Children's Literature (CLCD) - Garhan Attebury

Francis Scott Key, author of the U.S. National Anthem, is the perfect narrator for this book. He gives an account of how he came to be on a ship that witnessed the battle at Fort McHenry in 1814. His song describes the fight, and readers learn how he wrote the song as a poem with four verses. The book is informative and includes vocabulary words such as anthem, pride, banner, freedom, and united. All words to the song are included as Key wrote them, and following the text the anthem and its music are printed as we sing it today. Student readers will be able to identify the song they may hear before ballgames, at school, and at other special events. Add this book from the "American Symbols" series to classes of students in grades K through 2 and they will gain information that will be expanded upon in later grades.