“America is a tune. It must be sung together.” — Gerald Stanley Lee
Explore the history of our Independence Day, learn the meaning behind the symbols, and celebrate the diversity of our culture with these children’s titles!
Independence Day by Lori Dittmer
A preschool introduction to Independence Day, covering the holiday’s history, popular traditions, and such defining symbols as flags and parades.
Blue Sky White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus
Wonderfully spare, deceptively simple verses pair with richly evocative paintings to celebrate the iconic imagery of our nation, beginning with the American flag. This book is an ode to America then and now, from sea to shining sea.
Lady Liberty’s Holiday by Jennifer Arena
When the Statue of Liberty decides she wants to see more of America, she leaves her post in New York to explore. She travels from the sandy beaches of Cape Cod, across the waving wheat fields of Kansas, takes in the breathtaking grandeur of the Grand Canyon, and enjoys the cozy sunshine of the California coastline. But will Lady Liberty make it back to New York City for the Fourth of July? And will she even want to?
The Declaration of Independence: The Words That Made America by Sam Fink
The text of the Declaration of Independence, accompanied by illustrations meant to help explain its meaning.
Apple Pie 4th of July by Janet S. Wong
Shocked that her parents are cooking Chinese food to sell in the family store on an all-American holiday, a feisty Chinese American girl tries to tell her mother and father how things really are. But as the parade passes by and fireworks light the sky, she learns a surprising lesson.
Liberty or Death: The American Revolution: 1763-1783 by Betsy & Giulio Maestro
It began in Boston, with angry colonists objecting to the tyranny of a king who ruled from an ocean away. It was voiced by patriots and echoed by citizens from New England all the way to the Carolinas. It was fought by many — colonists, slaves, frontiersmen, Native Americans, and British and French soldiers. Over more than ten years, sides were taken, guns drawn, lives lost. Enjoy this true story of extraordinary times, incredible drama, and the birth of a new nation.
If you go to the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, you can see a massive American flag: thirty feet tall and forty-two feet long. That’s huge! But how did it get there? And where did it come from? Well … The story of this giant flag begins in 1812 and stars a major on the eve of battle, a seamstress and her mighty helpers, and a poet named Francis Scott Key. This isn’t just the story of one flag. It’s the story of “The Star Spangled-Banner,” a poem that became our national anthem, too.
We Came to America by Faith Ringgold
America is a country rich in diversity — From the Native Americans who first called this land their home, to the millions of people who have flocked to its shores ever since. Some of our ancestors were driven by dreams and hope. Others came in chains, or were escaping poverty or persecution. No matter what brought them here, each person embodied a unique gift–their art and music, their determination and grit, their stories, and their culture. And together they forever shaped the country we all call home.
Americans are different from one another in many ways. And despite these differences, Americans share certain ways of doing and being that hold us all together. From the Fourth of July to the Bill of Rights, Douglas Wood and Elizabeth Sayles share the story of what it is to be American.
*Synopses from GoodReads
