Check It Out

Books recommended by Ilene Abramson, senior librarian for the Children’s Literature Department, Los Angeles Public Library:

Independence Day: Everyday lives provide a backdrop to the American Revolution’s fight for freedom.

Preschool and kindergarten: “A Fourth of July on the Plains,” by Jean Van Leeuwen, illustrated by Henri Sorensen

Get two historical eras for the price of one in this true account of July 4th on the Oregon Trail in 1852.

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First and second grades: “Katie’s Trunk,” by Ann Warren Turner, illustrated by Ron Himler

Watercolor pictures evoke wartime when a child hides in a chest of clothes and rebels invade her home.

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Third grade: “Sam the Minuteman,” by Nathaniel Benchley, illustrated by Arnold Lobel

Classic, easy reader about a young boy in the first battle of the Revolutionary War.

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Fourth grade: “The Boston Coffee Party,” by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully

A price-gouging merchant is relieved of his inventory of coffee by a group of feisty housewives in this easy chapter book.

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Fifth grade: “The Fighting Ground,” by Avi

Gripping tale of a 13-year-old boy who faces fear, cowardice and revenge instead of glorified experiences of war.

Storytime

Some of the books to be read on KCET’s “Storytime,” Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

* “Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore!” by David McPhail

A man discovers pigs in his room eating pizza. He later decides to let them stay, as long as they clean up. (Themes: rhyme and fantasy.)

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* “Uncle Jed’s Barbershop,” by Margaree King Mitchell

Uncle Jed, a traveling barber, finally opens his own barbershop and teaches his niece about following dreams. (Themes: family, self-esteem and determination.)

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* “Playing Right Field,” by Willy Welch

A young boy, usually picked last for baseball, learns that he can play as well as the rest of the team. (Themes: self-esteem, cooperation and rhyme.)