Fireworks, Picnics, and Flags: The Story of the Fourth of July Symbols

This book is well-researched and very informative. It is written for an upper-elementary/middle school reader, but is still a great resource for the lower-elem teacher. It could be read aloud to older students in short segments, but is not intended to be shared in its entirety. It is presented in narrative form with pleasant pen-ink sketches. Great for a research project and a fresh look at some of our unofficial symbols.

James Giblin does a fine job of tying our Independence Day symbols back to the beginnings of our country. After a brief but comprehensive account of how and why the Declaration of Independence was written, Giblin focuses subsequent chapters on such symbols of patriotism as "The Flag," "The Eagle," and "The Liberty Bell," explaining in detail the stories behind these familiar symbols and how each was propelled to the iconic status that it holds in our culture and traditions today. Unfortunately, while the text of Fireworks... is interesting and age appropriate, the illustrations seem to be more of an afterthought - instead of truly supporting the text, in most cases they seem at best ornamental. The illustrations admittedly are well rendered; however, they lack inspiration, which is especially unfortunate in the case of this book, when there is such potential and opportunity for outstanding supporting illustrative detail.