Wolfner :: Recommended Readings :: Youth Bibliographies :: Independence Day
Independence Day
July 2012
To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through WolfPAC. Identification numbers for braille books begin with BR, large print books begin with LP and audiobooks begin with DB. Happy Reading!
Preschool to Grade 2
Fourth of July Mice! by Bethany Roberts
Four energetic mice enjoy a parade, swimming, fireworks, and other festive activities on Independence Day. Print/braille. 2004. BR 16009.
Happy Birthday, America by Mary Pope Osborne
The whole family joins in a lively small-town celebration of the Fourth of July, including a pet parade, picnic, talent show, booths, band concert, and fireworks. Author's note explains the origin of the holiday. Print/braille. 2003. BR 16349.
Hats off for the Fourth of July! by Harriet Ziefert
Read by Michele Schaeffer. Reading time 2 minutes.
Celebrates a town's Fourth of July parade as it passes the spectators. 2000. Download Hats off for the Fourth of July, DB 61848.
Kindergarten to Grade 3
Apple Pie 4th of July by Janet S. Wong
A Chinese American girl is convinced that Americans will not be buying Chinese food from her parents' store on the Fourth of July. But she is happily proven wrong, and they sell it all before the fireworks start. Print/Braille. 2002. BR 15009.
The First Independence Day Celebration by Kathy Allen.
Talks about the first Independence Day in 1776, when the declaration signed by the thirteen colonies meant war with Great Britain. Discusses ways the celebration changed after the colonists' victory in 1781 and compares it to our modern Fourth of July with parades, picnics, and fireworks. 2010. BR 19093.
Grades 2 to 4
The Case of the July 4th Jinx by Lewis B Montgomery
When things start going wrong at the Fourth of July celebration, it feels like a jinx. Milo and Jazz—with some help from world-famous private eye Dash Marlowe--investigate whether the so-called jinx is really sabotage. 2010. BR 19208.
Grades 3 to 6
One Final Firecracker by Gregory Maguire
Read by Lindsay Ellison. Reading time 6 hours, 26 minutes.
A giant spider and several other odd creatures from earlier books in the Hamlet Chronicles return as the small Vermont town celebrates a grammar school graduation, Miss Earth's wedding, and the Fourth of July. 2005.Download One Final Firecracker, DB 61453.
Wildfire! by Elizabeth Starr Hill
Living with his grandparents and great-grandmother in rural Florida, ten-year-old Ben looks forward to the Fourth of July celebrations. But newcomer Elliot annoys Ben by adopting the puppy that Ben wanted and by daring Ben to set off forbidden fireworks. 2004. BR 17942.
Grades 4 to 7
Doodle Dandy! The Complete Book of Independence Day Words by Lynda Graham-Barber.
Describes, explains, and provides historical information on a myriad of words and customs associated with America's Independence Day. Included are such words and phrases as "justice and equality," "wave the flag," "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "barbecue," and "picnic." BR 9864.
Fireworks, Picnics, and Flags by James Giblin
Read by Joe Brown. Reading time 1 hour, 31 minutes.
Traces the history behind America's celebration of Independence Day and explains the background of such national symbols as the flag, the bald eagle, the Liberty Bell, and Uncle Sam. BR 5516; Download Fireworks, Picnics, and Flags, DB 20181.
Grades 5 to 8
The Sandy Bottom Orchestra by Garrison Keillor.
Eighth-grader Rachel Green is not looking forward to the summer. She and her best friend, Carol, seem to be growing apart, and her parents have decided to stay in town for the summer since her father is in charge of the Fourth of July celebration. Life does begin to look up, however, when Rachel is invited to play her violin in the Sandy Bottom Orchestra. BR 11490; LP 1662.
Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence by Denise Kiernan.
Brief, informal profiles of the fifty-six men who risked their lives and fortunes by championing the independence from Great Britain of the thirteen American colonies. Arranged by state, these biographical sketches represent a cross-section of colonial society before and after the Revolutionary War. 2009. Download Signing Their Lives Away, DB070439.
Senior High and Adult
The Fourth of July--and the Founding of America by Peter De Bolla
Read by Joe Wilson. Reading time 6 hours, 41 minutes.
British professor traces the history of this American day of celebration from its origin in July 1776. Analyzes the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence; Thomas Jefferson's role in the document's creation; and the symbols, meanings, and activities associated with the federal holiday. 2007. Download The Fourth of July--and the Founding of America, DB 67730.