Red, White, and Blue: The Story of the American Flag by John Herman, reviewed by Nikki Deaver

This story is very informative. It tells about how our country used to be thirteen colonies owned by England and how the English flag flew everywhere until the Americans decided to fight for freedom and a war began. The American soldiers wanted their own flag so that they would feel like the were fighting for a "real country" so General George Washington took a drawing to Betsy Ross, an excellent seamstress, who sewed the first American flag. The flag had 13 stripes and 13 stars, one for each colony. However, a layout was never specified so there were various flags. Sometimes the stars were in circles and sometimes the stripes were in the blue box. The book also explains the story behind "The Star-Spangled Banner" and briefly mentions how another flag was designed during the Civil War but our country was once again united under one flag after the North won. It would be a great book to use on Flag Day, but since it is on June 14 and most schools are out by then, it may be a fun book to read on the last week of school when end of grade tests are over so that children will have a better appreciation for our flag and be aware of the upcoming holiday.