American Revolution

Boston's massacre by Eric Hinderaker

On the night of March 5, 1770, British soldiers fired into a crowd gathered in front of Boston's Custom House, killing five people. Denounced as an act of unprovoked violence and villainy, the event that came to be known as the Boston Massacre is one of the most familiar incidents in American history, yet one of the least understood. Eric Hinderaker revisits this dramatic episode, examining in forensic detail the facts of that fateful night, the competing narratives that molded public perceptions at the time, and the long campaign afterward to transform the tragedy into a touchstone of American identity.

 

If you enjoyed reading about Felicity Merriman, the American Girl character who lives in Williamsburg, Virginia on the eve of the American Revolution in 1774, you might be interested in these titles.

Fiction

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Also available in: audiobook

After being sold to a cruel couple in New York City, a slave named Isabel spies for the rebels during the Revolutionary War.

The Fourth of July holiday serves as an inspiration to look back at the beginning of the United States. The following materials might interest readers who enjoy the early history of our country, or who like learning new and surprising things. Click on the titles for location and availability.

Shares the stories of remarkable women who shaped American history between 1796 and 1828, including Dolley Madison, Isabella Graham, and Sacajawea.

The true story of James Armistead Lafayette--a slave who spied for George Washington's army during the American Revolution. But while America celebrated its newfound freedom, James returned to slavery. His service hadn't qualified him for the release he'd been hoping for. For James the fight wasn't over; he'd helped his country gain its freedom, now it was time to win his own.

Outdoor Challenge Experience: Watch a firework show or launch your own fireworks with friends or family outside. Take pictures and record what you did on your challenge sheet.

Outdoor Challenge Explore: Learn about the 4th of July, America, or how fireworks are made by reading materials from the Canton Public Library.

Outdoor Challenge Engage: Share your fireworks experience by telling someone else (a friend, family member, or neighbor) or share your experience on social media with the hashtag #CYSStoryBox. 

Explore Fireworks With the Following Books

Canton Public Library's CONNECT YOUR SUMMER reading program kicks of this month. Any of these selections could earn the YOU CHOOSE badge.

"Both dispatch and dissertation, NPR contributor Diane Roberts, an English professor at Florida State University, gives a insider's account of a big time college football program in the midst of controversy, while examining the impact and legacy of the sport's popularity in America today"--.

"This intimate portrait by his former personal assistant and confidante reveals the man behind the legendary filmmaker--for the first time. Stanley Kubrick, the director of a string of timeless movies from Lolita and Dr. Strangelove to A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Full Metal Jacket, and others, has always been depicted by the media as the Howard Hughes of filmmakers, a weird artist obsessed with his work and privacy to the point of madness. But who was he really? Emilio D'Alessandro lets us see. A former Formula Ford driver who was a minicab chauffeur in London during the Swinging Sixties, he took a job driving a giant phallus through the city that became his introduction to the director. Honest, reliable, and ready to take on any task, Emilio found his way into Kubrick's neurotic, obsessive heart. He became his personal assistant, his right-hand man and confidant, working for him from A Clockwork Orange until Kubrick's death in 1999. Emilio was the silent guy in the room when the script for The Shining was discussed. He still has the coat Jack Nicholson used in the movie. He was an extra on the set of Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick's last movie. He knew all the actors and producers Kubrick worked with; he observed firsthand Kubrick's working methods down to the smallest detail. Making no claim of expertise in cinematography but with plenty of anecdotes, he offers a completely fresh perspective on the artist and a warm, affecting portrait of a generous, kind, caring man who was a perfectionist in work and life. "--.

Turn!

The new AMC drama Turn, starring Jamie Bell, tells the thrilling story of America's first spy ring during the Revolutionary War.  Known as the Culper RIng, it was made up of a farmer and his childhood friends in and around Long Island, New York. Based on the book Washington's Spies by Alexander Rose, the drama was created and written by Michigan's own Craig Silverstein. For more  on this topic try some of these resources:

George Washington's secret six: the spy ring that saved the American Revolution by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

Unlikely allies: how a merchant, a playwright, and a spy saved the American Revolution by Joel Richard Paul

Look What's In Large Print July 2013

In celebration of our nation's 237th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the Battle at Gettysburg...

American creation [Large print]: triumphs and tragedies at the founding of the Republic by Joseph J. Ellis

Benjamin Franklin [large print] by Edmund S. Morgan

Bunker Hill [large print]: a city, a siege, a revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick

The killer angels [Large print] by Michael Shaara

Samuel Adams [Large print]: a life by Ira Stoll

Time was...Time is... June 2013

This month in history Benedict Arnold was executed, Marilyn Monroe was born, The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album was released, WWII Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, and the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York.

The real Benedict Arnold by Jim Murphy

The making of Some like it hot: my memories of Marilyn Monroe and the classic American movie by Tony Curtis with Mark A. Vieira

D-day: the battle for Normandy by Antony Beevor

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band [sound recording] by The Beatles

Enlightening the world: the creation of the Statue of Liberty by Yasmin Sabina Khan

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