I am a huge American History buff and so far, at least one of my four kids have taken on my love of history. Regardless of their love for history, I place a high priority on teaching them not only the facts of the American Revolution, but also the values and virtues of patriotism, individual freedom and self-sacrifice. Over the years, I have cultivated a list of books I love to pull out every Fourth of July and share with the kids every year. We read through these books out on the boat and under the fireworks as we enjoy Independence Day festivities. Consequently, we enjoy learning the history and stories of those who have gone before us and build our country to what it is today. I hope you can enjoy them too!
For Ages 0-4
- God Bless Our Country, by Hannah C. Hall – A sweet, beautifully illustrated story of celebrating Independence Day as a family and remembering the sacrifices of those who went before us.
- A Is For America, by Greg Paprocki – Brightly colored with contemporary illustrations, this board book is visually appealing to younger ages and helps them learn their ABCs while also learning history!
- Baby’s First United States, DK Publishing – This sturdy board book is meant for the littlest of patriots. It is simple in its approach, but has clear pictures with high contrast to help focus tiny growing eyes.
- The Tuttle Toddlers The ABC’s of the American Revolution, by Connor Boyack & Elijah Stanfield – Using the classic approach of teaching ABC’s, this book dives a bit more into the specifics of events and characters that shaped the American Revolution. While the content gives a bit more heft, the illustrations are still engaging and the ABC format is engaging for younger readers.
- The Star Spangled Banner, by Peter Spier – Ending with the actual sheet music of The Star Spangled Banner, this book uses only the words of America’s National Anthem, but accompanies those words with beautiful illustrations of the scenes of the War of 1812, in which Francis Scott Key composed the poem that would become the well-known anthem.
- The Night Before the Fourth of July, by Natasha Wing – A fun twist on “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” The Night Before the Fourth of July takes the reader through the preparations of a family in the United States as they get ready for the parade, a cook out and the fireworks that come on Independence Day.
For Ages 4-7
- The Revolutionary War on Wednesday, by Mary Pope Osborne – Number 22 in The Magic Treehouse series, The Revolutionary War on Wednesday gives kids a great opportunity to imagine themselves with in the actual events of the war as they follow main characters Jack & Annie back in time and meet George Washington as he weighs the decision that could change the direction of the war and turn it in favor of the Americans. While reading the previous books in the series is not necessary to understand and enjoy Revolutionary War on Wednesday, it will help build up the characters and are great books to enjoy any time of year!
- The 4th of July Story, By Alice Dalgliesh – While still engaging and accessible to children of the younger ages, The 4th of July Story is more factual than narrative and provides a good starting point for any young reader interested in the actual goings on of the American Revolution.
- Leave it to Abigail! The Revolutionary Life of Abigail Adams, by Barb Rosenstock – Here’s one for the ladies! Leave it to Abigail! tells the real-life story of Abigail Adams, wife of the American Revolutionary and second President of the United States, John Adams. Throughout the book, readers see Abigail’s fiery personality as she works hard to keep her family farm afloat while her husband is away fighting the war and starting the country. She often corresponds with her husband, encouraging him to be fair minded and thoughtful to all of America’s citizens as he debates the future of the new country.
- The American Story, By Jennifer Armstrong – The size of a textbook, The American Story contains just that: The American story! Not limited to the American Revolution, this book contains 100 true tales from all of American History from 1565 to 2000! Still accessible and enjoyable for middle-elementary school readers, this book helps us all to remember just what we risked, lost and gained in the American Revolution and how it set up America to be the country she is today.
