Stars and Stripes

Patriotic, Monumental, Enlightening, Eloquent, Embellished

Stars and Stripes the Story of the American Flag by Sarah L. Thomson

Illustrated by Bob Dacey and Debra Bandelin

Published by HaperCollins Copyright 2003

“A solid choice for introducing the history of both our flag and our country….A 21-gun patriotic salute.” -School Library Journal

Stars and Stripes trace the history and existence of the American flag. Two hundred and fifty years ago there was no flag, and therefore we retrace how the American flag was created and brought about today. Sarah L. Thomson introduces children to a part of history that is still unknown, who created the American flag? On the end note, she clarifies that it was not Betsy Ross that sewed the first flag, as many previously thought. Thomson returns back to when American was not a country, but a group of thirteen colonies. She then goes into detail about the Revolutionary War and how those flags changed over time. And even though they were flags, sometimes they were made out of rags and cloths. Thomson continues to describe history as America progresses, as Francis wrote The Star Spangled Banner that we have all come to know today. Finally, in 1818 America decided on the flag we have today. Thomson uses history and knowledge to capture readers interest. 

Reading Level: Grade  3/4 Lexile 710L

Suggested Delivery: Read aloud or small group read

Extras: Before the story begins there are notes on the flags you can read about. At the end, there is also a section called "What about Betsy Ross?" where you can discover she did not sew the first American flag like many people seem to believe. In the back on the jacket flap you can also read about the author and the illustrators. 

Teachers, here are some resources that may help with Stars and Stripes...

Key Vocabulary: It might be helpful to address some of these vocabulary words before reading this book: colonies, taxes, commanded, govern, congress, constellation, anthem, confederate, united, pentagon

Electronic Resources:

• Powell Books: Here you can see a synopsis and reviews from readers after you have read the book. 
• Scholastic: On scholastic you can find information about the book, the grade level equivalent, the DRA and much more. This may be helpful for teachers for post reading, or useful for students after they have read the book.  
• Children'sReview: On this website you can read a review from the perspective of a child. Great for children to see before they read the book because it might capture their interest.

Activities for Students:

• Before Reading: Ask students what they know about flags. Does anyone know how many stars are on the flag? Stripes? (Invite them to count the stars if no one knows the answer.) Why are there that many stars? Why are there that many stripes?
• During Reading: Have students make a timeline of dates, including information that they discovered along the way.
• Post Reading: Is it important to have a flag? What does it mean to have a flag? Write a response on a piece of paper.

Thomson, S. L., Dacey, B., & Bandelin, D. (2003). Stars and stripes: the story of the American flag. New York: Harper Collins.