A Dozen Books to Get Your Kids Excited about America

 

Looking for some good patriotic reads for your kids?

Well, it just so happens to be  Children’s Book Week and we’ve got our favorite lineup of patriotic children’s books ready to share with you.

Most of these books are tried and true in our own home collections. A few others come highly recommended and we will be adding them to our own stash ASAP. Check them out and feel free to add to our list! We’d love to hear your suggestions too!

America the Beautiful (Pop up) by Robert Sabuda

This book is a big hit at Grandma’s house! It has the most beautiful, elaborate pop-ups that correlate with the lyrics to America the Beautiful. My oldest looks at it so much when she’s visiting Grandma’s house that it’s actually how she learned the song.

 

House Mouse, Senate Mouse by Peter W. Barnes

I picked this book up at the Senate Gift Shop before my own kids were even a thought in my mind. It’s a cute little story about a class of mice who write a letter to their “Congressmouse” about creating a law to name a national cheese. The story very creatively walks you through the process of how a law gets made from beginning to end. It was Brittany’s oldest son’s favorite when he was only three-years-old and is one of the best children’s books on the subject.

John, Paul, George and Ben by Lane Smith

This is a comical story about when our Founding Fathers were children and how their biggest traits made them into our country’s greatest leaders. My mother originally purchased it for me at a gift shop in Boston while we were living there a few years ago and I was pregnant with my first. She held onto it until her most recent birthday when she turned three and was old enough to enjoy it. We’ve been having fun reading it together ever since.

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out with an Introduction by David McCullough

Our mom gave this to Brittany’s family for Christmas a couple years back. It’s book that’s beautiful enough to be a “coffee table” type book but fun enough to read with your kids. It’s a compilation of short stories about various aspects of the White House by over 100 authors and illustrators. Topics include the building of the White House, animals who have lived at the White House, dresses worn by the First Ladies (including paper doll cut-outs), and letters the presidents have written to their children. Plus, anything endorsed by David McCullough you know has to be good!

This Little President by Joan Holub

Brittany’s kids love this one and reach for it over and over. It’s a cute little rhyming book about a select few of our presidents and what they were “first” at. It’s a good intro “primer” for kids on our presidents.

Paul Revere’s Ride

This book is a bedtime favorite with my three-year-old. Now, if you actually know this poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, you will wonder why on earth a three-year-old is so hooked. It may be the length of the book… it’s longer than our typical nighttime books so… you see what’s going on there. But that aside, it’s actually a lovely illustrated version of the poem and leaves young minds asking a lot of questions about Paul Revere and why he was so adamant on spreading the word about the British.

Good Night America by Adam Gamble and Suwin Chan

This book may look familiar to you. You may have several other “Good Night” books in your home collection. There is a Good Night book for just about every major city or state in America. This one though is a gem among them as it highlights nearly every region of the U.S. Brittany’s two-year-old has her read it as a bedtime story to him nearly every night and they also own the Good Night Tennessee and Good Night Boston versions.

A Patriot’s Handbook by Caroline Kennedy

At first glance, this book might look a little too hefty to be considered a children’s book. However, it’s filled with way too many Americana treasures that it would be a shame not to include it. Brittany was given a copy of this book right after she returned home from interning in Washington, D.C. and she has treasured it ever since.

So, what is it exactly? Ms. Kennedy herself describes the book this way,”This book is my collage of America. It is for my children and others growing up in a world where being an American brings responsibilities as well as opportunities. . . . As this book is intended for families, I have tried to include selections for all ages, songs and poems that appeal to children, speeches that helped turn the tide of history, judicial opinions that transformed our society, images that capture America’s sense of self at a particular time, and expressions of personal yet universal truths.”

It truly is a beautiful book.

Our 50 States: A Family Adventure Across America by Lynne Cheney

Former “Second Lady” Lynne Cheney is the author of several children’s books. This one, however, is our favorite. It’s a fun look at each of our states. Ms. Cheney also wrote another New York Times Bestseller titled America: A Patriotic Primer. We don’t own that one, but it has great reviews and is on our list!

 

We the People and The Star-Spangled Banner  by Peter Spier

These books tell the great stories of both how our Constitution came to be, as well as our nation’s national anthem. The illustrations are beautiful. Truly inspiring stories.

A is for America by Devin Scillian

This is a fun book for little kids, where it’s as simple as Y is for Yellowstone. But there are more details available on each page for the bigger kids who want to know more. Plus, the illustrations are fantastic.