Teach Kids About Fourth of July, History

Why do we set off fireworks? Why are there picnics and parades?

With the Fourth of July just around the corner, children might ask questions about the holiday that parents may find difficult to answer in, well, “kid-form.”

Librarian Karen Hoffman said parents can rest assured they will find the information their kids need. The has an array of kid-friendly information and is home to many fun yet educational resources that parents and their children can use to learn the holiday’s history.

Hoffman said she encourages parents to not shy away from asking librarians for help once inside the library, because librarians can give parents quick how-to lessons on the catalog and tips on how to search for books on any subject, she said.

For the Fourth of July, Hoffman recommends the following four books:

So You Want To Be President? by Judith St. George and David Small

This book teaches kids about the perks and responsibilities that come with being the U.S. leader, as well as the peculiarities of former presidents. It's written in a simplistic and humorous way, which makes it amusing and entertaining to read. It also includes a listing of every president, the years of his presidency and a bullet about each one’s main accomplishment.

“This book is fun for third grade and up, including the babysitter or parent that might read it to them,” Hoffman said. “It has president-by-president things you never knew, like about President [William] Taft who had to have an extra-large bathtub.”

Independence Day by Molly Aloian

This book is recommended for children in the third grade and older. It explains the meaning behind Independence Day and what the day’s activities entail, whether they be hanging decorations or flags, or attending picnics and parades.

Corduroy’s 4th of July by Don Freeman

“With its simple words, this book was designed to be read to children who are 1 year old and up,” Hoffman said.

The book is an easy-to-read, paper flip book. It has short sentences and illustrations created for the youngest of children to understand and grasp the essence of the holiday.

The Fourth of July by Debra Hess

For second-graders, this book provides a more detailed, specific and overall history lesson of the holiday. It includes large, striking illustrations and a short glossary in the back with words pertinent to the holiday.

"Children who read this summer will be right where they left off at the end of May," Hoffman said. "They always talk about children losing [knowledge] over the summer, and so parents should make an effort to read to their kids throughout the summer."

There are still a couple of days to get to the library for some of these books before the holiday. While the library is open Friday and Saturday, it's closed during the summer on Sunday, and also on Monday, July 4.

But after the holiday, kids might have even more questions that books can help answer.