Saving the Liberty Bell (On My Own History)
Grade 2-4 - Although classified as nonfiction, this is a work of fiction, featuring dialogue and speculative events. The dramatic narrative describes 11-year-old Johnny Mickley's wish to fight the British as he accompanies his father from their farm in Northhampton Town, PA, to sell goods in Philadelphia. On the return journey, he is thrilled to learn that Father has hidden "Old Independence," now called the Liberty Bell, in their wagon to thwart the British from seizing it and melting it down to make weapons. When they encounter British troops, Johnny takes the reins while his father feigns sleep and successfully convinces them that he is lost. Later, their wagon wheel breaks, and the bell is carried to its destination by a different farmer; in the end, Johnny's father shows him its hiding place. The afterword sorts fact from fiction and provides historical background. The easy-reader format will bring history alive for young readers, and the dramatic paintings, some full page, reflect the action and the characters' emotions.- Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to theLibrary Bindingedition.