As summer begins we see red, white and blue begin to pop up all around. Whether it’s for Memorial Day, 4th of July or because it is summer, the sight of red, white and blue for many people reminds us of what a great country we live in. To celebrate all things red, white and blue this summer we have a list of books about America. If you would like to read books about a certain state or area, check out the ABC’s of America book list.
Books that Celebrate the 4th of July and America
FIND EVEN MORE 4th of July THEME ACTIVITIES IN OUR PRINTABLE AMERICA LESSON PLANS.
More Resources for Little Book Lovers
The best way to encourage a love of reading is to provide kids with many opportunities to engage with a wide variety of books that are of interest to them. That’s why we share so many books lists on Fantastic Fun and Learning. We want to make it easy for you to find great books your kids will love. Over the years we’ve also discovered some helpful tools for connecting kids and books.
Digital libraries are one very handy way to do this. Epic! is one of our favorite online libraries. It’s full of over 25,000 books, learning videos, quizzes and more for kids 12 and under…and it’s free for educators. Click here to learn more and sign up.
Book Boxes are another fun way to get kids excited about reading. What kid doesn’t love to get a special delivery in the mail?! The crew over at Bookroo finds the best little known books that you won’t already have in your library, and they send them to you each month. Take a peak inside a Bookroo Box here.
Book-Based Activities are also a lot of fun for kids. Jodie over at Growing Book by Book has saved us all a ton of time and created a full year of Book-Based Activity Calendars so that you can extend the fun with a special book each week.
America the Beautiful: A Pop-up Book by Robert Sabuda
This book is the classic song “America the Beautiful” told with amazing pop-ups. Each page has a pop-up for a different scene from across our land, such as the Golden Gate Bridge. The pop-ups are extremely detailed and unique from any other pop-up book.
America the Beautiful: Together We Stand by Katharine Lees Bates
America the Beautiful is a wonderful book that features landmarks, beautiful art work of places and people from across the US and the patriotic song “America the Beautiful”. Each page looks different from the one before with illustrations by different artist and a quote from a US president. I love the simple and yet patriotic feel of this book.
How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A. by Marjorie Priceman
How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A. is a fun trip around the US that readers will enjoy. The book starts with a little girl trying to make a cherry pie but does not have a pie pan, measuring cup, rolling pin, spoon, pot holders, or pastry slab. She heads to the Cook Shop but it is closed so the little girl heads out across the country to collect materials to make these items.
Adele & Simon in America by Barbara McClintock
Adele & Simon in America follows two children, Adele & Simon, as they explore America with their Aunt. Along the way they see many sights and lose all of Simon’s items. I love the details in each illustrations which look like a Where’s Waldo page set in the early 1900’s.
Happy Birthday, America by Mary Pope Osborne
In Happy Birthday, America a family spends 4th of July enjoying their town’s festival. Throughout the day they enjoy food, games, and support local groups. The day ends with a patriotic concert and of course fireworks. This is a fun book to read before 4th of July to talk with little ones about all the ways people celebrate.
America the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates
This version of America the Beautiful is different from the one listed above. The illustrations are very colorful and feature landmarks from around our country that match so well with the words from the song.
Red, White and Boom! By Lee Wardlaw
Red, White and Boom is a fun look at all the things people can do on the 4th of July. The collage art illustrations add color and make the picture pop. I love the fireworks that are bright and colorful.
A is for America by Devin Scillian
A is for America is part of the Discover America State by State series. The series includes an alphabet book about each state which includes landmarks, famous people from the state, and historical facts. This book is also listed on our ABC’s of America Book List.
I Am America by Charles Smith Jr.
I Am America is a look at the diverse people of our country through unique photographs. The pictures show kids from America and includes a statement such as, “I am backward baseball caps” or “I am cheeks freckled the color of a rose.”
America Is… by Louise Borden
In America is, the author shows all the people, places and things that make our country America. From swamp lands of the south to lawyers in skyscrapers, our country is made up of many unique things. This is a great book to read when discussing what America is or when celebrating our country.
Wee Sing America by Pamela Conn and Susan Hagen Nipp
Wee Sing America is a song book and CD that include over 50 songs about America. This is a great CD to listen to in the car with little ones.
F is for Flag by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
F is for Flag explains the importance and symbol that our flag stands for. This is a great book to use for little ones as they learn about America and what our flag means. Wendy Cheyette Lewison also wrote L is for Liberty which focuses on the Statue of Liberty and what she means.
O, Say Can You See? America’s Symbols, Landmarks, And Important Words by Sheila Keenan
O, Say Can You See? looks at famous places, objects, people and inspiring words from America’s history. This book includes details and more text than illustrations about each topic. This is a great book for older readers that want a deeper understanding of historical places, people, objects and famous words that often define America.
Click here for more activities and resources for the Fourth of July
MORE 4th of July FUN WITH PRINTABLE SUMMER THEME LESSON PLANS
Save time and get right to the playful learning with our printable lesson plan sets. Each set includes over 30 playful learning activities related to the theme, and we’ve provided different versions for home preschool families and classroom teachers so all activities are geared directly toward your needs.
Learn about US traditions, USA symbols, American coins and more with the fun America theme preschool activities that incorporate reading, math, science and more in this 180-page preschool patriotic theme lesson plan set. Watch this short video to see just a few examples of the types of activities and printables included in this set:
GET YOUR LESSON PLANS
Preschool America Theme Lesson Plans
Also available on Teachers Pay Teachers.
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