Calling all U.S. citizens, how will you celebrate the Fourth of July? We always have a full day: parade in the morning, home to cool off, and fireworks in the afternoon/evening. This year our church is handing out bottles of water for parade-goers. What will you be doing? How does your church or your family celebrate our nation’s founding?
Some picture books for July 4th:
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. Paul Revere’s Ride.Illustrated by Ted Rand. Dutton, 1990.
Dalgliesh, Alice.The 4th of July Story. Alladin, 1995. (reprint edition)
Spier, Peter. The Star-Spangled Banner. Dragonfly Books, 1992.
Bates, Katharine Lee. America the Beautiful. Illustrated by Neil Waldman. Atheneum, 1993.
Devlin, Wende. Cranberry Summer.
Also on July 4th:
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born July 4, 1804. Advice from Nathaniel Hawthorne on Blogging.
Stephen Foster was born on July 4, 1826. The PBS series American Experience has an episode on the life of Stephen Foster, author of songs such as Beautiful Dreamer and Oh! Susanna.
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the same day, July 4, 1826, fifty years after adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
Adams’ last words were: “Thomas Jefferson still survives.”
Jefferson’s last words: “Is it the fourth””
Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872. He is supposed to have said, “If you don’t say anything, you won’t be called on to repeat it,” and “I have never been hurt by anything I didn’t say.”
Also, “we do not need more intellectual power, we need more spiritual power. We do not need more of the things that are seen, we need more of the things that are unseen.”
Amen to that.
More on Calvin Coolidge and the Fourth of July from A Gracious Home.
The poem “America the Beautiful” by Katharine Lee Bates was first published on July 4, 1895.
Poetry and Fine Art Friday: The Flag.
You could make your own fireworks for the Fourth of July. Engineer Husband really used to do this when he was a young adolescent, and I can’t believe his parents let him. He tried to make nitroglycerine once, but he got scared and made his father take it outside and dispose of it! Maybe you should just read about how fireworks are made and then imagine making your own.
On July 4, 1970 Casey Kasem hosted “American Top 40” on radio for the first time. I cannot tell a lie; in high school I spent every Sunday afternoon listening to Casey Kasem count down the Top 40 hits of the week.
I remember the Bicentennial celebration in 1976. On the Fourth of July, 1976, I was on my way to a youth evangelism conference in Dallas/Fort Worth. For a long time after that, through college, I had the T-shirt with bicentennial logo to prove it. Date yourself; where were you in July 1976?
James M. Kushner at Mere Comments recommends David McCullough’s book 1776 for Fourth of July reading. I haven’t read it yet, even though I added it to my list last year at this time.
Last but not least, via Ivy’s Coloring Page Search Engine, I found this page of free coloring sheets for the 4th of July. We liked the fireworks page.
Go celebrate with your own fireworks–or watch some—or something. Happy Independence Day!
Note: this post was edited and reposted from last July.
“Date yourself; where were you in July 1976?”
I was 5 months old. Born in January, but I always call myself a Bicentennial Baby.
Ooh, you are young, or I am old. Ther’s nothing like comparing memories of past events to make you feel your age.
Stopping to say hello- I’m a homeschooling, book-loving mom, too!
I am getting around to blog about books we’ve been reading lately. This week I am reading a book on public schools (From Crayons to Condoms). I also revisited the 1999 book also citing problems with public schools “The Educated Child”. My ten year old has been enjoying the books by Max Elliot Anderson and I had read one of them. That son also loves the stories of Native Americans by Joseph Bruchac which I blogged. Lastly I reviewed “I Love Dirt!” which is nonfiction for parents who need ideas and information to get outside and explore nature with their children aged though age 9/10.