Social Studies and History are possibly the most difficult subjects, aside from mathematics, to teach to middle and high school students, due to the fact that they have very abstract and complex issues. Culture, politics and relationships between different countries are just a few examples of the things that a student tries to grasp while studying these core areas.

Linda Webb Billman, a history teacher, decided to introduce the use of picture books, while her students were studying World War II, to help them combat some of the complicated concepts of the war. Picture books, in general, bring to mind images of a toddler looking through a book with "A is for Apple" in it. Yet, in reality, there are many different kinds of picture books and they delve into many different subjects. In fact, the ones dealing with historical events are more appropriate for older students than...