This month we celebrate the history of New York State and look particularly at the Dutch influence on this history. Our list includes titles for all ages, mostly nonfiction but with a few historical fiction titles as well. Read, learn, and enjoy!
The morning chair, DB043247, by Barbara M. Joosse
Bram is a little Dutch boy who lives with his parents in a seaside village. In 1950 Bram’s family gets immigration papers to move to America. Bram’s mother had told him about America while they sat in their morning chair and sipped tea. Now both chair and family have a new home. For grades K-3. 2017.
The Jews of New Amsterdam, DB030469, by Eva Deutsch Costabel
Early one September morning in 1654, twenty-three Jews escaping persecution in Brazil sailed into the harbor of New Amsterdam (now New York). The governor wanted to expel them, but his employer, the Dutch West India Company, gave them permission to stay. Restrictions were placed on their freedom, however. They could not own homes, join the army, or hold certain jobs. This book tells the story of how they adapted and progressed. For grades 3-6. 1968.
American Archaeology Uncovers the Dutch Colonies, DB071662, by Lois Miner Huey
Discusses archaeological finds at sites in New York and Delaware colonized by the Dutch between 1609 and 1664. Explains what scientists have learned from the garbage of ordinary settlers who lived in forts, towns, and farms. For grades 4-7. 2010.
New York, BR009011 and DB034611, by Donald H. Bragaw, R. Conrad Stein, Paul J. Scudiere, and Robert L. Hillerich
Since its founding as a Dutch colony, New York has served as the gateway to America. Millions of immigrants to the United States have passed through New York City. And millions have chosen to stay there, making New York City the largest city in the nation and one of the most culturally diverse in the world. New York state also leads in industry, agriculture, and commerce. An introduction to the "Empire State" for grades 4-7 and older readers. 1989.
Martin Van Buren 8th President of the United States, BR007999 and DB030108, by Rafaela Ellis
Martin Van Buren was born in 1782 in a small Dutch community in New York. Although Martin was needed to work in his family's tavern, he finished the academy and became a law apprentice when he was fourteen. He soon discovered politics and moved to New York City where he became a notable lawyer and politician. He was elected president in 1836. For grades 5-8 and older readers. 1990.
The Mohawk, DB072686, by Nancy Bonvillain
History of the New York state Mohawk, the largest nation in the Iroquois Confederacy. Discusses the tribe's seventeenth-century fur-trading partnership with the Dutch and the English, skill at basketry, and adjustments to twentieth-century changes. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2005.
A Brief Political and Geographic History of North America: Where Is New France, New Netherland, And New Sweden, DB068569, by Lissa Jones Johnston.
Discusses three major colonies that played important but little-known parts in the history of North America prior to the establishment of the thirteen colonies that became the United States. Covers related geographic names and key leaders. For grades 6-9. 2008.
The Hudson: A History, DB062666, by Tom Lewis
An overview of the Hudson River region since its seventeenth-century discovery by Europeans and changes to the area over time. Details its geography from the Adirondacks to New York City. Discusses the waterway's importance in travel, commerce, industry, and war and as an inspiration to artists, writers, and environmentalists. 2005.
The Island at The Center of The World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and The Forgotten Colony That Shaped America, DB058272, by Russell Shorto
Portrait of the "first New Yorkers"--the earliest European inhabitants of Manhattan predating the thirteen "original" English colonies. From archival documents including letters, deeds, journals, and court proceedings, the author reconstructs the multiethnic Dutch settlement and clash of two seventeenth-century powers that ended in 1664 when England took over Manhattan. 2004.
A history of the Jews in America, DB036162, by Howard Morley Sachar
Begins with the transplanting of European Jews to the New World and the establishment of New Amsterdam in 1654. Also discusses subsequent Jewish immigration, especially from eastern Europe; challenges newcomers face adapting to a new world while retaining their heritage; milestones in Jewish life, such as the Holocaust and the Six-Day War; and Jewish involvement in society. 1992.
City of dreams a novel of Nieuw Amsterdam and early Manhattan, DB064726, by Beverly Swerling
In 1661, English surgeon Lucas Turner and his sister Sally, an apothecary, arrive at the Dutch settlement on the island of Manhattan. Violence and betrayal soon make the siblings enemies, beginning a feud that resonates for generations. Violence, some descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 2001.
Knickerbocker's History of New York, DB030658, by Washington Irving
Knickerbocker is an imaginary historian who records the early history of New York when it was still New Amsterdam, perceiving the traditions of the city in a comic manner. 1956.