4th of July book reviews

I've been taking my kids to the library for storytime since Tempe was about 10 months old. We haven't missed very many weeks in 4 years! The librarians at our little branch have watched my kids--and my family!--grow over the last few years and by now they all know us by name. Can I just say how much I love that??

So since we go to the library every week, we check out a lot of kids' books every year. I've been meaning to do this for a while--start sharing some of our favorites with all of yours. Here are a few patriotic books that were fun to read during this time of year!

"This Land is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie and Kathy Jakobsen

This book's gorgeous panel illustrations are illustrations of places and experiences from Woody's life that go hand-in-hand with his song lyrics. I felt like we were traveling the country, by foot and by rail, along with Woody as we read this book. This book is a wonderful tribute to American culture (folk music) and the diversity of our landscapes and cities. Helena has been singing "This land is your land.... this land is my land... from California... to the New York Island...." ever since we checked it out! It would be perfect for a unit on travel.

"The Scrambled States of America" by Laurie Keller

Kansas is bored (probably because he is so boring). He finally convinces Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and the rest of the states to mix things up and switch places. Hilarity ensues. This was a funny way to learn the locations and little tidbits about each state. Some of the illustrations even alluded to time zones! It was interesting to read about each state as an individual, especially the states that I don't know much about. Like the Woody Guthrie book, it emphasized our diversity as a country and how each state has so much to offer.

"How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A." by Marjorie Priceman
If you want to make a cherry pie, you'll need a pie tin, a rolling pin, measuring cups, and other supplies. If you don't have them, you could run out to a "bake shop"--or you could travel the country, gathering the raw materials and processing them yourself (coal from West Virginia to make iron for the pie tin, etc) This book takes you around the country by different modes of transportation showing you which resources can be found in different states. Great for geography!