Books for America's 250th Birthday

While I don't love the choices my country has made over the last several years, the milestone is impressive. And hopefully after the next couple years, we can get back on track.

Here are some children's books to share from a variety of ages.

This board book starts with the birthday of America but moves into voting, the states, and more. It's full of information presented in a fun way with bright illustrations. I really love this series.

We the People means EVERYONE. This book has so many great messages about including all people. There's so much to talk about with this book. This picture book is just fantastic.

A picture book for older elementary school readers, this book shares about the times leading up to the revolution and how the men created the documents that led to our Independence. There are some fun facts on the pages, and the book does include some women as well. 

James Forten was born a free man. His father died when he was young; he had to quit school to work. At the age of fourteen, he joined the fight for revolution. He became of prisoner of war. After the revolution, he started fighting for the end of slavery and equal rights for Black people. He continued that fight until his death. I hadn't heard about this man, so I'm happy to learn about him now. There is an afterword, timeline, and family tree at the end of this picture book biography.

This nonfiction book showcases the United States. It breaks up the states by region. In each region, the book talks about fun facts, American icons, historical moments, mini biographies of people who lived in that region, a recipe, a craft, and stats. Just like a typical DK book, the information is divided into short chunks, the pictures and illustrations are bright, and it's easy to skip around and come back.

A timeline of American history - this nonfiction book is great for older students. It's formatted to look like a newspaper and it's split into centuries. It doesn't shy away from tough topics. This is a really impressive book. 

This was such a fun read: about a boy who's family took a road trip across the country for America's 200th birthday. There's a lot here: cool places to travel, photos, family drama, funny moments, and historical facts. It's a blend of fiction and nonfiction making this a fun book to read. And the illustrations/photos are neat.