Great Books to Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution for kids of all ages!

In celebration of the the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, check out these books available at the Sussex County Library System for kids ages birth to 17.

In celebration, we have compiled a list of books that celebrate the people, ideas, patriotism and moments that shaped our nation. These great "reads" can help children connect to America’s past while imagining its future.

Updated April 30, 2026
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Sussex County Library System (NJ)
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An American story
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Book A 2023 New York Times Best Children's Book A 2023 Publisher's Weekly Best Picture Book An NPR Best Book of the Year #1 New York Times Bestselling and...
Remember Pearl Harbor : American and Japanese survivors tell their stories
Allen, Thomas B.
Paper Book
This landmark volume will provide young readers with valuable insights into both the Japanese and American points of view and demonstrate why people on both sides feel the need to remember Pearl Harbor.  Many people today still remember the infamous morning of December 7, 1941....
Fever, 1793
Anderson, Laurie Halse.
Paper Book
From Fever 1793 "Where's Polly?" I asked as I dropped the bucket down the well. "Did you pass by the blacksmith's? "I spoke with her mother, with Mistress Logan," Mother answered softly, looking at her neat rows of carrots. "And?" I waved a mosquito away from my...
America Celebrates: The Most Incredible and Influential People, Places & Events of the Last 250 Years
Andrus, Aubre
Paper Book
Celebrate 250 years of important people, places, and events in American history. In honor of America's 250th birthday, America Celebrates takes young readers on an exciting journey through a timeline of influential figures, notable landmarks, and special events dating...
Sophia's war : a tale of the Revolution
Avi
Paper Book
Lives hang in the balance in this gripping Revolutionary War adventure from a beloved Newbery Medalist. In 1776, young Sophia Calderwood witnesses the execution of Nathan Hale in New York City, which is newly occupied by the British army. Sophia is horrified by the event and...
I survived the American Revolution, 1776
Ball, Georgia
Paper Book
A gripping graphic novel adaptation of Lauren Tarshis's bestselling I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 with text adapted by Georgia Ball and art by Leo Trinidad. Nathaniel Fox never imagined he'd find himself in the middle of a blood-soaked battlefield, fighting for his life....
Nine, ten : a September 11 story
Baskin, Nora Raleigh
Paper Book
From the critically acclaimed author of Anything But Typical comes a "tense...and thought-provoking" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) look at the days leading up to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and how that day impacted the lives of four middle schoolers.
Fireworks
Burgess, Matthew
Paper Book
Fireworks is a sparkling picture book from the award-winning team of Matthew Burgess and Cátia Chien, highlighting the simple delights of a steamy July day in the city as two siblings eagerly anticipate a spectacular fireworks display. POP! As a hot day sizzles into...
George Washington's spectacular spectacles : the glasses that saved America
Castrovilla, Selene
Paper Book
Did you know that George Washington had a secret? He wore glasses! While initially embarrassed by his reliance on this reading aid, Washington's spectacles proved to be nothing short of spectacular in this charming, funny, and little-known picture book story from American history.
The story of Ruby Bridges /
Coles, Robert
Paper Book
The inspirational true story of Ruby Bridges.The year is 1960, and six-year-old Ruby Bridges and her family have recently moved from Mississippi to New Orleans in search of a better life. When a judge orders Ruby to attend first grade at William Frantz Elementary, an all-white school, Ruby must face...
Bud, not Buddy
Curtis, Christopher Paul
Paper Book
Hit the road with Bud in this Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning classic about a boy on a journey to find his father--from Christopher Paul Curtis, recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.   It's 1936, in Flint...
Stella by starlight
Draper, Sharon M.
Paper Book
Sharon M. Draper presents "storytelling at its finest" (School Library Journal, starred review) in this New York Times bestselling Depression-era novel about a young girl who must learn to be brave in the face of violent prejudice when the Ku Klux Klan reappears in her segregated...
Spy ring
Durst, Sarah Beth
Paper Book
Two modern-day kids discover the truth about an American Revolutionary War-era female spy through a treasure-hunt adventure in their hometown of Setauket, New York. With codewords and secret signals perfected, best friends Rachel and Joon are ready to spend their summer practicing spycraft...
Her right foot
Eggers, Dave
Paper Book
"A friendly reminder of how America can be at its best." - Entertainment Weekly If you had to name a statue, any statue, odds are good you'd mention the Statue of Liberty. Have you seen her? She's in New...
Who was Sacagawea?
Fradin, Judith Bloom
Paper Book
A sixteen-year-old who made one of the most remarkable journeys in American history A woman who has mountains named after her The face on the new U.S. golden dollar coin All of the above! Find out more about the real Sacagawea in this fun and...
Lafayette and the American Revolution
Freedman, Russell
Paper Book
When the Marquis de Lafayette ran off to join the American Revolution against the explicit orders of the king of France, he was a strong-willed nineteen-year-old who had never set foot on a battlefield. Although the U.S. Congress granted him an honorary commission only out of respect for his title...
Grandfather Twilight
Berger, Barbara Helen
Paper Book
When day is gone, and shadows begin to deepen, it is time for Grandfather Twilight to close his book, put on his jacket, and go for a walk through the forest. Little birds hush as he walks by, and the rabbits and other small creatures watch in silence as he performs his very special...
If I ever get out of here :
Gansworth, Eric,
Paper Book
Now in paperback: The debut novel Laurie Halse Anderson praised for "fearlessly laying down the truth" about friendship, poverty, and the joys of rock 'n' roll.Lewis "Shoe" Blake is used to the joys and difficulties of life on the Tuscarora Indian reservation in 1975: the joking, the Fireball games,...
Lily's crossing
Giff, Patricia Reilly
Paper Book
This "brilliantly told" (New York Times) Newbery Honor Book gives readers a sense of what it was like to be on the American home front while our soldiers were away fighting in World War II.   As in past years, Lily will spend the summer in Rockaway, in her family's...
This land is your land
Guthrie, Woody
Paper Book
Honor America-and Woodie Guthrie's 90th birthday-with this beautiful gift package. Featuring the complete lyrics and musical notation to the beloved anthem "This Land is Your Land," as well as a photo-essay about Woody, a note from his daughter Nora Guthrie, and a tribute by beloved folk singer Pete...
Out of the dust
Hesse, Karen.
Paper Book
Acclaimed author Karen Hesse's Newbery Medal-winning novel-in-verse explores the life of fourteen-year-old Billie Jo growing up in the dust bowls of Oklahoma."Dust piles up like snow across the prairie. . . ."A terrible accident has transformed Billie Jo's life, scarring her inside and out. Her...
Kira-kira
Kadohata, Cynthia.
Paper Book
A Japanese-American family struggles to build a new life in the Deep South of Georgia in this luminous novel, winner of the Newbery Medal. kira-kira (kee' ra kee' ra): glittering; shining Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything...
The Scrambled States of America
Keller, Laurie
Digital file
Hattie Big Sky
Larson, Kirby.
Paper Book
Alone in the world, teen-aged Hattie is driven to prove up on her uncle's homesteading claim. For years, sixteen-year-old Hattie's been shuttled between relatives. Tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, she courageously leaves Iowa to prove up on her late uncle's homestead claim near Vida, Montana....
Henry's freedom box
Levine, Ellen.
Paper Book
A stirring, dramatic story of a slave who mails himself to freedom by a Jane Addams Peace Award-winning author and a Coretta Scott King Award-winning artist.Henry Brown doesn't know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves' birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems...
Sarah, plain and tall
MacLachlan, Patricia
Paper Book
This beloved Newbery Medal-winning book is the first of five books in Patricia MacLachlan's chapter book series about the Witting family. Set in the late nineteenth century and told from young Anna's point of view, Sarah, Plain and Tall tells the story of how Sarah Elisabeth...
A very large expanse of sea
Mafi, Tahereh
Paper Book
Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature! From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series comes a powerful, heartrending contemporary novel about fear, first love, and the devastating...
All the stars denied
McCall, Guadalupe Garcia
Paper Book
In a companion novel to her critically acclaimed Shame the Stars, Pura Belpré Award Winner Guadalupe García McCall tackles the first mass deportation event in the US, which swept up hundreds of thousands of Mexican American citizens during the Great Depression. It's the heart...
I am Sonia Sotomayor
Meltzer, Brad
Paper Book
Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, is the subject of the sixteenth picture book in the New York Times bestselling series of biographies about heroes. This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great--the traits that...
I am Abraham Lincoln
Meltzer, Brad.
Paper Book
Each picture book in this series is a biography of an American hero, told in a simple, conversational, vivacious way, and always focusing on a character trait that made the person heroic. The heros are depicted as children throughout, telling their life stories in first-person...
I am Rosa Parks
Meltzer, Brad.
Paper Book
Civil Rights leader Rosa Parks is the 3rd hero in in the New York Times bestselling picture book biography series for ages 5 to 8. Each picture book in this series is a biography of a significant historical figure, told in a simple, conversational, vivacious way, and always...
Blue sky white stars
Naberhaus, Sarvinder
Paper Book
An inspiring and patriotic tribute to the beauty of the American flag, a symbol of America's history, landscape, and people, illustrated by New York Times bestselling and Caldecott-honor winning artist Kadir Nelson Wonderfully spare, deceptively simple verses pair with...
Wow! America!
Neubecker, Robert.
Paper Book
Izzy chases her little sister Jo down the mountainand across the country!The girls head off on a fantastic journey, rowing down the Mississippi, eating pies at a Kentucky state fair, marveling at Niagara Falls and enormous California sequoias. Izzy and Jo take readers on a trip that celebrates what...
American Revolution : a nonfiction companion to Revolutionary War on Wednesday
Osborne, Mary Pope
Paper Book
The #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time celebrates 25 years with new covers and a new, easy-to-use numbering system! Getting the facts behind the fiction has never looked better. Track the facts with Jack and Annie! When Jack and Annie got back from their...
Benjamin Franklin :
Osborne, Mary Pope
Paper Book
Track the facts about the great printer, inventor, and Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin! When Jack and Annie came back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #32- To the Future, Ben Franklin! they had lots of questions. What was Ben Franklin's first job? How did a kite...
To the future, Ben Franklin!
Osborne, Mary Pope
Paper Book
Get whisked away through time in the magic tree house with Jack and Annie in the #1 bestselling series--and meet famous Founding Father and inventor Ben Franklin! Jack and Annie know all about Ben Franklin. He was a Founding Father, a journalist, and a famous inventor! When the...
To the future, Ben Franklin!
Osborne, Mary Pope
Paper Book
Get whisked away through time in the magic tree house with Jack and Annie in the #1 bestselling series--and meet famous Founding Father and inventor Ben Franklin! Jack and Annie know all about Ben Franklin. He was a Founding Father, a journalist, and a famous inventor! When the...
Martin's big words : the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rappaport, Doreen.
Paper Book
Illustrated by Bryan Collier Winner of the 2001 NY Times Best Illustrated Children's Book Award, Rappaport weaves her simple and graceful text and the words of Martin Luther King Jr. into a captivating narrative, telling the story of Dr. King's life in a way that is entirely accessible for young...
They called her Molly Pitcher
Rockwell, Anne F.
Paper Book
The rousing true tale of an American Revolution heroine. When her husband joined General Washington’s army, Molly Hays went with him. All through the winter at Valley Forge, Molly watched and listened. Then in July, in the battle at Monmouth, she would show how much she had learned. Molly...
The skeleton in the Smithsonian
Roy, Ron
Paper Book
From popular A to Z Mysteries author Ron Roy comes a red, white, and blue mystery perfect for the election season!  In the third book of the Capital Mysteries--an early chapter book mystery series featuring fun facts and famous sites from Washington, D.C.-- KC and...
A spy in the White House
Roy, Ron
Paper Book
From popular A to Z Mysteries author Ron Roy comes ared, white, and blue mystery perfect for the election season! In the fourth book of the Capital Mysteries-an early chapter book mystery series featuring fun facts and famous sites from Washington, D.C.-KC's mom is getting...
Esperanza rising.
Ryan, Pam Muñoz
Paper Book
**CELEBRATING 25 YEARS IN PRINT!** A modern classic for our time and for all time―this beloved, award-winning bestseller resonates with fresh meaning for each new generation. Perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo, Christopher Paul Curtis, and Rita Williams-Garcia. ...
The flag we love
Ryan, Pam Muñoz
Paper Book
This spirited tribute to Old Glory will inspire readers, young and old, to take a new look at the greatest emblem of the United States of America. With patriotic verse and historical facts, THE FLAG WE LOVE explores how our flag has become an enduring part of our nation's proud history and heritage....
George vs. George :
Schanzer, Rosalyn
Paper Book
There are two sides to every story. Rosalyn Schanzer's engaging and wonderfully illustrated book brings to life two sides of the American Revolution--reissued with a gorgeous new cover and a new foreword in celebration of America's 250th birthday. Our narrative introduces anew...
Hidden figures : the true story of four black women and the space race
Shetterly, Margot Lee
Paper Book
Based on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award-nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award winner Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space to...
Hidden figures : the untold true story of four African-American women who helped launch our nation into space
Shetterly, Margot Lee
Paper Book
Based on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award--nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award winner Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women in STEM who helped NASA launch men into space...
Who were the Tuskegee Airmen?
Smith, Sherri L.
Paper Book
It's up, up, and away with the Tuskegee Airmen, a heroic group of African American military pilots who helped the United States win World War II. During World War II, black Americans were fighting for their country and for freedom in Europe, yet they had to endure a totally...
Where is the White House?
Stine, Megan.
Paper Book
Learn about the White House, how it came to be, the changes it has experienced since its initial design, and more in this detailed history for young readers, part of the beloved Where Is? series. The perfect way to celebrate America's 250th anniversary! The history of the White...
I survived the American Revolution, 1776
Tarshis, Lauren
Paper Book
Bestselling author Lauren Tarshis tackles the American Revolution in this latest installment of the groundbreaking, New York Times bestselling I Survived series. British soldiers were everywhere. There was no escape. Nathaniel Fox never imagined he'd find himself in the...
I survived the American Revolution, 1776 /
Tarshis, Lauren
Paper Book
Bestselling author Lauren Tarshis tackles the American Revolution in this latest installment of the groundbreaking, New York Times bestselling I Survived series. British soldiers were everywhere. There was no escape. Nathaniel Fox never imagined he'd find himself in the...
I survived the American Revolution, 1776
Tarshis, Lauren.
Paper Book
A gripping graphic novel adaptation of Lauren Tarshis's bestselling I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 with text adapted by Georgia Ball and art by Leo Trinidad. Nathaniel Fox never imagined he'd find himself in the middle of a blood-soaked battlefield, fighting for his life....
I survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863
Tarshis, Lauren.
Paper Book
The bloodiest battle in American history is under way . . .It's 1863, and Thomas and his little sister, Birdie, have fled the farm where they were born and raised as slaves. Following the North Star, looking for freedom, they soon cross paths with a Union soldier. Everything changes: Corporal Henry...
Roll of thunder, hear my cry
Taylor, Mildred D.
Paper Book
Winner of the Newbery Medal A New York Times Book Review Best of Children's Books A National Book Award Nominee Why is the land so important to Cassie's family? It takes the events of one turbulent year--the year of the night riders and the...
When Paul Revere Rode: Voices from the First Night of the American Revolution
Thomson, Sarah L
Paper Book
Poems, prose, and dramatic art show how ordinary people, as well as famous ones, played vital roles during the night of Paul Revere's ride and the beginning of the American Revolution, in this picture book for ages 7-10. Here is the thrilling account of Paul Revere's midnight...
My red, white, and blue
Tyson, Alana
Paper Book
A powerful story about the mixture of pride and pain that one Black family finds in the American flag, and an invitation for each of us to choose how we relate to America, its history, and the flag that means so many things to so many people. "With engaging, lyrical text, and...
Where Is New Jersey?
Vonder Brink, Tracy
Paper Book
Dive into the history, geography, and culture of New Jersey in this installment of the 50 States series. From major cities to historic events, Where Is New Jersey? introduces you to the state in a whole new way, whether you're proud to call it home or learning about a distant destination.<...
Red, white, and boom!
Wardlaw, Lee
Paper Book
Fireflies flit Sparklers spit Pinwheels spin Goosebump skin It's the Fourth of July! Travel across the country for a city parade, a beach picnic, and fireworks in the park in this poetic celebration of the many cultures and traditions that...
I could do that : Esther Morris gets women the vote
White, Linda
Paper Book
Full of humor and spunk - just like Esther! "I could do that," says six-year-old Esther as she watches her mother making tea. Start her own business at the age of nineteen? Why, she could do that, too. But one thing Esther and other women could NOT do was vote. Only men...
One Crazy Summer: The Graphic Novel
Williams-Garcia, Rita
Paper Book
"I wish I didn't know that I was marching my sisters into a boiling pot of trouble cooking in Oakland..." Eleven-year-old Delphine is like a mother to her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. She's had to be, ever since their mother, Cecile, left them seven years ago for a...
One crazy summer
Williams-Garcia, Rita.
Paper Book
In this Newbery Honor novel, New York Times bestselling author Rita Williams-Garcia tells the story of three sisters who travel to Oakland, California, in 1968 to meet the mother who abandoned them. A strong option for summer reading--take this book along on a family road trip or enjoy...
Show way
Woodson, Jacqueline.
Paper Book
Winner of a Newbery Honor! Soonie's great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, and with only some fabric and needles to call her own. She pieced together bright patches with names like North Star and Crossroads, patches with...
This is the rope : a story from the Great Migration
Woodson, Jacqueline.
Paper Book
The story of one family's journey north during the Great Migration starts with a little girl in South Carolina who finds a rope under a tree one summer. She has no idea the rope will become part of her family's history. But for three generations, that rope is passed down, used for everything from...
My life as an ice cream sandwich
Zoboi, Ibi Aanu
Paper Book
National Book Award-finalist Ibi Zoboi makes her middle-grade debut with a moving story of a girl finding her place in a world that's changing at warp speed. Twelve-year-old Ebony-Grace Norfleet has lived with her beloved grandfather Jeremiah in Huntsville, Alabama ever since she...

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