Booklists

A list of books exploring American patriotism and focusing on those stories from the founding of our country, of the dissent leading to the Revolutionary war, the war itself, the false start with the Articles of Confederation and then the full flowering and founding of this country with the new constitution produced by the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

All suggestions welcome in the Comment section below. I am especially interested in any suggestions for stories highlighting either James Madison or Alexander Hamilton or any of the other broad cast of characters that played important roles (for example Francis Marion) but whom are often overlooked.

Picture Books

And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz and illustrated by Margot Tomes

The Fourth of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh and illustrated by Marie Nonnast

I Pledge Allegiance by Bill Martin, Jr. and illustrated by Christopher Raschka

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and illustrated by Christopher Bing

Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and illustrated by Ted Rand

Paul Revere's Ride, The Landlord's Tale by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and illustrated by Charles Santore

A Picture Book of Thomas Jefferson by David A. Adler and illustrated by John C. and Alexandra Wallner

The Rooster Crows by Maud and Miska Petersham

Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz and illustrated by Tomie dePaola

The Star Spangled Banner by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire

When Washington Crossed the Delaware by Lynne Cheney and illustrated by Peter M. Fiore

Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? by Jean Fritz and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

American Revolution by Stuart Murray

American Revolution Battles and Leaders by Aaron R. Murray

Ben and Me by Robert Lawson

Can't You Make Them Behave King George? by Jean Fritz and illustrated by Tome dePaola

Childhood of Famous Americans - Abigail Adams by Jean Brown Wagoner and illustrated by James J. Ponter

Childhood of Famous Americans - John Adams by Jan Adkins and illustrated by Meryl Henderson

Childhood of Famous Americans - Crispus Attucks by Dharathula Millender and illustrated by Gray Morrow

Childhood of Famous Americans - Benjamin Franklin by Augusta Stevenson

Childhood of Famous Americans - Tom Jefferson by Helen Albee Monsell and illustrated by Ken Wagner

Childhood of Famous Americans - Molly Pitcher by Augusta Stevenson

Childhood of Famous Americans - Paul Revere by Augusta Stevenson

Childhood of Famous Americans - Betsy Ross by Ann Weil

Childhood of Famous Americans - George Washington by Augusta Stevenson and illustrated by Joseph E. Dreany

Childhood of Famous Americans - Martha Washington by Jean Brown Wagoner and illustrated by Leslie Goldstein

The Children's Book of America by William Bennett and illustrated by Michael Hague

Constitution Translated for Kids by Cathy Travis

Early Thunder by Jean Fritz and illustrated by Lynd Ward

The Fighting Ground by Avi

The Founders by Dennis B. Fradin and Michael McCurdy

Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln and illustrated by Michael McCurdy

The Great Little Madison by Jean Fritz

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes and illustrated by Lynd Ward

Our Country's Founders by William Bennett

Paul Revere and the World He Lived In by Esther Forbes

Revolutionary War on Wednesday by Mary Pope Osborne and illustrated by Sal Murdocca

The Secret Soldier by Ann McGovern and illustrated by Harold Goodwin

The Signers: The 56 Stories Behind the Declaration of Independence by Dennis B. Fradin and illustrated by Michael McCurdy

Traitor by Jean Fritz

Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May? by Jean Fritz and illustrated by Margot Tomes

Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams by Jean Fritz and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

Young Adults

America (the Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart

The American Revolutionaries: A History in Their Own Words 1750-1800 by Milton Meltzer

Founding Brothers The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis

Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts

A Patriot's Handbook by Caroline Kennedy

The Patriot's Handbook by George Grant

The Pocket Book of Patriotism by Jonathan Foreman

Rebels and Redcoats The American Revolution Through British Eyes by Christopher Hibbert

Below is a list of our favorite children's books organized by Picture Book, Independent Reader and Young Adult. Most recently added books are at the top of each category. All of these books appear in the Age and Grade level lists and most appear among the various lists. However, we thought it might be useful to have the complete list in one place because, while not in any particular order, they do have a complete review and are thoroughly tagged.

Picture Books

Reading Can Be Fun by Munro Leaf

The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown

Casey Jones's Fireman: The Story of Sim Webb by Nancy Famer and illustrated by James Bernardin

Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present by Charlotte Zolotow and illustrated by Maurice Sendak

The Funny Thing by Wanda Gag

Nothing At All by Wanda Gag

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Wanda Gag

Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag

Snippy and Snappy by Wanda Gag

All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor

Open House for Butterflies by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Helen Berger

All the Way to Lhasa; A Tale from Tibet by Barbara Helen Berger

Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Felicia Bond

The Whales' Song by Dyan Sheldon and illustrated by Gary Blythe

Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Lindbergh and illustrated by Kathy Jakobsen

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

What Do You Do, Dear? by Sesyle Joslin and illustrated by Maurice Sendak

A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry and illustrated by Marc Simont

Angus and the Ducks by Marjorie Flack

King Midas and the Golden Touch by Charlotte Craft and illustrated by K.Y. Craft

All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan and illustrated by Mike Wimmer

If You're Not from the Prairie by David Bouchard and illustrated by Henry Riplinger

Smokey by Bill Peet

Mog in the Dark by Judith Kerr

No Roses for Harry by Gene Zion and illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham

Lentil by Robert McCloskey

Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss

Farewell to Shady Glade by Bill Peet

Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss

The Good Little, Bad Little Pig by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Dan Yaccorino

Reading Can Be Fun by Munro Leaf

The Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Garth Williams

Silver Pennies by Blanche Jennings Thompson

The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Marc Simont

Independent Reader

Sandry's Book by Tamora Pierce

The Book of the Lion by Michael Cadnum

Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman

Turn Homeward, Hannalee by Patricia Beatty

The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson

Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson and illustrated by Annabel Large

Young Adult

This book list is based on the July 1, 2007 Pigeon Post and identifies books by Frenchmen, about Frenchmen, set in France, or in someway related to the French presence in our children's books.

Picture Books

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop

Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop

Stone Soup by Marcia Brown

Bonsoir Lune by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd

The Story of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff

Histoire de Babar by Jean de Brunhoff

Babar's Museum of Art by Laurent de Brunhoff

The Hare and the Tortoise by Jean de la Fontaine and Ranjit Bolt and illustrated by Giselle Potter

Puss in Boots retold and illustrated by Paul Galdone

Katie Meets the Impressionists by James Mayhew

Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault and illustrated by Fred Marcellino

Cinderella by Charles Perrault and illustrated by Marcia Brown

Little Red Riding Hood and other stories by Charles Perrault and illustrated by W. Heath Robinson

The Complete Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault by Charles Perrault and illustrated by Sally Holmes

Cajun Alphabet by James Rice

This is Paris by Miroslav Sasek

Max Et Le Maximontres (Where the Wild Things Are in French) by Maurice Sendak

The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Marc Simont

Many Moons by James Thurber and illustrated by Marc Simont

Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and illustrated by Marc Simont

The Stray Dog by Marc Simont

Eloise in Paris by Kay Thomoson and illustrated by Hilary Knight

Eloise a Paris (in French) by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hilary Knight

Anatole by Eve Titus and illustrated by Paul Galdone

Cajun Night Before Christmas by Trosclair and illustrated by James Rice

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Fables by Jean de la Fontaine and illustrated by R. de la Neziere

The Adventures of Tintin by Herge

Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Le Petite Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne and illustrated by Paul Wright

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne and illustrated by Barry Moser

Bulfinch's Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch

The Song of Roland by Glyn Burgess

Papillon (in English) by Henri Charriere / Jean-Pierre (INT)

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

Le Morte D'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory

The Necklace and Other Tales by Guy de Maupassant

Flight to Arras by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Night Flight by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The Song of Roland by Dorothy Sayers

Desiree by Annemarie Selinko

Henry V by William Shakespeare

The Friend of Madame Maigret, Inspector Maigret Series by Georges Simenon

The Yellow Dog, Inspector Maigret series by Georges Simenon

The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman

A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman

Mysterious Island by Jules Verne and illustrated by N. C. Wyeth

If you liked The Chronicles of Narnia which is a series of stories, based on Christian allegory and drawing upon fantastical creatures from northwestern European myth and legends,

You might also enjoy:

. . . The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper which is actually a series of five books: Over Sea, Under Stone; The Dark is RisingGreenwitch; The Grey King; and Silver on the Tree.

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

. . . The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

. . . A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle which is actually a series of four books: A Wrinkle in Time ; A Wind in the Door Many Waters ; and A Swiftly Tilting Planet .

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

With this list we are seeking books that tell you how to build something, books that are about building in general, and books that are stories in which building or making something is a central and pivotal event in the book.

Picture Books

To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers by Wendie C. Old and illustrated by Robert Parker

Full Steam Ahead: The Road to Build a Transcontinental Railroad by Rhoda Blumberg Out of Print

Machines at Work by Byron Barton

Mike Mulligan and His Steamshovel by Virginia Lee Burton

One Big Building: a Counting Book About Construction by Michael Dahl and illustrated by Todd Ouren

The Quilt Block History of Pioneer Days by Mary Cobb and illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis

Ten Mile Day by Mary Ann Fraser

Construction Zone by Tana Hoban

Sky Boys How They Built the Empire State Building by Deborah Hopkinson and illustrated by James E. Ransome

Construction Zone by Cheryl Willis Hudson and illustrtaed by Richard Sobol

Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming

Round Buildings Square Buildings, & Buildings That Wiggle Like a Fish by Philip M. Isaacson

So You Want to Be An Inventor? by Judith St. George and illustrated by David Small

The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegard Swift and illustrated by Lynd Ward

Independent Reader

Ballpark by Lynn Curlee

Brooklyn Bridge by Lynn Curlee

Capital by Lynn Curlee

Liberty by Lynn Curlee

Parthenon by Lynn Curlee

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Lynn Curlee

Skyscraper by Lynn Curlee

You Can Draw Anything by Kim Gamble

Nature Got There First: Inventions Inspired By Nature by Phil Gates Out of Print

In Search of the Spirit: The Living National Treasures of Japan by Shiela Hamanaka Out of Print

How a House is Built by Gail Gibbons

Building Big by David MacAulay

Castle by David MacAulay

Cathedral by David MacAulay

City by David MacAulay

Mill by David MacAulay

Mosque by David MacAulay

Pyramid by David MacAulay

Unbuilding by David Macaulay

Underground by David MacAulay

Empire State Building by Elizabeth Mann and illustrated by Alan Witschonke

Hoover Dam by Elizabeth Mann and illustrated by Alan Witschonke

Machu Picchu by Elizabeth Mann and illustrated by Amy Crehore

Brooklyn Bridge by Elizabeth Mann and illustrated by Alan Witschonke

The Great Pyramid by Elizabeth Mann and illustrated by Laura Lo Turco

The Great Wall by Elizabeth Mann and illustrated by Alan Witschonke

The Hoover Dam by Elizabeth Mann and illustrated by Alan Witschonke

The Panama Canal by Elizabeth Mann and illustrated by Fernando Rangel

The Parthenon by Elizabeth Mann and illustrated by Yuan Lee

The Roman Colosseum by Elizabeth Mann and illustrated by Michael Racz

Tikal by Elizabeth Mann and illustrated by Tom McNeely

Ben and Me by Robert Lawson

Why Buildings Fall Down by Matthys Levi and Mario Salvatori and illustrated by Kevin Woest

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

The Art of Construction by Mario Salvatori and illustrated by Saralinda Hooker

Why Buildings Stand Up by Mario Salvatori

Inventors and Inventions in Colonial America by Charlie Samuel

From Pictures to Words: A Book About Making a Book by Janet Stevens

Built to Last by George Sullivan

Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Catherine Thimmesh and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

A Subway for New York by David Weitzman

Young Adult

Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam

To Engineer is Human by Henry Petroski

The Pencil by Henry Petroski

The Evolution of Useful Things by Henry Petroski

Eureka! Great Inventions and How They Happened by Richard Platt

Stories about families or autobiographical stories that illustrate the ability to tell stories.

Picture Books

Independent Readers

Mama's Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes Highly Recommended

All-Of-A-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor and illustrated by Helen John, First in a series Highly Recommended

Young Adult

Mama Makes Up Her Mind and other Dangers of Southern Living by Bailey White