Pioneer Unit Study Books and Resources List

America’s Pioneers Unit Study (American Girl Kirsten)
Books & Resources List

Get your coffee and a pen ready because this Book List is so MUCH more than a list of books!
Below you will find movies the whole family can watch together, activity guides packed with hands-on projects to highlight all the themes in our lessons, Pioneer craft kits, and even some games for family nights that will go right along with the Pioneer theme!

Whether you are looking for-
*Basic book ideas and activities to teach 1800’s American History
*A FREE unit study all about America’s Pioneers
*History of the Native Americans and the settlers on America’s prairies
*History resources for your homeschool or classroom
This Books & Resources List should help!

So pack your trunks and get ready to cross the Atlantic Ocean from Sweden to New York, then trek westward by steam engine, and then finally up the mighty Mississippi by riverboat to settle in the prairies of Minnesota! This Unit Study will explore the wild and wonderful life of America’s Pioneers in 1854.
I think your entire family will have so much fun learning TOGETHER!

+Do I need all these books for this unit?
While you do not need any of the following resources to complete the unit, they add so many details, stories of courage, and just plain fun to this Pioneer study, I highly recommend picking at least a few!  So check you own bookshelves, make a list for the library, or click the links and buy them right from this page!

+Where is the *free* Unit Study?
If you found this Books & Resources List before you found the unit study, go to  the full *FREE* Pioneer Unit Study (American Girl Kirsten) online, download a copy of the PDF Version,  and/or the Printable POWER Pack companion worksheets, grab a few of these books from the links below, your own bookshelves, or the local library, and you’re all set!
*PS… if you are doing this unit around the holidays, or just want even more hands-on ideas for this unit, check out this post- +FREE* Kirsten’s Swedish Pioneer Christmas Unit

+What about my boys?Will they like this unit too?
I get lots of emails with this question, and the answer is absolutely!  Think about Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, Native American buffalo hunts, and loads of action and adventure!   If you are going to study the Pioneers with your girls AND your boys, this list is the place to find TONS of books to use in place of the American Girl books.Easy and done for you!

+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 America’s Pioneers Unit Study –

*Kirsten: An American Girl 1854   (6 Book, Boxed Set)
*The Oregon Trail:  An Interactive History
*The Journal of Sean Sullivan:  My America
*Rachel’s Journey:  The Story of a Pioneer Girl
*Pioneer Sisters
*The Great Railroad Race:  The Diary of Libby West
*The Cabin Faced West
*The Birchbark House  (This is a series of Books- also listed in Kaya Unit)
*The First Four Years
*Young Pioneers:  Rose Wilder
*Sarah, Plain and Tall  (series)

*The Courage of Sarah Noble
*The Josefina Story Quilt
*The Long Way To A New Land
*The Long Way Westward
*Prairie School
*The Golly Sisters Go West
*Caddie Woodlawn
*I Escaped The Donner Party    (Interactive History Adventure)

*Willa Cather, O, Pioneers !
*Twister on Tuesday (Magic Treehouse)  and  Twisters & Other Terrible Storms
*My Name Is Truth
*Captive Treasure
*Soft Rain
*Moonstick:  The Seasons of the Sioux

*Ghost Town at Sundown    and  The Wild West!  (non-fiction companion)
*Davy Crockett- Ever Westward
*Battle of the Alamo     and   Westward Expansion   (An Interactive History)
*The Oregon Trail   (Choose Your Own Adventure)
*By the Great Horn Spoon !
*American Tall Tales
*Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express
*A Tale Of The Western Plains
*Trouble For Lucy
*Carolina’s Courage
*Gone West    (Audiobook)

->The 2 unabridged versions of these books are probably best for your older kiddos, but are a fun historical look at life on the Mississippi right at the exact same time period as the Pioneers Unit is set!
*The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer 
  —>The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer-  Children’s Abridged Version

*The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn
  —>The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn- Children’s Abridged Version

 

*America’s Pioneers Non-Fiction/Informational Books-

*Welcome to Kirsten’s World 1854
*Heroes Of History:  Laura Ingalls Wilder
*Science On The Oregon Trail  

*Daily Life in a Covered Wagon
*A Pioneer Sampler
*Picture The Past:  Life On A Pioneer Homestead
*Ransom’s Mark   (Daughters of the Faith series)
*Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison
*Cora Frear: Brave Kids True Stories From America’s Past
*Sitting Bull:  Dakota Boy

 

*People of the Plains
*The Sioux
*Who Was Sitting Bull?
*Ten Mile Day:  Building Of The Transcontinental Railroad
*DK Eyewitness- Train
*Westward Expansion  (A True Book Series)
*What Was The Donner Party?
*A Kid’s Life During The Westward Expansion

*You Wouldn’t Want to Be an American Pioneer

*If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon
*If You Were A Kid On The Oregon Trail

*Who Was Johnny Appleseed ?
*Who Was Helen Keller?

*DK Wild West
*What Was the Wild West ?
*Heroes of History:  Daniel Boone
*Heroes of History:  Davy Crockett
*Davy Crockett

*Carl Larsson’s Home, Family and Farm 

*Minnesota: My United States
*All About Minnesota

*DK Children’s Encyclopedia of American History

 

 

*Hands-On History Activity Guides for Pioneer Unit Study-

*Pioneer Days  (American Kids in History)
*Kirsten’s Cook Book
*Kirsten’s Craft Book
*Heading West: Life With the Pioneers   (21 Activities Series)
*A Kid’s Guide To Native American History   (50 Activities)
*Carl Larsson Coloring Book
*Paint your own Swedish “Chest” like Kirsten’s
*Peg Doll Making Kit
*Beeswax Candle Making Kit
*Learn To Embroider Kit
*Learn To Knit Kit
*Little House on the Prairie Play Set
*Pioneer Play Cooking Set
*Build Your Own Log Cabin Play Set        (You could hot glue it together when finished!)

 

*Family Friendly History Movies:  America’s Pioneers Theme–

–>As always PLEASE preview these movies!  I haven’t watched them all… and some not in years.  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!

*Disney’s American Legends
*Tall Tale:  The Wildest Adventure the West Has Ever Seen
*Little House on the Prairie    (DVD set)
*Davy Crockett   (2 Movie DVD Set)
*The Great Locomotive Chase 
*Into the West
*How the West Was Won
*Little House on the Prairie
*Love Comes Softly   (Our family LOVED this series of movies! )
*America:  The Story of US
(This History Channel series is a more “text-bookish”  overview)
*Seven Alone  
(Amazon has this movie on Prime Video and also on DVD!)
*Oklahoma
*Tom Sawyer
*The Adventures Of Huck Finn   OR  Disney’s The Adventures Of Huck Finn

 

 

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

*Build Your Own Log Cabin Kit
*Build Your Own Covered Wagon Kit
*Picture The Past:  Western Pioneers Coloring Book
*Daniel Boone Dover Coloring Book
*Little House On The Prairie Coloring Book  (This has great illustrations of the daily life of Pioneers)
*Wild West Toob   (These are super fun for the Littles to play with while you’re reading aloud, or to use in a Diorama!)

*Little House on the Prairie Cookbook
*Little House on the Prairie Pioneer Craft Book   (LOVE!!!)
*Davy Crockett & the Alamo (History kits !)
*Kirsten’s Cook Book
*My Little House Cookbook  &  My Little House Craft Book
*Pioneer Girl Dress and Bonnet
(My youngest daughter, who wished to be a pioneer girl,  still has her “Laura” dress, bonnet, and pail.  I wish I could recommend the lovely woman who made hers… back before the days of Amazon ordering.)
*Kirsten Mini Doll & Book
*My Little House Cookbook
*Historic Communities Pioneer Recipes
*The Pioneer Lady’s Country Christmas
*Log Cabin Cooking
*Swedish Cakes & Cookies Cookbook
*Old Time Peppermint Sticks
*Maple Sugar Candy
*Nyakers Swedish Gingerbread Snaps Cookie
*Swedish Lingonberry Preserves
*Amaryllis Bulb    (These are so fun to watch grow in the middle of winter!)
*DIY Advent Calendar Kit
*Paint Your Own Dala Horse
*Dala Horse Carving Kit
*Wheat Straw For Ornaments
*Jute Angel Ornament Kit
*Felt Ornaments Craft Kit
*Swedish Angel Chimes
(I had one of these as a little girl!)
*Christmas Star Lanterns
*Swedish Christmas Candelabra   OR   try making your own with these Wooden Candlesticks
*Little House Christmas Crafts Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*A Pioneer Christmas History Books and Resources-

*Kirsten’s Surprise ,  Changes For Kirsten: A Winter Story, and  Kirsten Snowbound!
*Kirsten Learns A Lesson
*Kirsten:  An American Girl Audiobook
(This would be excellent if you are traveling for the holidays!  The whole family would love it!  AND it’s  free to try on Audible right now!)
*A Pioneer Thanksgiving
*A Pioneer Christmas
*Christmas Stories
*Pioneer Christmas
*Christmas Jones*
A Little House Christmas Treasury
*A Merry Ingall’s Christmas    (DVD)
*Little House on the Prairie Christmas DVD
*Christmas in the Big Woods
*Laura Ingalls Wilder:  Christmas Stories
*Little House Christmas Paper Dolls
*Lucia Morning in Sweden
*Santa’s Christmas, Tomten’s Jul:  A Bilingual Christmas Story
*Swedish Christmas:  A to Z
*The Tomten
*An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving   (DVD)
*An Orange For Frankie
*Santa Lucia Dress and Crown
*Swedish Christmas Cookbook
*Dala Horse Cookie Cutter
*Tomten Cookie Cutters

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