Books for Independence Day

Every family has tales of hardship and decisions made during wartime. Share those family stories and memories with your children by reading some of these books with them this summer.

As our newspaper headlines are filled with images of Iraq, you might want to consider the relationship between independence and war. Every family has tales of hardship and decisions made during wartime. Share those family stories and memories with your children by reading some of these books with them this summer.

The Greatest Skating Race by Louise Borden, illustrated by Niki Daly (Simon & Schuster) Young Piet, a Dutch boy who admires skaters, gets the race of his life. He must accompany two children down the frozen canals of the Netherlands to get to an aunt across the Belgian Border. (Ages 8 & up)

Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee (Lee & Low) The story of Japanese Internment in the U.S. during WWII. Racism, not sports, plays the main character in this story. (Ages 7-10)

Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata (Simon & Schuster) Kadohata won the Newbery Medal for Kira-Kira about WWII. She turns now to the Vietnam War, and tells the tale of a German Shepherd trained to sniff out bombs. The bond between dog and soldier (not dog-handler) illustrates the conditions and dangers of war. (Ages 9-12)

On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck (Penguin) Another winning novel by Richard Peck, this WWII coming-of-age story is brimming with eccentric characters and goof-ball moments. It also brings home the human element, the family dimension and the price paid for a global conflict. Also by Peck, try The River Between Us, a National Book Award Finalist. (Ages 9-12)

Code Talkers by Joseph Bruhac (Dial) The incredible story of young Navajo soldiers whose unwritten language was impossible to code-break during WWII. This is a fictionalized account of the truth, which remained classified for 20 years! Amazing history, made more impressive by this quiet young man and the culture and language of his people. (Ages 10 & up)

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (Random House) Winner of the 1990 Newbery Award, this story follows a Danish girl and her family as they smuggle Jews out of Nazi occupied Denmark into Sweden. (Ages 9-12)

Leawood Mom Julie Hubble is a lover, not a fighter.