📖 A Picture Book of … series by David Adler. ​These simple picture book biographies are perfect for younger children. Subjects include: Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, John and Abigail Adams, Dolley and James Madison, Paul Revere, and George Washington. – Preschool • Elementary

📖 Thomas Jefferson and other biographies by Cheryl Harness. The linked image will take you to Harness' picture book biography of Thomas Jefferson, which gives a thorough accounting of his life, touching on his childhood and adolescence, his many contributions to the country, and his post-presidential activities. Harness has written similar biographies of John Adams, George Washington, and Ben Franklin. – Elementary

📖 Biographies ​​by Jean Fritz.​ ​This series of amusingly-titled picture book biographies is best for older kids. Fritz writes about patriots whose names are familiar, but whose stories are less often told. Titles include And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?, Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May?, Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? and Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? – Elementary • Middle

📖 John, Paul, George, and Ben by Lane Smith. This irreverent picture book, which playfully imagines the childhoods of our favorite founding fathers, is not exactly packed with historical details but it is very funny and well worth reading with a younger child. – Preschool • Elementary

📖 The Good Fight: The Feuds of the Founding Fathers (and How They Shaped the Nation) by Anne Quirk. This short chapter book takes on four major feuds that shaped early American history: “George Washington vs. King George. Benjamin Franklin vs. his son William. John Adams vs. Thomas Jefferson. Alexander Hamilton vs. everyone!” Quirk writes in humorous, straightforward language, though the concepts can be complex. Best for upper elementary or middle. – Elementary • Middle

📖 Now and Ben by Gene Barretta. ​This very neat picture book juxtaposes some of Ben Franklin’s 18th century innovations with their modern incarnations. – Elementary

📖 How Ben Franklin Stole Lightning by Rosalyn Schanzer. Here is an exuberant account of the life and times of Ben Franklin, focusing on his inventions and scientific accomplishments. The joyful illustrations nicely complement the text. – Preschool • Elementary

📖 Electric Ben by Robert Byrd.​ ​Electric Ben is a detailed picture book biography of the life and accomplishments of Ben Franklin, with many inset captions and illustrations that are meant to be pored over. Good for older readers. – Elementary • Middle

📖 Ben Franklin’s Almanac: Being a True Account of the Good Gentleman’s Life by Candace Fleming. Turn to this highly readable biography for an in-depth account of the life and times of Ben Franklin, full of entertaining anecdotes. Chapters include Boyhood Memories, Revolutionary Memorabilia, and Souvenirs from France. – Middle • High

📖 George Washington's Teeth by Deborah Chandra & Madeleine Comora.​ Written in rhyming verse—and accompanied by expressive illustrations—this story details the extensive dental problems that George Washington suffered throughout most of his life. Good for younger children. – Preschool • Elementary

📖 George Did It by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain. This humanizing biography of George Washington focuses on his reluctant agreement to serve as the nation’s first president. – Elementary

📖 Revolutionary Friends: General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette by Selene Castrovilla. This lovely picture book introduces the Marquis de Lafayette, the brave and idealistic young Frenchman who enthusiastically fought with Washington’s army in the American Revolution. The portrayal of the friendship between Washington and Lafayette is touching, and though the story focuses on their early relationship, the appendix provides much more information on the lives of both men. – Elementary

📖 Buried Lives: The Enslaved People of George Washington’s Mount Vernon by Carla Killough McClafferty. This nonfiction chapter book provides “an illuminating look at the complex relationships between George Washington and the enslaved people of Mount Vernon.” This sober but highly readable book is a good resource for a study of the life of George Washington and of the realities of life under slavery in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. – Middle • High

📺 John Adams from HBO. This seven-part miniseries tells the story of the Revolution and Young Nation through the eyes of the irascible John Adams (wonderfully played by Paul Giamatti). Highly recommended for mature students; check out the Parental Guide on IMDB before watching. – Elementary • Middle

📖 Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Everything by Maira Kalman. Kalman’s short, vibrant picture book depicts Jefferson in a positive light while acknowledging the contradictions of his life (liberty vs. slavery) and his relationship with Sally Heming. The conclusion captures the spirit of the book. Speaking of Jefferson’s beloved Virginia estate, Kalman writes: “If you want to understand this country and its people and what it means to be optimistic and complex and tragic and wrong and courageous, you need to go to Monticello.” – Elementary

📖 Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barbara Rosenstock. This sweet picture book biography focuses on Jefferson's lifelong love of books. John O'Brien's whimsical illustrations are wonderful. The end note provides some more historical detail on Jefferson's life and acknowledges the slavery problem. – Elementary

📖 My Name is James Madison Hemings by Jonah Winter. In this poignant fictionalized picture book, young James Madison Hemings—the enslaved son of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings—wonders of his father: “How could I be both his slave and his son?” The endnote provides historical context and clarifies what is and is not known about the life of James Hemings. – Elementary

📖 The Great Little Madison by Jean Fritz. ​In this engaging chapter book, the early years of the United States are seen through the eyes of the fourth president, the diminuitive and brilliant James Madison. – Elementary • Middle

📖 Aaron and Alexander: The Most Famous Duel in History by Don Brown. ​ One of the most memorable aspects of Hamilton’s life is the way in which it ended: in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. This book puts the incident into historical context. Dennis Brindell Fradin's Duel is similar in tone and content. – Elementary

📖 Eliza: The Story of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton by Margaret McNamara. Here’s a nice picture book biography of Alexander Hamilton’s wife, Eliza: “Margaret McNamara employs the letter-writing style of the period to tell the story of Eliza Hamilton, who was born into a family of considerable wealth, power, and influence in Albany, New York, in 1757. Eliza was expected to marry into a similarly powerful family . . . until she met and fell in love with the charismatic Hamilton. She stood by him throughout his tumultuous life, and after his death, she single-handedly collected his papers and preserved them for historians and musical-theater writers of the future. Eliza outlived Hamilton by fifty years; during that time she founded the first orphanage in New York State, raised funds for the Washington Monument, and kept the flame of her husband's memory and achievements alive.” – Elementary

📖 Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider by Jean Fritz. ​This well-written 144-page chapter book biography of founder Alexander Hamilton is a good addition to a middle grade study of the Revolutionary and Young Nation periods. Fans of Alexander & Eliza Hamilton may also enjoy L. M. Elliott’s Hamilton and Peggy! A Revolutionary Friendship, which delves into the friendship between Alexander and Eliza’s sister, Peggy.– Elementary • Middle

📖 Thomas Paine and the Dangerous Word by Sarah Jane Marsh. Here’s a nice picture book biography of Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense, the pamphlet that rallied Americans to the revolutionary cause. – Elementary