The 250th birthday of the United States of America brings fireworks, parades, celebrations — and a host of new books. Lively and engaging, they offer a multifaceted view of the early history of our country. You can reflect on the evolving role of a key Founding Father, the contributions of Black people and the diversity inherent in the Constitution’s opening words. Several titles even draw nuanced connections between issues of the past and present.
Children’s Books About American History for Young Readers
Tots age 7
“We the People Is All the People”
By Howard Reeves
Illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh
Abrams, 2026, $19.99
This timely book opens with the preamble to the U.S. Constitution, with the first words “We the People” then serving as a refrain throughout. To whom does that phrase refer? As text and art make clear, “We the people” is all the people. The book celebrates our nation’s diversity of races, jobs, ages, religions, abilities and genders. One spread recognizes the immigration experience and honors Indigenous people as the first inhabitants. “People who were here, who arrived later, who still come today.” Turning the pages, youngsters will be inspired and amazed by the many who live in this country.
“Black Hands: Builders of Our Nation”
By Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Crown, 2026, $19.99
Black people and their contributions to the United States center this powerful, lyrical history. They “laid the foundation of a new nation,” building the White House and Capitol and stitching flags. They fought “in every American war” and grew tobacco, rice and cotton. They “set the tempo for ragtime and strummed the blues into being.” They were doctors and nurses, spiritual leaders, activists, artists, athletes, scientists, politicians and voters. The book concludes with Black hands “prodding this land to live up to its promise: liberty and justice for all.” Back matter fleshes out the historical figures and movements touched on in the text and illustrations. Look for Harriet Tubman, Shirley Chisholm, the Harlem Renaissance and the Great Migration.
Tweens
“After My Brother Sam”
By James Lincoln Collier
Scholastic, 2026, $18.99
James Lincoln Collier returns with a gripping sequel to his novel “My Brother Sam Is Dead,” a 1975 Newbery Honoree. In the first book, Tim Meeker tries to understand the politics dividing his family during the Revolutionary War. His father is a British Loyalist, his older brother, Sam, an American Rebel. In this new book, Tim wrestles with his grief and anger at Sam’s death and tries to help his widowed mother run the family tavern. Unfortunately, the British and American soldiers constantly badger them and demand free food and lodging. To Tim, neither side feels especially noble, and the author paints a nuanced portrait of wartime privation, uncertainty and fear. Leavening this grim reality, though, is humor provided by Tim’s new friend Becky and a fast-talking “bamboozler” named Chauncy.
“When George Washington Bowed to the New Nation”
By Barbara Carroll Roberts
Illustrated by Anne Yvonne Gilbert
Creative Editions, 2026, $18.99
Acclaimed Virginia author Barbara Carroll Roberts tells the compelling story of commander-in-chief George Washington’s return to citizenship after the Revolutionary War. One expectation was that the victorious general would be crowned king, as had occurred in other countries. But that was not what Washington and other key patriots desired. Roberts paces the narrative beautifully to build suspense, with Anne Gilbert’s stunning art providing a visual counterpoint. What will Washington do? And will this radically different role help or harm the new nation? This emotionally resonant true story presents a leader who is wise, capable, reliable and focused on his country’s needs. An exemplary leader, in war and peace. And as an aside, Washington was born and raised in Virginia. This year might be the perfect time to visit his birthplace Wakefield in Westmoreland County, his boyhood home Ferry Farm in Stafford County or his plantation, Mount Vernon in Fairfax County.
“Alice Piper Speaks Up”
By Sage Andrew Romero and Loralee Sepsey
Illustrated by Morgan Thompson
Heyday Press, 2026, $22
Persecuted and displaced, Native Americans often receive scant mention in mainstream histories about the colonists’ struggle for independence. And as the years passed, they continued to be denied the rights granted others. This fascinating nonfiction account explores a landmark case in California, which sought to right one such injustice. In 1924, by law, Alice Piper, a Numu (Paiute) teen in California, could attend only the Indian school 40 miles away. There, Native children were taught to be maids and laborers rather than reading, writing and arithmetic as at white-only schools. Alice wanted to attend one such school, which was new and nearby. So, she and six other Native children went to court — and won. This case influenced others involving youngsters of other races denied access to mainstream schools, including “Brown v. Board of Education.” The third in the award-winning Fighting for Justice series, this volume uses poems, prose and art by Native creators to tell Alice’s important story. It also shares information on Numu traditions and efforts to preserve their culture.
Teens
“Rebellion 1776”
By Laurie Halse Anderson
Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, 2025, $18.99
This riveting historical novel follows Elspeth Culpeper, a teenaged servant in Revolutionary Boston. By centering a character frequently marginalized because of gender and class, acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson offers a fresh perspective. Elspeth must contend with the chaos of a wartime city, her problematic employers and worries about her now-missing father. Then an invisible enemy starts to attack the population: smallpox. A rudimentary inoculation may save lives, but its detractors are as fiercely vocal as its proponents. The stakes are high and the mood volatile, in a story that has parallels to our current controversy over vaccines.
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Mary Quattlebaum lives in Washington, D.C. and is the author of 30 award-winning children’s books, most recently Queen Elizabeth II, an early reader biography. She teaches in the graduate program in writing for children at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, writes frequently for The Washington Post and is a popular school and conference speaker. maryquattlebaum.com
