Progeny Press Books

Johnny Tremain is the Newbery Award winner by Esther Forbes. Set in Boston during the Revolutionary war, Johnny Tremain is the story of a brilliant orphan boy who was apprenticed to a silver smith. Though young, Johnny has a bright future before him as he is quickly recognized as the driving force behind the silver smith. With marriage to the master's daughter in view, and the eventual ownership of the shop, things are looking up for Johnny, until a jealous fellow apprentice plays a prank on Johnny that literally ruins his life. 

Long Way to a New Land is an "I Can Read" book (level 3) for grades 2-4. It follows the story of a young Swedish boy and his family as the emigrate from Sweden during a time of starvation. The book depicts what it would have been like to leave behind everything you know and love, to travel in unsanitary, cramped conditions on a ship, and to arrive in a land where you don't even know the language. This book would make an excellent addition to any study of immigration and American history. Set in the post-Civil War era.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the Newbery Award winning story of an African American family living in Mississipi in the early part of the 20th century. Segregation was the norm, with black and white children living in separate social strata, attending separate schools, and subject to different rules. The story explores difficult subjects such as segregation, prejudice, and the KKK. Written for grades 6-8. This story would make an excellent addition to any study of recent American history.