On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence. Thus, the United States celebrates its nationhood annually on July 4. We, as a nation, have come a long way from that time, so to honor our nation, we’ve gathered a number of books accounting for different moments and people throughout the history of the United States. Why not give one of these selections a read this Independence Day or anytime in July.
You can get any of these books in minutes by using BARD, whether on computer or on your mobile device, to download and read these books. Contact our office at 1-800-362-0699 or KTB@ks.gov if you have questions regarding BARD.
DB 110105 A new history of immigration by Jennifer Poux
Annotation: "The United States has long been touted as a place where anyone with a little grit and determination could come to pursue the American Dream. But as more walls are erected and borders are closed, is that dream still alive today? |A New History of Immigration| introduces young readers to alternative histories of immigration beyond Ellis Island and amplifies the voices of marginalized immigrants and their stories of success." -- Provided by publisher. -- Commercial audiobook. For grades 5-8.
DB 110169 Indigenous America by Liam McDonald
Annotation: "American schoolchildren have long been taught that their country was "discovered" by Christopher Columbus in 1492. But the history of Native Americans in the United States goes back tens of tens of thousands of years prior to Columbus's and other colonizers' arrivals. So, what's the true history?" -- Provided by publisher.
DB 107398 Call me Miss Hamilton: one woman’s case for equality and respect by Carole Boston Weatherford
Annotation: Recounts the story of Miss Mary Hamilton, an African American woman and Civil Rights activist, who was found to be in contempt of court when she would not respond to questions unless she was addressed as "Miss Hamilton." The NAACP took her case, appealed all the way to the US Supreme Court, which ruled in her favor. For grades 2-4. 2022.
DBC06598 Mary Walker wears the paints: the true story of the doctor, reformer, and Civil War hero by Cheryl Harness
Annotation: Presents the life and accomplishments of the first female doctor in the United States who served on the Union side in the Civil War and was awarded the Medal of Honor for her service. For grades 2-4.
DB 64003 The American story: one hundred true tales from American history by Jennifer Armstrong
Annotation: U.S. history--from 1565 to 2000--expressed in portraits of people and events. Describes tragedies, such as the Chicago Fire and the eruption of Mount Saint Helens, and triumphs, including completion of the transcontinental railway and the first moon landing. Profiles Benjamin Franklin, Elvis Presley, and others. For grades 4-7. 2006.
DBC06597 Our neighbor is a strange, strange man by Tres Seymour
Annotation: In simple text, tells how Melville Murrell invented the first flying machine in 1876. For grades K-3.
DB 98386 Let ‘er buck! George Fletcher, the people’s champion by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Annotation: Explores the legacy of black cowboy George Fletcher, who bonded with horses at an early age. When he unfairly lost the 1911 Pendleton Round-Up to a white man, the outraged audience declared Fletcher as People's Champion and honor him to this day. For grades 3-6. 2019.
DB 111809 Jack Knight’s brave flight: how one gutsy pilot saved the U.S. Air Mail Service by Jill Esbaum
Annotation: "When Jack Knight takes off in his biplane from North Platte, Nebraska, in 1921, hundreds of people crowd the airstrip. Is Jack transporting a famous passenger? Is he ferrying medicine for a sick child? Nope--Jack has six sacks of mail. For the past few years, biplanes like Jack's have been flying the mail only during daylight hours. Flying after dark is risky and crashes are too common, so lawmakers decide to cut funding for the US Air Mail Service. Outraged officials and pilots want to prove that flying the mail is best, so they concoct a plan--a coast-to-coast race. But when a crash, exhaustion, and a snowstorm ground three of the planes, Jack Knight becomes the race's only hope. All he has to do is fly all night long, leaning out of the plane to see, and navigate a blizzard over land he's never covered with an empty fuel tank. Will Jack pull it off and save the Air Mail Service?" -- Provided by publisher. -- For grades K-3.
DB 102522 Dancing hands : how Teresa Carren~o played the piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle
Annotation: Award-winning author presents the life and accomplishments of Teresa Carren~o, one of the most famous pianists who, by age nine, performed for President Abraham Lincoln at the White House. Commercial audiobook. Pura Belpre´ Award. For grades K-3. 2019.
DB 106860 Dovey undaunted: a Black woman breaks barriers in the law, the military, and the ministry by Tonya Bolden
Annotation: Tracing Dovey Johnson Roundtree's life from her childhood in Jim Crow North Carolina through her adulthood, Tonya Bolden illuminates a fearless lawyer in American history who believed the law should serve the people, and places her in the context of twentieth-century civil rights and African American culture. Commercial audiobook. For grades 4-7. 2021.
DB 96775 Child of the dream: a memoir of 1963 by Sharon Robinson
Annotation: Memoir from author of Jackie's Nine (DB 54787) and daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson recounts the year she turned thirteen. Discusses the events of 1963, one of the most important years in American history for the civil rights movement. Commercial audiobook. For grades 3-6. 2019.