Independent Reading Level: Grades 1-3
Awards: Kansas NEA Reading Circle List PrimaryTitle.
Bank Street Best Books of the Year.
California Collections.
Georgia Children's Picture Book Award Finalist.

This colorfully illustrated story was a refreshing and simple way for younger children to learn about what people went through to create this great nation that we now live in. It is a story of a young boy who helps his father take down and hide the liberty bell in Philadelphia after learning that the Redcoats were coming and they make a rough journey to take the bell to safety under the Zion Reformed Church.
I had really good reactions from the children I read this book too. I read to a younger audience, but it still mostly kept their attention with the large colorful pictures and simple text.
A possible fun classroom extension project for younger students may be having your students color a coloring page of a liberty bell or have them draw a liberty bell on a horse carriage coloring page and then hang up their pictures in the classroom or hallway. ( )

Summary: This story was a fun way to learn how the Liberty Bell was transferred from Philadelphia to Allentown's Zion Reformed Church. 11 year old John Jacob and his father traveled for 6 days to bring the Liberty Bell back so the British could not get it. When the pair was on the way back, they were met by George Washington's army, who escorted them home. Their wagon broke down on the last day, but there was someone who picked them up, and John Jacob was able to witness the Liberty Bell being hidden in the church floor.
The last page of this book told all about the Liberty Bell, and where it had been.

Summary: A story about a boy and his father saving the Liberty Bell from the British, that shows the symbolism and importance of the Liberty Bell.

Grade: Primary

 

The main idea of this book is to save the Liberty Bell but most of the stories are about what has been said really happened to the Liberty Bell. ( )