What a great way to engage kids in history! This was a fun book to share with our daughter. I particularly liked how it integrated many aspects of what makes our nation unique. It has plenty of colonial history, but you'll also learn about the Slinky and other inventions, symbolism, like the Bald Eagle and Uncle Sam, and music, too. More than likely, it is the long sentences that push the reading level to 8.2. However, because of the picture book style (short paragraphs, lots of images), this would be a comfortable read for a third or fourth grader.

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Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

"Do not destroy that immortal emblem of humanity, the Declaration of Independence." - Abraham Lincoln

Although the United States of America did not begin as a country and a nation just with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it can be said that it was a pivotal moment in our history.

As Calvin Coolidge noted, "To live under the American Constitution is the greatest political privilege that was ever accorded to the human race." Especially now, with the inauguration of a new US President only days past, AMERICA: THE MAKING OF A NATION is a wonderful reminder as to how our great nation came about.

This wonderful tome is filled with information that any US history buff would be proud to read about: how The Star-Spangled Banner came to be written, the making of the flag, information on "Uncle Sam," the creation of Mount Rushmore, and much, much more.

The book even includes a copy of the Declaration of Independence, which would make it valuable to a personal or classroom library on its own. But add in all of the wonderful timelines, lift-the-flap information, and amazing facts just waiting to be discovered, and this is one book on American History that kids will want to read on their own, without having to be forced to do so by their teachers! ( )