Ireland
Nonfiction · ages 10–14 · grades 5–9 · 850L · 1989
A dated but solid factual primer on Irish history and culture; useful as a reference guide, though modern illustrated alternatives may engage kids better.
For a reader who just finished
Books like Presidents Decoded
after Presidents Decoded by Katie Kennedy · ages 8–12
Nonfiction · grades 3–7 · 850L
A solid, accessible reference for kids who want to know the 'who' and 'why' behind the portraits in their school hallway without getting bogged down in dry textbook prose.
Same style
Albert Einstein and His Inflatable Universe
Nonfiction · ages 9–12 · grades 4–7 · 820L · 2008
Competent science biography that explains relativity in child-accessible language, but the metaphor of an 'inflatable universe' oversimplifies and the book doesn't quite make Einstein's thinking come alive.
The Young United States, 1783–1830
by Edwin Tunis
Nonfiction · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 820L · 1969
A rare, gorgeously illustrated social history for kids—Tunis shows you how people actually dressed, ate, built, and traded in the early republic rather than just marching through presidents and battles.
Complementing on civics intro
So You Want to Be President?
by David Small
Picture book · ages 4–8 · grades K–3 · 620L · 2000
A Caldecott winner that makes U.S. history genuinely funny — kids laugh at the absurdity while absorbing real facts about presidents in a format that's pure delight to reread.
We'd skip — for now
Teen esteem
by Pat Palmer
A step up — ages 12–18 · grades 7–12
Skip it if you're looking for narrative-driven or illustrated content; this is pure reference material with minimal visuals.