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 American Revolution, check out these books available at the Sussex County Library System for kids ages birth to 17. 2026 is the 250th anniversary of the founding of our county. In celebration, we have compiled a list of books that celebrate the people, ideas, patriotism and moments that shaped our nation and can help children connect to America’s past while imagining its future.

Updated April 29, 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...
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 touching 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. Ask anyone: September 11, 2001, was serene and lovely, a...
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...
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...
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, Dennis B.
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...
Shh! we're writing the Constitution
Fritz, Jean.
Paper Book
Award-winning author Fritz takes readers behind the scenes at the Constitutional Convention for a good-humored history lesson, enlivened by dePaola's quirky illustrations.
Lincoln and Douglas :
Guelzo, Allen C.
Paper Book
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This land is your land /
Guthrie, Woody,
Paper Book
An illustrated version of the classic Woody Guthrie folk song, perfect for a family singalongs! Since its debut in the 1940s, Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" has become one of the best-loved and most timely folk songs in America, inspiring activism and patriotism for all...
The scrambled states of America /
Keller, Laurie
Paper Book
At the first annual "states party," Virginia and Idaho hatch a plan to swap spots so each can see another part of the country. Before the party is over, all the states decide to switch places. In the beginning, every state is happy in its new location. But soon things start to go...
Worth
LaFaye, A.
Paper Book
After Nathaniel's leg is crushed in an accident, his father brings home an orphan boy, John Worth, to help work the fields. Worth has come to Nebraska from New York City on the Orphan Train, which brings homeless children west to find new lives. Nathaniel feels increasingly jealous of the boy...
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...
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...
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...
American revolution :
Osborne, Mary Pope
Paper Book
Track the facts with Jack and Annie!   When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #22: Revolutionary War on Wednesday, they had lots of questions. What was it like to live in colonial times? Why did the stamp Act make the colonists so angry? Who...
Benjamin Franklin :
Osborne, Mary Pope.
Paper Book
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! When Jack and Annie are whisked back in time by the magic tree house, they find themselves in Old Philadelphia in...
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! When Jack and Annie are whisked back in time by the magic tree house, they find themselves in Old Philadelphia in...
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...
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...
The election-day disaster /
Roy, Ron,
Paper Book
From popular A to Z Mysteries author Ron Roy comes a red, white, and blue mystery perfect for the election period!   In the tenth book of the Capital Mysteries--an early chapter book mystery series featuring fun facts and famous sites from Washington, D.C.--KC and her...
The ghost at Camp David /
Roy, Ron
Paper Book
Capitalize on kids' interest in President Obama, Washington, D.C., and the White House with the newly rebranded Capital Mysteries series Legend says that on each dead president's birthday, his ghost haunts the grounds of the remote retreat Camp David. But KC and Marshall aren't worried, even...
Kidnapped at the Capital /
Roy, Ron,
Paper Book
KC's mother and the clone of the President of the United States are kidnapped by disgruntled astronauts who want to take over the International Space Station.
The flag we love /
Ryan, Pam Muänoz
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 both sides of the American Revolution. The narrative introduces anew the two enemies, both named George: George Washington, the man who freed the American colonies from the British, and...
The true history of Lyndie B. Hawkins
Shepherd, Gail
Paper Book
A one-of-a-kind voice lights up this witty, heartwarming debut set in 1985 Tennessee about the power of homespun wisdom (even when it's wrong), the clash between appearances and secrets, and the barriers to getting help even when it's needed most. Lyndie B. Hawkins loves history, research, and...
John, Paul, George & Ben
Smith, Lane.
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling creator and Caldecott Honor recipient Lane Smith comes a fun story of five little lads before they became five really big Founding Fathers--perfect for celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence! ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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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...

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