“God bless America,” Elena Curutiu said, pointing to the tiny flag pin on her lapel, as she emptied the trashcan in my office.

The Springfield-Greene County Library District employee, an immigrant from Romania, enthusiastically celebrates this country’s Independence Day. Even after the years she’s been in this country, she remains grateful for the job and advancement opportunities and the availability and sheer quantities of consumer goods, groceries and clothing.

It’s easy to take America’s riches and freedoms for granted. But you only need to browse the shelves or type in “patriotism” in the subject box of COOLcat, the library’s computerized catalog, to find a cornucopia of books that celebrate what Jonathan Foreman calls “the great American experiment.”

In his book, “The Pocket Book of Patriotism,” Foreman packs in a concise 96-page text “everything you’ve ever forgotten about American history. . .plus some fascinating facts and quotes that you were never taught in school.” It’s an eclectic collection of historic events, a selective chronology in the context of world events, excerpts and lyrics from classic patriotic songs and poems, illustrations of various U.S. flags, highlights from key speeches and core documents and a listing of the presidents.

Grab some tissues before you pick up “My America: What My Country Means to Me by 150 Americans From All Walks of Life.” Edited by former newscaster Hugh Downs, the book is a collection of candid insights from a variety of Americans, including John Glenn, Barbara Walters, Buzz Aldrin, Jesse Ventura, Alan Alda, Maya Angelou, Desi Arnaz Jr., Jeb Bush and Dick Clark.

“To the Flag” by Richard J. Ellis tells the history of the Pledge of Allegiance, from 1892 when it was written by Francis Bellamy to current controversies about the “under God” clause in the courts. The author says it’s “a fascinating American story, worth telling for its own sake as well as for what it reveals about our nation’s politics and culture.”   

“My collage of America” is Caroline Kennedy’s description of her book, “A Patriot’s Handbook” This anthology, written by the daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, includes more than 200 songs, poems, stories and speeches, “devoting equal space to the official, the devotional and the oppositional.”

But if it’s just fun you’re looking for, you can’t go wrong with “How to Raise an American: 1776 Fun and Easy Tools, Tips and Activities to Help Your Child Love This Country” by Myrna Blyth and Chriss Winston.