nurse During The Civil War

*If You Lived When There Was Slavery in America
*If You Traveled on the Underground Railroad
*What Was the Underground Railroad ?
*What Was the Underground Railroad ?

 

*Heroes of History- Getting to Know Abraham Lincoln
*Childhood of Famous Americans- Abraham Lincoln
*Frederick Douglass   (Heroes of History)
*Harriet Tubman-  Freedom Bound !
*Time Kids- Clara Barton, Angel of the Battlefield
*Clara Barton:  Courage Under Fire!
*Orville Wright   (Heroes of History)
*Who Was Abraham Lincoln?
*Who Was Ulysses S. Grant?
*Who Was Robert E. Lee?
*Stonewall Jackson

*Samuel Morse: Artist With A Message
*Samuel Morse and The Telegraph

*Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad In The Sky
*Zoo in the Sky
*A Child’s Introduction to the Night Sky

*Winslow Homer: Getting To Know The World’s Greatest Artists
(The rest of the books in this series are about $7, but this one is $$$.  Check the library or maybe Abe Books)

*North Carolina: What’s So Great About This State?
*Pennsylvania:  What’s So Great About This State?
*My United States:  Pennsylvania
*Africa
*A True Book:  Africa

*Exploring The History of Medicine
*Germs Make Me Sick

 

*Civil War Era Christmas Books-

*Addy’s Surprise:  A Christmas Story
*Addy- A Heart Full of Hope
*Louisa May Alcott Christmas Treasury
*Christmas in the Big House,  Christmas in the Quarters
*Christmas Dreams: Portraits of Little Women
*Pennsylvania Dutch The Night Before Christmas 
*American Girl Doll Addy and Book
*God Rest Ye Merry Soldiers:  A True Civil War Christmas Story
*Christmas With The Lincolns

 

 

   

*Hands-On History:  Activity Guides for Civil War Study-

*Addy’s Cookbook
*Addy’s Craft Book

*The Civil War For Kids   (21 Activities Series)
*Abraham Lincoln  (21 Activities Series)
*Civil War Days
*Great Civil War Projects You Can Build Yourself 

*The Underground Railroad for Kids   (21 Activities Series)

*Civil War Cooking:  The Union
*Civil War Cooking: Confederacy

*Africa For Kids  (19 Activities) 

 

 

*Family Friendly History Movies:  America’s Civil War Theme–

–>As always PLEASE preview these movies, especially considering the topic!
There are many good resources that give parents a review of movies.
Plugged In is a good one to start with… just enter the movie’s title into the search and they almost always have a detailed review!
This was a difficult unit to find appropriate movies for.  If you have some suggestions, I’d love to hear them!
Please leave a comment below!

*Race To Freedom  (Adventures In Odyssey Movie) 
*Nest Family Videos-  Harriet Tubman    (DVD)
*Dear America-  Episode 3:  A Picture Of Freedom
*The Harriet Tubman Story: Torchlighters    (Episode 1)
*The Richard Allen Story:  Torchlighters  (Episode 22)

*Little Women   (Set during the Civil War!)
*Gettysburg
*Gone With the Wind  
(Clearly for your older kids only, but this movie really shows culture of the time and potentially opens up chance for discussions on all sorts of things!)
*Friendly Persuasion
*The Great Locomotive Chase
*The Littlest Rebel
*The Little Colonel
*How The West Was Won
(Not only about the Civil War, but good for a big picture)

*I Heard The Bells

 

   

*Civil War Games, Craft Kits, Coloring Books, and Other Fun Stuff!

*American Girl Doll Addy and Book
*Addy Mini Doll & Book 
*American Girl Addy  Paper Dolls
*The American Girls Party Book

*Civil War Action Figure Set
*Civil War Professor Noggin Card Game
*Famous Figures of The Civil War

*Picture the Past: Civil War Coloring Book
*Story of the Civil War Coloring Book
*A Soldiers Life In The Civil War Coloring Book
*Civil War Fashions Coloring Book
*Civil War Uniforms Coloring Book
*The Underground Railroad Coloring Book

*A Soldier’s Life in the Civil War

*Civil War Dress Up  (Girls)

*Marbles 

*Secret Stitches Kit
*Beginner Quilt Kit

*Telescope For Kids
*110 Night Sky Treasures To See With A Telescope
*Constellations Scratch & Sketch Kit
*Constellations Coloring Book

*The Magic School Bus World of Germs Kit

 

There’s MORE!
Be sure to check out my Top 10 History lists for my favorite History podcasts, movie finds, etc…

+Top 10 History PODCASTS
+Top 10 History SONGS
+Top 10 History TIMELINES
+Top 10 History AUDIOBOOKS
+Top 10 History MOVIES
+Top 10 History BOOKS
+Top 10 History GAMES
+Top 10 History HANDS-ON
+Top 10 History PRINTABLES
+Top 10 History FIELD TRIPSAnd a bonus…

+Top 10 History for the HOLIDAYS
+Top 10 AMAZING History Resources At The Library