Year 4-Upper Grammar

Year 4-Upper Grammar

The Tapestry of Grace items are in bold.
My suggestions for alternatives or enrichment are in regular font.

I did not include the literature in the Upper Grammar Year 4 because I felt the selections were so well chosen that I have no other recommendations. Also, most of these titles will be items that are easy to find. I did include some literature selections in the history category.

UNIT 1-History


World War I-Simon Adams-Eyewitness Books

Archie’s War: My Scrapbook of the First World War-Marcia Williams, Williams uses a fictional scrapbook to tell a young boy’s story of life on the home front.

Going to War in World War I-Adrian Gilbert-emphasis is on weapons and warfare.


Albert Einstein: A Photographic Story of a Life-Frieda Wishinsky-DK Biography

Albert Einstein-Kathleen Krull (Giants of Science) This is an extremely interesting and informative series. Krull is very skillful at portraying not only her subject but the times and the scientific community in which he lives.

Genius: A Photobiography of Albert Einstein (National Geographic Society)-This is a very nicely done series, great photos.

Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein-Don Brown-Brown is known for his excellent picture book biographies.



Titanic-Simon Adams (Eyewitness Books)

Ghost Ships: Exploring the World’s Greatest Lost Ships-Robert Ballard. Ballard was the
Leader of the expedition to find the remains of Titanic.  He also writes very well for children.

Survivors: The Night the Titanic Sank-Caryn Jenner-DK Reader, Level 4

You Wouldn’t Want to Sail on the Titanic: One Voyage You’d Rather Not Make-David Stewart

Titanic: A Nonfiction Guide to Tonight on the Titanic-Will and Mary Pope Osborne

Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady-Ellen Emerson White
(Dear America) historical fiction

White Star: A Dog on the Titanic-Marty Crisp, also historical fiction


Where Poppies Grow: A World War I Companion: Linda Granfield

In Flander’s Field-The Story of the Poem by John McCrae-Linda Granfield


UNIT 1-Worldview


Eric Liddell: Something Greater than Gold-Janet and Geoff Benge

Chariots of Fire DVD-Warner Home Video (ages 10 and up)

The Eric Liddell Story-DVD-Christian History Institute (for a younger audience)


Fanny Crosby: Queen of Gospel Songs-Rebecca Davis

The Fanny Crosby Story DVD-Panmedia Entertainment Corporation


UNIT 2-History


The Discovery of Penicillin-Guy Bedoyere

Alexander Fleming-Richard Tames


The Great Depression-Elaine Landau

Welcome to Kit’s World, 1934:  Growing up during America’s Great Depression-Harriet Brown-This book uses Kit of the American Girl Series to give an overview of life in the Depression, lots of pictures and photographs from the decade.

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl DVD-New Line Cinema-This movie will be enjoyed by boys as well as girls.

Children of the Great Depression-Russell Freedman

A Year Down Yonder-Richard Peck-Fifteen year old Mary Alice spends a year with her feisty grandmother.

A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt-C. Coco DeYoung-Margo writes a letter to Eleanor Roosevelt asking for help to save her family’s home.



Great World War II Projects You Can Build Yourself-Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt

World War II Days: Discovering the Past with Exciting Projects, Games, Activities and Recipes-David C. King

Going to War in World War II-Moira Butterfield-emphasis is on war and weapons.

World War II-Simon Adams (Eyewitness Books)


The Holocaust-Susanna Davidson

The four books below portray real and fictional heroes of the Holocaust.

Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story-Kenn Mochizucki-A young boy remembers his father, a Japanese diplomat who paved the way for thousands of Jewish refugees to escape Lithuania in the 1940s. (nonfiction)

Number the Stars-Lois Lowry-Newbery Award-Annemarie shows courage when she and her family help her Jewish friend and family escape Denmark. (fiction)

Twenty and Ten-Clare Bishop-Twenty French school children hide ten Jewish children from the Nazis. (fiction)

Snow Treasure-Marie McSwigan-Children in Norway smuggle the nation’s gold past Nazi soldiers. (fiction)



Israel: The People-Debbie Smith

Israel-Martin Hintz (Enchantment of the World)

Families of Israel-DVD-Master Communications


Winston Churchill-Katie Daynes

Winston Churchill-Fiona MacDonald



UNIT 2-Worldview


Corrie Ten Boom: Keeper of the Angel’s Den-Janet & Geoff Benge


Gladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime-Janet & Geoff Benge

The Gladys Aylward Story DVD-Christian History Institute

The Inn of the Sixth Happiness DVD-20th Century Fox



UNIT 3-History



China-Hugh Montefiore-Sebag-Eyewitness Books

People’s Republic of China-Kim Dramer (Enchantment of the World)

Families of China-DVD-Master Communications


Fearon’s Our Century: 1950-1960-Tony Napoli

The 1950s Decade in Photos: The American Decade-Jim Corrigan

Rock and Roll Generation: Life in the Fifties-Time-Life


India: The People-Bobbie Kalman

India-Kamala Dalal (Countries of the World)

Going to School in India DVD-Master Communications


Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Photographic Story of a Life-Amy Pastan-Eyewitness Readers

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.-Doreen Rappaport

A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.-David Adler



UNIT 3-Worldview



Billy Graham: Just Get Up and Out of Your Seat-Catherine MacKenzie

Billy Graham: World Famous Evangelist-Sarah McIntosh Wooten


Ida Scudder-Healing Bodies, Touching Hearts-Janet and Geoff Benge


Nate Saint: On a Wing and a Prayer-Janet and Geoff Benge

The Jim Eliot Story-DVD-Christian History Institute



UNIT 4-History


1990s From the Persian Gulf War to Y2K-Stephen Feinstein

The Nineteen Nineties Decade in Photos: The Rise of Technology-Jim Corrigan


The Middle East-Cory Gideon Gunderson

Middle East-Philip Steele


Fearon’s Our Century: 1970 to 1980-Tony Napoli, editor

The 1970s Decade in Photos: Protest and Change-Jim Corrigan


Fearon’s Our Century: 1980 to 1990-Tony Napoli, editor

The 1980’s Decade in Photos: Triumph of Democracy-Jim Corrigan

Some good books for helping understand more modern times:

America at the Time of Martin Luther King, Jr: The Story of Our Nation from Coast to Coast, from 1948 to 1976-Sally Isaacs

The Century for Young People-Jennifer Armstrong

Visual Timeline of the Twentieth Century-Simon Adams


September 11, 2001-Andrew Santella (Cornerstones of Freedom)

September 11, 2001: The Day That Changed America-Jill Wheeler

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers-Mordecai Gerstein-a biography of Phillipe Petit who walked a tightrope between the twin towers in 1974, amazing pictures of the towers and New York City.

Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey-A fire boat launched in 1931 is brought back into service on September 11, 2001.

The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation: I recommend using the introductory pages of this graphic book. The pictures show the routes of the four airplanes. This is a great book that you will want to preview before sharing with your children.


The Bread Winner-Deborah Ellis

Extra Credit-Andrew Clements-Abby Carson and Sadeed Bayat become pen pals and learn about each other’s culture.

The Librarian from Basra: A True Story from Iraq-Jeanette Winter