Visiting your neighborhood library or supporting your local bookstore is a great way to pick up these themed books to celebrate the 4th of July.
Picture Books
- Everyone knows the words to “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.” What most don’t realize is that this iconic song has been a beacon of change for hundreds of years. This compelling overview demonstrates the progression of civil rights with each new verse of this famous song.
- Generations of protesters and civil rights pioneers have created new lyrics, beginning in royalist Britain and continuing through conflicts in colonial times, the American Revolution, the suffragist and labor movements, and the struggles for black and Native American civil rights.
- With spectacular illustrations by Caldecott Honor-winning artist Bryan Collier, My Country, ‘Tis of Thee offers a fascinating insight into the American fight for freedom.
- Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton were both fierce patriots during the Revolutionary War, but the politics of the young United States of America put them in constant conflict. Their extraordinary story of bitter fighting and resentment culminates in their famous duel.
- For young patriots who may not yet know the shocking and tragic story, Aaron and Alexander capture the spirit of these two great men who so valiantly served their country and ultimately allowed their pride and ego to cause their demise.
- Don Brown is a leading voice in nonfiction picture books. His energetic art is perfect for this historical drama.
FROM A SMALL SEED— THE STORY OF ELIZA HAMILTON (Henry Holt BYR., on sale October 22, 2019, Ages 3-7)
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A lyrical picture book biography of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, co-founder and director of the first private orphanage in New York City and wife of founding father Alexander Hamilton.
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A portrait of an exemplary public figure whose principles have stood the test of time at the crossroads of Women’s History, Social Studies, and Community Service.
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For readers of new york times bestseller HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: SOME GIRLS ARE BORN TO LEAD and the acclaimed THE HOUSE THAT JANE BUILT: THE STORY OF JANE ADDAMS
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The Hamiltons’ name and history continue to hold the spotlight in pop culture and discussions of American history, with the blockbuster musical and many bestselling adult biographies. This is an accessible, moving celebration of Eliza: the woman who carried out the Hamilton legacy.
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Camille Andros is the author of Charlotte the Scientist Is Squished and The Dress and the Girl. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband and six children.
MY AMERICA by Karen Katz (Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), June 1, 2021 ages 2-6)
- From author and illustrator Karen Katz, My America is a picture book celebration of immigration to the United States told through the experiences of children who have come from around the world.
- Readers will meet children from countries near and far and emerge with a better understanding of what makes our world so varied and wonderful.
- Inspiring, inclusive immigration stories are always needed, but they’re especially important at present.
- An immigrant herself, Selina is known for publishing books that promote empathy, inclusivity, and diversity. This project was inspired by an image from B Is for Brooklyn, which went viral on social media in 2018 as changes in immigration policy fueled new waves of protest.
- This alphabet picture book companion to the popular B Is for Brooklyn weaves together a multitude of immigrant experiences in a concise, joyful package.
- Perfect for parents looking for a feel-good family read, as well as librarians and teachers eager to introduce the topics of immigration, cultural sensitivity, and global traditions to the very young.
- A riveting read and richly illustrated YA biography of Founding Father, first United States Secretary of the Treasury, and subject of a hit Broadway musical, Alexander Hamilton.
- Discover this founding father’s incredible true story: his brilliant scholarship and military career; his groundbreaking and enduring policy, which shapes American government today; his salacious and scandalous personal life; his heartrending end.
- Alexander Hamilton lived in exciting times, filled with the drama of a revolution and the beginning of the United States. The stakes were high: liberty or death! And it was Alexander, along with the other founding fathers, who defined what the new nation would be.
