Celebrate July 4 with Books!

Fiction

A Fourth of July on the Plains by Jean Van Leeuwen (E)

Young Jesse and his family are with a wagon train traveling from Indiana to Oregon when they stop to celebrate the Fourth of July, but Jesse is too young to go hunting with the men so he comes up with his own contribution to the festivities.

Apple Pie 4th of July by Janet Wong (E)

A Chinese American child fears that the food her parents are preparing to sell on the Fourth of July will not be eaten.

Celebration! by Jane Resh Thomas (E)

The entire family gathers in Maggie’s backyard for the annual Fourth of July picnic.

Hats Off for the Fourth of July! by Harriet Ziefert (E)

Spectators wait to see what will come next as they watch the town’s Fourth of July parade.

Henry’s Fourth of July by Holly Keller (E)

Henry has a fun-filled day celebrating the Fourth of July with his family and friends.

Hurray for the Fourth of July by Wendy Watson (E)

A small-town family celebrates the Fourth of July by attending a parade, having a picnic, and watching fireworks. Interspersed throughout the pages are patriotic songs and traditional rhymes.

Jake Johnson: The Story of a Mule by Tres Seymour (E)

Farmer Puckett’s custom of hauling a wagonload of fireworks to the fairgrounds for the Independence Day Social is endangered when his stubborn new mule Jake Johnson refuses to move.

McDuff Saves the Day by Rosemary Wells (E)

Fred, Lucy, the baby, and McDuff go to the lake for a Fourth of July picnic, but when ants consume all of their food it’s up to McDuff to find something for them to eat.

The Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key, illustrated by Peter Spier (E)

Illustrates three verses of our national anthem. Includes music, background history, and pictures of flags in the United States, past and present.

Non-Fiction

America Is... by Louise Borden (E811.54 B644a)

“America is our country. It is the place we call home.” begins this picture book tribute to America through poetic text and watercolor illustrations.

By the Dawn’s Early Light: The Story of the Star-Spangled Banner by Steven Kroll (JB K52k)

Beautiful watercolor illustrations and a very kid friendly text tell the story of how Francis Scott Key came to write the song “The Star-Spangled Banner”.

Celebrate America: In Poetry and Art: Paintings, Sculpture, Drawings, Photographs, and Other Works of Art From the National Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institution edited by Nora Panzer (J811.008 P196c)

A collection of American poetry that celebrates over 200 years of American life and history as illustrated by fine art from the collection of the National Museum of Art.

Fireworks, Picnics and Flags by James Giblin (J394.2643 G355f)

This informative book will tell you the social history behind America’s celebration of Independence Day and the background of national symbols such as the flag, the bald eagle, the Liberty Bell and Uncle Sam.

Fireworks: The Science, the Art and the Magic by Susan Kuklin (J662.1 G921k)

Meet the Grucci’s of Long Island, New York whose family business is a manufacturing plant for fireworks of every size, color and description.

I Am America by Charles R. Smith Jr. (E305.23 Sm53i)

Vibrant photographs of children and poignant, rhyming text celebrate the diversity of America today.

Liberty by Lynn Curlee (J974.71 C928l)

The story of all of the planning and efforts that went into the construction of one of the most famous symbols of the United States, the Statue of Liberty.

Websites

Billy Bear's 4th of July

July 4th Crafts

Kids Domain - 4th of July