First Lady Patricia Blagojevich announces July selections for Children's Reading Club: Happy 4th of July Jenny Sweeney by Leslie Kimmelman and Dirk Wales' Twice a Hero

CHICAGO - First Lady Patricia Blagojevich today announced July selections for her Children's Reading Club - Happy 4^th of July Jenny Sweeney by Leslie Kimmelman and Dirk Wales' Twice a Hero.  One of this month's selections, Twice a Hero, tributes the two Polish Revolutionary War heroes, Casimir Pulaski and Thaddeus Kosciuszko. 

     

"The birth of our nation is a wonderful time to celebrate the history, diversity, and traditions of the United States.  Our history shows how greatly diverse we are as a nation, and books like Twice a Hero remind us about the many brave men who fought for the freedom of our country," said the First Lady.  "Children benefit from learning more about historical heroes because they discover that these role models are ordinary people who made extraordinary choices."

 

Twice a Hero by Dirk Wales, for children at a middle school reading level, tells the story of a little known chapter in the American Revolution.  It talks about the two Polish-born heroes who became fighters for freedom in Revolutionary America.  Casimir Pulaski died while trying to save Savannah, Georgia, from the British.  Thaddeus Kosciuszko won two major battles, one at Saratoga, another at West Point, and returned to Poland to become a hero there as well.  The book includes a ten-minute DVD exploring Pulaski's life before coming to America.

 

The book selection for preschoolers, Happy 4^th of July Jenny Sweeney by Leslie Kimmelman follows a young girl through the day and shows different activities that people in her town do for the holiday.  Jenny Sweeney gives her dog, Rags, a bath, Mike the fireman polishes the fire truck, and Mayor Swanson works on her speech. All the preparations lead up to the big parades and a night of bright fireworks. It's a great day. "Happy Birthday, USA!"