3.Literature+List

Amanda Kolacia

Title: //Doodle Dandy! The Complete Book of Independence Day Words// Author: Lynda Graham Barber Summary: This picture book defines and explains commonly used words of Independence Day.

Title: //Beat the Drum Independence Day Has Come: Poems for the Fourth of July// Author: Lee Bennett Hopkins Illustrator: Tomie de Paola Summary: This children's poetry book is an anthology of different poems all about American Independence.

Title: //Independence Day// Author: Nancy I. Sanders Summary: A children's nonfiction book that talks about the celebration and history of Independence Day.

Title: Fourth of July Mice Author: Bethany Robert Illustrator: Doug Cushman Summary: This book is about four mice who partake in all of the festivities that go along with the celebration of The Fourth of July. It also introduces the topic that we celebrate Fourth of July because it is America's birthday.

Barbara Ungarten

Title: //The All-American Jump and Jive Jig// Author: M.P Hueston Summary: This story uses dance to bring the states that are mentioned in the book together. Each state has its own dance and shows the uniqueness of each of the states. This story would be a fun way to teach students that we were not always the United States but over time we have brought our differences together to form one country.

Title: //Imogene’s Last Stand// Author: Candace Fleming Summary: Imogene is a young girl that loves history. She finds an abandoned Historical Society building in her town. She cleans it up and opens it for tours but no one comes. Imogene finds out that the building is going to be torn down and replaced with a shoelace factory. In the building she finds a letter written by George Washington saying that he slept in this building that was going to be torn down. Imogene notifies a historian about this and she stands in front of the building to take her last stand. The town ends up saving the building. This is a great story to read to children to teach them that the colonist stood up for what is right just as Imogene did.

Title: //Fireworks, Picnics, and Flags: The Story of the Fourth of July Symbols// Author: James Cross Giblin Summary: This story goes through the symbols that are now synonymous with the Fourth of July. It goes back to the time of the events surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence and goes on to tell why we have the symbols we do to celebrate the Fourth of July. This story is a great way to teach children about some important symbols. I would only use so of the text not the whole thing because it may be a little old for 1st graders.

Title: //The 4th of July Story// Author: Alice Dalgiesh Summary: This story goes through how the 13 colonies became united because they wanted to be independent from England. It details how they selected Thomas Jefferson to write the Deceleration of Independence and then how the news that they were becoming independent from England spread across the colonies. This is a great book with a lot of historical facts that I would use to read out loud to my students.

Haley Peeples



Author: Cheyette Lewison
====Summary: F is for Flag is a great book to show students the symbolism behind our star spangled banner. This book will excite and enlighten students to see the true meaning behind our flag and how it came to be. Not only does Lewison present students with the origin of our flag, she shows students how it can be a form of unity that brings people together as well.====

Author: James Cross Giblin
====Summary: This is an extremely educational book that allows students to take a deeper look into what Independence Day truly means. By providing students with a great deal of information in story form, they will begin to understand the background and circumstances that took place before and after the declaration of independence. This book contains all the information that students need to know about the holiday, including how it took shape, about the flag, colonies, fireworks and much more.====

Author: Jill Foran
====Summary: Independence Day, by Jill Foran is another useful book to explain the holiday and history to young students. This book provides great details about how July 4th came to be such an important date, as well as exploring some of the ways that people celebrate the holiday.====

Author: Candace Fleming
====Summary: Imogene is a wonderfully unique little girl, who embraces her love for history by quoting historical figures and restoring an abandoned, run down building in the Historical Society of her town. Her plan was to open it for tours once she got it ready for the public, but then she finds out that the building is going to be torn down and a shoe factory will be taking its place. Things were looking pretty bad for Imogene, until she miraculously finds a written letter by George Washington that explains how he slept in that very building that was scheduled to be torn down. Imogene uses her letter and perseverance to stand up for what she believes in and ends up saving the building!====

Carolina Ocampo Book Title: //Fourth of July Mice!// Written By: Bethany Roberts Illustrated By: Doug Cushman Summary: A family of four mice enjoys a parade, a picnic lunch, a game of baseball, swimming in a lake, and a firework display. This fictional picture book would be a great way to highlight the way Americans celebrate Independence Day in the present. The story should activate prior knowledge, as many students are likely to have participated in one or more of these activities.

Book Title: //Independence Day// (A True Book Series) Written By: Nancy I. Sanders Summary: This nonfiction book discusses the history behind Independence Day and America’s Symbols of Freedom. The content and vocabulary in this book is above a kindergarten level, but it is valuable for teachers looking for a simplified version of the nation’s history to share with the class.

Book Title: //Beat the Drum: Independence Day Has Come// (Poems for the Fourth of July) Poems Selected By: Lee Bennett Hopkins Illustrated By: Tomie de Paola Summary: This collection of poems written by various authors contains numerous poems about Independence Day. The poems use simple vocabulary that kindergarten students would easily comprehend and enjoy.

Book Title: //Celebrate Independence Day//

Summary: This nonfiction National Geographic book contains a wide collection of colorful photographs depicting Americans celebrating the Fourth of July. The length of the book and its vocabulary are above kindergarten level, but the photographs and the symbols they represent are not. This book would be a great way to visually represent the ideas talked about throughout a unit on Independence Day. It also describes games and recipes that can be used for a more authentic learning experience.

DVD Title: //Modern Marvels: Independence Day: The History of July 4th// Produced By: The History Channel Summary: This documentary contains a plethora of information on the history of America’s Independence Day. It also discusses the current day traditions of this holiday. The content of this DVD is above a kindergarten level, but the video clips and images are helpful in aiding students’ understanding of the holiday and some of its history. A teacher could use small segments of the video as visual examples of what she is explaining.