Looking to add to your collection? Here is a list of Books About Virginia Dare and America’s First English Settlement
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The Lost Colony of Roanoke: Books About Virginia Dare and America’s First English Settlement
On August 18, 1587, Virginia Dare made history as the first English child born in the Americas. She was born on Roanoke Island, part of England’s first attempt to establish a permanent settlement in the New World. Just three years later, when supplies finally arrived from England, the entire colony—including Virginia Dare—had vanished without a trace.
More than four centuries later, the fate of the Lost Colony of Roanoke remains one of America’s greatest unsolved mysteries. What happened to the settlers? Did they join a nearby Native American community? Were they forced to relocate? Historians continue to search for answers.
The books below explore Virginia Dare’s remarkable story, the mystery of the Lost Colony, and the early days of English settlement in North America.
Picture Books & Younger Readers
Roanoke, the Lost Colony: An Unsolved Mystery from History
Jane Yolen & Heidi E. Y. Stemple — Nonfiction https://amzn.to/4ghy8Dx
Young readers become history detectives as they examine clues surrounding the disappearance of the Roanoke colonists. Illustrations by Roger Roth and a mystery-solving format make this an especially engaging introduction. Publisher recommendation: ages 6–10, grades 1–5.
The Lost Colony of Roanoke
Jean Fritz, illustrated by Hudson Talbott — Nonfiction https://amzn.to/4gDb1Vo
Jean Fritz introduces children to the 115 colonists who sailed to Roanoke in 1587 and the clues surrounding their disappearance. Talbott’s illustrations make this 64-page history particularly approachable. Recommended for ages 7–10/grades 2–5.
In Search of the Lost Colony
Mary Maden — Nonfiction https://amzn.to/4qo6CJn
A child-friendly introduction to the story and mystery of the Roanoke Colony. The Lost Colony’s educational reading list recommends it for ages 4–8, making it one of the few choices specifically suited to younger elementary readers.
Elementary
What Do We Know About the Lost Colony of Roanoke?
Emma Carlson Berne & Who HQ, illustrated by Stephen Marchesi — Nonfiction https://amzn.to/4xcxu1y
One of the best newer choices for this list. Published in 2025, this 112-page book examines both attempts to establish a colony at Roanoke, John White’s delayed return, the mysterious disappearance, and what historians know today. Recommended for roughly ages 7–12.
Roanoke: The Lost Colony
Kari Schuetz — Nonfiction https://amzn.to/4zmqjFD
A high-interest nonfiction treatment of the abandoned colony that pairs engaging images with relatively light text. It was designed for students in approximately grades 3–7, making it useful for elementary readers as well as reluctant older readers.
Blue Birds
Caroline Starr Rose — Historical Fiction https://amzn.to/4cMU2O2
Twelve-year-old Alis arrives from England with the Roanoke settlers and secretly befriends Kimi, a young Roanoke girl. Told in verse from the girls’ alternating perspectives, the novel explores friendship across cultural divides while immersing readers in the world of the colony.
Sabotaged
Margaret Peterson Haddix — Historical/Time-Travel Fiction https://amzn.to/4xRoqzd
Book three of The Missing series sends Jonah and Katherine back into history to help Andrea—who is actually Virginia Dare. Their mission quickly goes wrong, and the mystery of Roanoke becomes central to the adventure. Recommended for ages 8–12/grades 3–7.
The Mystery of the Roanoke Colony
Author: Xavier W. Niz https://amzn.to/4wFnpJB
This nonfiction title examines archaeological discoveries and historical evidence while presenting multiple theories about what happened.
Best for: Grades 4–8
Middle School
Blood on the River: Jamestown 1607
Author: Elisa Carbone https://amzn.to/46abto4
Although this novel focuses on Jamestown, it provides an excellent follow-up to the Roanoke story by showing England’s next successful settlement.
Best for: Grades 5–8
Roanoke: The Mystery of the Lost Colony
Lee Miller — Nonfiction https://amzn.to/4hCiCEP
A 112-page investigation of the colony that asks three central questions: Why were the colonists lost? Where did they go? And why were they never recovered? Miller uses historical clues to develop a theory about what happened. This is particularly good for students who enjoy historical mysteries.
The Legend of the White Doe
William H. Hooks, illustrated by Dennis Nolan — Historical Fiction/Legend https://amzn.to/4xKKjzX
This older fictional treatment imagines that survivors of the Roanoke Colony live among a friendly Native community and follows a legendary version of Virginia Dare’s later life. Because it is based on the famous White Doe legend rather than on documented history, it works well when presented clearly as folklore-inspired historical fiction.
High School
Cate of the Lost Colony
Lisa Klein — Young Adult Historical Fiction https://amzn.to/45TBpVb
Lady Catherine Archer is sent from Queen Elizabeth I’s court to Sir Walter Raleigh’s colony at Roanoke. There she becomes increasingly connected to Manteo, a Croatoan man caught between the English colonists and his own people. Klein builds a fictional explanation for the colony’s fate around documented historical people and events. Recommended for ages 14+.
Roanoke: The Abandoned Colony
Karen Ordahl Kupperman — Nonfiction https://amzn.to/4cx0qcf
A scholarly but readable history that places Roanoke within the larger context of England’s early attempts at American colonization. Better suited to advanced high school readers, research assignments, or students especially interested in the colony’s historical background.
A Kingdom Strange: The Brief and Tragic History of the Lost Colony of Roanoke
James Horn — Nonfiction https://amzn.to/466LpKz
A narrative history for older readers that explores the Roanoke settlement and the enduring question of what became of its colonists. A good choice for high-school students who want a more detailed account than children’s histories provide.
Virginia Dare: A Romance of the Sixteenth Century
E. A. B. Shackleford — Historical Fiction https://amzn.to/4qoGvBS
Originally published in 1892, this historical romance imagines the life and fate of Virginia Dare. Because it reflects the literary and cultural attitudes of its era, it is best suited to older students and could be especially interesting when studying how the Virginia Dare legend developed over time. The Library of Congress includes it among imaginative works about Roanoke.
A Roanoke Story
Deahn Berrini — Historical Fiction https://amzn.to/45A2c8M
A modern novel built around the disappearance of the 115 English colonists in 1587. It uses the historical mystery as the basis for imagining what life and survival might have looked like after the colony vanished from the historical record. The Library of Congress includes the novel in its collection of imaginative works related to Roanoke.
Especially Useful Picks for a School Library
If space or budget is limited, the strongest core collection would be:
- Picture/Elementary: Roanoke, the Lost Colony — Jane Yolen & Heidi E. Y. Stemple
- Elementary: The Lost Colony of Roanoke — Jean Fritz
- Elementary: What Do We Know About the Lost Colony of Roanoke? — Emma Carlson Berne
- Upper Elementary/Middle: Blue Birds — Caroline Starr Rose
- Middle: Sabotaged — Margaret Peterson Haddix
- Middle: Roanoke: The Mystery of the Lost Colony — Lee Miller
- High School Fiction: Cate of the Lost Colony — Lisa Klein
- High School Nonfiction: Roanoke: The Abandoned Colony — Karen Ordahl Kupperman
Did You Know? Facts About Virginia Dare and the Lost Colony
- Virginia Dare was born on August 18, 1587, on Roanoke Island in what is now North Carolina.
- She was the first English child born in the Americas.
- Virginia’s mother was Eleanor Dare, and her grandfather was John White, the governor of the Roanoke Colony.
- Only a few days after Virginia’s birth, John White sailed back to England for much-needed supplies.
- Because England was preparing to defend itself against the Spanish Armada, White was unable to return for nearly three years.
- When he finally arrived in 1590, the colony had disappeared.
- The only clue left behind was the word “CROATOAN” carved into a wooden post and the letters “CRO” carved into a tree.
- There were no signs of violence or battle, leading many historians to believe the settlers may have moved voluntarily.
- Several modern archaeological discoveries suggest some colonists may have joined friendly Native American communities, but no theory has been proven.
- The disappearance of the Roanoke settlers remains one of America’s oldest unsolved historical mysteries.
- Every summer, North Carolina’s outdoor drama The Lost Colony tells the story of Virginia Dare and the Roanoke settlers. It is one of the longest-running outdoor theatrical productions in the United States.
The story of Virginia Dare and the Lost Colony continues to spark curiosity more than 400 years after the settlers disappeared. While historians may never know exactly what happened, the mystery encourages young readers to think critically, examine evidence, and appreciate how archaeology and historical research help us better understand the past.
Celebrate Virginia Dare’s birthday by creating a “History’s Greatest Mysteries” display, comparing historical facts with popular theories, locating Roanoke Island on a map, or inviting students to become history detectives by examining clues and forming their own evidence-based conclusions. Sometimes, the greatest stories are the ones that still leave us wondering.
I have not read all of these books. Please preview them for yourself before adding them to your school library.
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