THE ALAMO AND THE TEXAS REVOLUTION An Annotated Bibliography for Parents and Teachers Kindergarten through Grade 8 Compiled by Charles Tucker, Reference Librarian Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library at the Alamo San Antonio, Texas Revised February 2010 This bibliography is intended to be a guide for parents and teachers who are teaching the history of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution. Books are the only media contained in the list, and most of them were published between 1995 and 2004. Currently available, in-print books are the focus of the bibliography; out-of-print books are included when a topic is not covered by an in-print equivalent. Features that may be of use to teachers are indicated and points that may distract from the study of history are mentioned. Fiction Beller, Susan Provost, The Siege of the Alamo: Soldiering in the Texas Revolution (Soldiers on the Battlefront). Minnesota: Twenty-First Century Books., c2008. 112p: hardcover library binding ISBN 0-8225-6782-2 $33.26. Reading level ages 9-12 Only three weeks after U.S. soldier Jim Bowie wrote these words, Mexican president and general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and his six thousand troops arrived at the fort known as the Alamo to assert their control over the Texan colonists who had settled in Mexican territory. About 260 colonists had holed up to fight for independence from Mexico. Author Susan Provost Beller brings the conflict of these to groups to life with first-person accounts and stories that detail what conditions were like at the fort and what happened on March 6, when the Mexicans attacked. These words give us a better understanding of why Remember the Alamo became the rallying cry for all U.S. citizens. Cuate, Melodie A. Journey to Goliad (Mr. Barrington’s Mysterious Trunk Series). Texas: Texas Tech University Press., c2009. 176p.: hardcover library binding ISBN 0-8967-2649-5 $13.38. Reading level ages 9-12 Hannah and Jackie are among the students Mr. Barrington has rewarded with a special field trip to an archeological dig at Presidio La Bahia, a fort in Goliad, Texas. Hannah's father drives the girls and Nick to the fort, where the girls participate in the dig and view museum exhibits, Nick spends time in the museum with girlfriend Zoe, and Mr. Barrington brings the mysterious trunk into the fort. All is well until a disagreement among the friends leads to the opening of the trunk--and readers of Cuate's historical novels have come to relish what that means. Once again the trunk transports the youngsters back in time to 1836, in the midst of the Texas Revolution. Presidio La Bahia has been renamed Fort Defiance. What will happen in the coming weeks, when the Texians and the Mexican army clash at the famous Battle of Coleto and Texian leader Colonel James Fannin and Mexican General Jose Urrea bravely face each other on the battlefield? Nick discovers a new friend in fifteen-year-old Benjamin Hughes. While outside the safety of the fort's walls, the boys are watched by Carlos de la Garza, an enemy of the Texians--or are they mistaken? Hannah and Jackie join Francita Alavez, the Angel of Goliad, on a desperate mission to save the lives of Fannin's men from Santa Anna's cruel orders to execute all prisoners. Duey, Kathleen. Bonita.Spirit of the Cimarron Series. New York: Dutton Children’s Books; DreamWorks, c2002. 117 p.; ISBN 0-5254-6711-4 $15.99; paperback (Puffin) ISBN 0-1424-0173-0 $4.99. No reading level available. Shots fired at the Alamo cause Bonita, a mare, to take part in an animal version of the Runaway Scrape. This book is the fourth in a series inspired by the DreamWorks film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. The teacher might guide the animal-loving reader to find out why Bonita had to run from the Alamo. Eldridge, Jim. Paul Fisher-Johnson, illustrator. Warriors! True Stories of Combat, Skill and Courage. New York: Scholastic, Inc., c2001. 128 p.; paperback ISBN 0-4392-9650-1 $4.99. No reading level available. Six types of real and fictional warriors are included in this book. For this bibliography, only the section on the Alamo is of importance. The battle is portrayed in a ten-page, fictionalized section as having been fought exclusively by American and British settlers against the Mexican army. Weapons used in the battle are mentioned; the Texan defenders are given a rating based on code of honor, ruthlessness, weaponry, tactics, and courage. Samurai and U.S. Special Forces have higher ratings. Garland, Sherry. In the Shadow of the Alamo. San Diego: Harcourt, c2001. 282 p.; hardcover ISBN 0-1520- 1744-5 $17.00. Publisher’s recommendation: ages 10 and up. Even though fifteen-year-old Lorenzo Bonifacio lives only in this novel, the young reader will find his life convincing and believable. The author draws from first-hand accounts by Mexican soldiers to write imaginatively about Lorenzo’s village in Mexico, his conscription into the Mexican army, and his experiences in the Texas revolution. Young boys will identify with Lorenzo’s adventures, and young girls will appreciate the drama of the story. A glossary of Spanish words is provided, but no pronunciation guide is given. Garland, Sherry. A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence, Gonzales, Texas, 1835. Dear America Series, no 11. New York: Scholastic Press, c1998. 206 p.; ISBN 0-5903-9466-5. $ 9.95 School Library Journal Recommendation: Grades 5-8. Through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old girl, the reader experiences the Runaway Scrape, hears cannon fire from the Alamo, and learns about the outcome of the battle at San Jacinto. Lucinda Lawrence begins her diary on September 9, 1836, in Gonzales, Texas. Each entry portrays early Texas life as a young girl might have lived it, complete with a teenager’s crush and the dissolution of her secure life caused by wartime experience. An epilogue describes Lucinda’s life in her later years. “Life in America in 1836,” beginning on page 181, provides a historical background for Lucinda’s story. Ten pages of black and white illustrations resemble a publication that might have appeared during the time frame of the diary. Guides are available online for parents and teachers. Garland, Sherry. Ronald Himler, illustrator. Voices of the Alamo. New York: Pelican Publishing Company, c2004. 40 p.; hardcover ISBN 1-5898-0222-5 $15.95;New York: Scholastic Press, c2000. 40 p.; hardcover ISBN 0-590-98833-6. Picture Book. Pelican Publishing Company recommendation: ages 5-8; School Library Journal recommendation: Grades 3-6. This imaginative, pleasantly illustrated interpretation of Texas history begins with the thoughts of a Payaya maiden in 1500. As time progresses, other people who participated in the making of Texas describe themselves and share their thoughts. A Mexican peasant forced into the army, a settler in Austin’s colony, William Barrett Travis, and General Sam Houston are some of those portrayed in this vision. A two-page historical note at the end of the book explains the text for the teacher. There is a pronouncing glossary of 13 words, a selected bibliography of seven books for adult readers, and six suggestions for further reading for juveniles. Hood, Susan. Sandy Kossin, illustrator. The Baby of the Alamo. Leveled Books Series. New York: McGraw- Hill School Division, c1999. 16 p.; ISBN 0-0218-5295-2. Available in Braille. $1.00 from http://www.abebooks.com/search/isbn/0021852952 Publisher’s recommendation: Grade 5, Unit 3. This novel is told from the point of view of Angelina Dickinson, who survived the battle of the Alamo with her mother, Susanna. As the book begins, Angelina says that she, as a fifteen-month old baby, can remember the “ nice man who gave me a ring with a cat’s eye stone.” She relates the rest of the traditional Alamo story in a question and answer discussion with her mother. The book is illustrated with colorful, cartoon-like drawings. The inside back cover has five “Story Questions and Activities,” and an assignment for writing an autobiographical paragraph. This simplistic (and probably unrealistic) presentation of the Alamo story is unlikely to hold the attention of the intended Grade 5 audience. Hughes, Bill. The Story of the Alamo. Lone Star Stories, c2003. 18 p. The "story" of the Alamo is told in comic book form, complete with heroic characters and absolute villains. Readers should keep in mind that this publication is entertainment, not history. Davy Crockett delivers his last words to Santa Anna in an entirely fictitious version of the Alamo story. Readers who might not enjoy a book on the Alamo may be attracted to the comic version, but parents and teachers must remind students that the facts are to be found elsewhere. Jakes, John. Paul Bacon, illustrator. Susanna of the Alamo: A True Story.San Diego, [CA]: Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, c1986. 28 p., ISBN 0-1520-0592-7. $21.00 Picture Book This is a highly romanticized version of the story of Susanna Dickinson, the wife of one of the Alamo defenders who survived the siege and battle with her daughter, Angelina. Some of the text follows Susanna’s accounts of her experience; some is the assumption of the author. The end paper maps and the illustrations by Paul Bacon are charming and will appeal to the young reader. Jakes, John. Paul Bacon illustrator. Susanna of the Alamo: A True Story. Florida: Houghton Miffin Harcourt, c1990. 32p; paperback ISBN 0-1520-0595-1; $7.20.