We the People--Pursuit of Happiness

"Americans believe that people have a natural right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The stories told in this year’s We the People Bookshelf show how individuals throughout our history have sought to achieve that goal.”

 

Grades K-3

 

Aesop’s Fables by Aesop
A lazy grasshopper, a greedy mouse and a plodding tortoise learn that wise and prudent actions lead to happiness and a good life, in this classically illustrated edition.

 

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
A poet rejoices in the quiet solitude of nature, while honoring his ties to people and other places. Beautiful illustrations bring the poem to life.

 

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
In this classic tale of loyalty and persistence, a man and his steam shovel find their place in a changing world. Also available in Spanish.

 

Grades 4-6

 

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Winnie Foster can choose her fate: live, grow up, and finally leave the world, or stay in it forever, young and unchanging. Also available in Spanish.

 

The Great Migration by Jacob Lawrence
Jacob Lawrence’s famous series of paintings brings to life the migration of African Americans from South to North in pursuit of a better life.

 

These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The winter nights are cold, independence is frightening and work is hard. Still, family, friends, songs and new love make for a good life on the prairie.

 

Journal of Wong Ming-Chung by Laurence Yep
A young Chinese immigrant and his uncle learn that the “Golden Mountain” is just a dream; but there may be other ways to prosper and forge a new life in California.

 

Grades 7-8

 

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Meg, Charles Wallace and Calvin enter a fantastic world in search of a missing scientist, stretching the fabric of time and space in a journey of self-discovery.

 

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Calamity befalls the Ortega family in Mexico, and their new life in California is far from easy. Esperanza learns what it means to never be afraid to start again. Also available in Spanish.

 

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
Young Nat Bowditch pursues his unquenchable thirst for knowledge, gains mastery of navigation and astronomy and makes his mark on the world.

 

Grades 9-12

 

Kindred by Octavia Butler
Yanked back in time to the antebellum South, Dana shares in the powers and perils lived daily by her African American and white ancestors.

 

O Pioneers! By Willa Cather
On the beautiful, but harsh and unforgiving Nebraska prairie, and immigrant woman stakes her life and family’s future on the land. Also available in Spanish.

 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
In this story of romance and intrigue set in 1920’s New York, Jay Gatsby is a wealthy, powerful and successful man. Has he achieved happiness?

 

Leave of Grass by Walt Whitman
Praising nature, democracy and the human spirit, one of our nation’s greatest poets invites us to hear America singing.

 

Common Sense by Thomas Paine
From this rousing pamphlet that helped ignite patriotic passion in 1776, we can glimpse what the Pursuit of Happiness meant to the Revolutionary generation.

 

For All Ages: CD Bonus

 

Happy Land: Musical Tributes to Laura Ingalls Wilder
Sing along with the Ingalls family. This CD features traditional performances of eighteen songs and tunes referenced in the Little House series.

 

About the Program

The We the People Bookshelf is offered in cooperation with the American Library Association. Libraries in communities and schools can apply to receive free copies of these books. Information for readers, parents, librarians and teachers can be found at The National Endowment for the Humanities.

 

This page created 8-22-08.