CurriConnects Book List - Arkansas
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Arkansas
This thoughtfully curated collection presents books about Arkansas, organized into three developmental reading levels, each with corresponding Lexile measures to support the selection of appropriate texts for diverse readers. Every title includes a concise description highlighting its themes and content, making it easy for educators and families to connect students with engaging stories about Arkansas's history, culture, and natural beauty.
Preschool and Picture Books
King of Ragtime: The Story of Scott Joplin - Stephan Costanza, (978-1534410367), Non-fiction
Interest level: PreK-3, Lexile: 930
This is the life story of Scott Joplin, who grew up in Texarkana, Arkansas.
My City is a Fort - Kathy Watson, (978-0692082751), Fiction
Interest level: PreK-2
Readers experience a charming and heartfelt exploration of Fort Smith, Arkansas—its rich history, vibrant culture, and promising future—told through the imaginative perspective of a child.
N is for Natural State: An Arkansas Alphabet - Michael Shoulders, (978-1585360673), Non-fiction
Interest level: PreK-2, Lexile: 960
This book showcases all the unique aspects of Arkansas.
Rise! From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou - Bethany Hegedus, (978-1620145876), Non-fiction
Interest level: 2-6, Lexile: 900
Maya Angelou led a remarkable life. This biography chronicles her life from its inception in Stamps, Arkansas, through her work as a freedom fighter, to her success as a renowned poet.
The Girl With a Mind For Math: The Story of Raye Montague - Julia Finley Mosca, (978-1943147700), Non-fiction
Interest level: PreK-3, Lexile: 460
This is the story of Raye Montague, a female engineer who revolutionized the design of ships for the United States Navy.
Under One Flag: A Year Rowher - Liz Parkhurst, (978-0874837599), Fiction
Interest level: 2-8
Jeff’s father is the camp administrator at War Relocation Center in Rowher, Arkansas. Jeff makes friends with George, whose Japanese American family is relocated to the camp when his father is accused of spying against America.
Middle Grade Books
Cracking the Wall: The Struggles of the Little Rock Nine - Eileen Lucas, (978-1575052274), Non-fiction
Interest level: 2-5, Lexile: 540
This book tells the story of the Little Rock Nine, the first African American students to integrate an all-white high school in Arkansas.
In Front of God and Everybody - KD McCrite, (978-1400317226), Fiction
Interest level: 3-6, Lexile: 800
Set in the Arkansas Ozarks in the 1980s, this humorous middle-grade novel follows eleven-year-old April Grace Reilly as she navigates country life with her glamour-obsessed sister, suddenly hip grandmother, hippie neighbors, and snooty city transplants, while learning from her parents' example to share kindness with even the most difficult people.
Making Friends with Billy Wong - Augusta Scattergood, (978-0545924252), Fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 640
Azalea moves from Texas to Arkansas to help her injured grandmother. Her grandmother has some secrets, which Azalea does not understand. When her grandmother sends her to the grocery store in town, which a Chinese family runs, Azalea makes friends with Billy. Together, they navigate racism and bullying, trying to fit in.
Only the Names Remain: The Cherokees and The Trail of Tears - Alex W. Bealer, (978-0316085199), Non-fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 1050
This book tells about the forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation. Known as the Trail of Tears, one of four died as the people marched from Georgia to Arkansas.
The Lions of Little Rock - Kristin Levine, (978-0142424353), Fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 630
Marlee is not looking forward to starting middle school, but meets Liz, who is everything she wishes she could be. Liz leaves school unexpectedly after trying to pass as white in a segregated community. Marlee is committed to staying friends and taking on segregation.
Unplugged - Gordon Korman, (978-0062798909), Fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 750
Jeff Baranav is the son of a tech billionaire and is used to getting everything he wants. His father drops him off at the Oasis in the middle of the Arkansas wilderness, where he has nothing in common with the other kids, and something seems strange with the adults.
Young Adult and Adult Books
Fire From the Rock - Sharon Draper, (978-0142411995), Fiction
Interest level: 7-9, Lexile: 760
Set in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957, this historical fiction novel follows fifteen-year-old Sylvia Patterson as she grapples with the decision of whether to become one of the first Black students to integrate Central High School, facing the tension between staying safe in her nurturing segregated school or risking violence to help make history.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou, (978-0345514400), Non-fiction
Interest level: YA, Lexile: 1070
Young Maya is sent to live with her grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. The prejudice she faces impacts her experiences for the rest of her life.
Summer of My German Soldier - Bette Greene, (978-0756967734), Fiction
Interest level: 8-12, Lexile: 800
Set in small-town Arkansas during World War II, this book follows twelve-year-old Patty Bergen, a lonely Jewish girl who forms a forbidden friendship with Anton, an escaped German POW, risking everything to shelter him despite the dangerous consequences.
The Legend of Bass Reeves - Gary Paulsen, (978-0553494297), Fiction
Interest level: 7-12, Lexile: 950
This historical novel recounts how Bass Reeves brought many outlaws to justice, thanks to his fame as an African American former slave who became a sheriff, making this a gripping account.
The Painters of Lexieville - Sharon Darrow, (763-614378), Fiction
Interest level: 7-12, Lexile: 880
Set in rural Lexieville, Arkansas, this harrowing coming-of-age novel follows Pertrisha "Pert" Lexie as she works a county painting job with her father and brother, striving to become the first in her family to graduate high school while struggling against poverty and the abuse of her uncle.
Where Things Come Back - John Corey Whaley, (978-1442413337), Fiction
Interest level: 8-12, Lexile: 960
Set in the small town of Lily, Arkansas, this award-winning novel follows seventeen-year-old Cullen Witter during the bizarre summer when his sensitive younger brother, Gabriel, mysteriously disappears, and the town becomes obsessed with the alleged sighting of an extinct Lazarus woodpecker.
With a Name Like Love - Tess Hilmo, (978-0374384654), Fiction
Interest level: 7-9, Lexile: 710
Olivene, the daughter of a clergyman, finds life in a small Arkansas town to be a microcosm of the world, with villains and the warm-hearted, mysteries and love all intertwined.