Celebrate the Fourth of July with reading!

Happy Fourth of July! It’s that great time of year when we head outside, fire up the grill, and watch fireworks. And, although I’m new to the Milwaukee area, I’ve learned quickly that it is also Summerfest season. To make things even better, the weather is shaping up to be pretty fantastic this week: sunny with temperatures in the 70s. Perfect!

But… wait a minute. What about the reason why we get the day off to watch fireworks? Wouldn’t this also be the perfect time to read up on American history? You can find history books of all kinds at the Elm Grove Public Library – we’ve got at least an entire shelf filled with books about the American Revolutionary War, which would go quite nicely with your grilled burgers.

And if you’re not up for reading an entire book about the Revolutionary War, or if you’re looking for something different than the other history books you’ve read before, look no further. Here are some interesting reads about America, history, and politics that you can find at the Elm Grove Public Library:

The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell. This book of essays about politics, history, patriotism, and America will make you laugh, think, and analyze society. Vowell loves America, but she knows it’s not perfect, and she writes about it with a wonderfully sarcastic and self-deprecating tone. (If you like this one, the library also has other titles by Vowell, including Assassination Vacation, The Wordy Shipmates, and Unfamiliar Fishes.)

Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen. This award-winning bestseller was first published in 1995 and was so popular that a second edition was published in 2008. In it, Loewen criticizes American history textbooks for distorting the truth of what happened and for making history seem incredibly bland by trying to avoid controversy. If you hated history when you were in school, read this book: You might find that you’re intrigued by the past after all. And if you love history, read this book: You might find that some of the truths you’ve always believed actually were myths.

America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart. Finally, people who really just want to avoid all kinds of heavy reading can check out this book by comedian Jon Stewart. It’s tough to guess what Loewen (above) might have to say about this “textbook,” but there probably are a few historical untruths in this book. You’ll just have to read it to find out.