Jim Burke (5)

Naming Liberty is two stories wrapped into one book, the story of a Yiddish family immigrating and the story of building the Statue of Liberty. The audience sees the struggles of what immigration is like, and understand the importance of what the Statue of Liberty stands for. This book also hints at what immigrants have to do to be accepted in America. Such as changing their name, or giving up everything just to make it to America. Overall an informative story, but it is a little wordy in some areas.… (lisätietoja)

As always when reading a book written by Jane Yolen, I learned more than previously known.

For example, this is not a simple tale of Johnny Appleseed with a pot on his head scattering apple seeds, rather it is a detailed rendering of his life.

He and his sister were orphaned when their mother died at an early age. His father then went on to marry a much younger woman who gave him many more sisters and brothers.

Poor families rarely kept children in school, and such was the case pf Johnny. Apprenticed to a local farmer, Johnny developed a love of working in the orchards. And, he loved picking and sewing seeds of apples.

Traveling throughout the states, he sells and sows seeds. Sadly, he died in winter after walking through the cold Indiana weather. When he saw cows who broke through a fence, he traveled many miles to repair the fence. As a result, he developed pneumonia.

You can visit his gravesite in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Buried in a six-dollar coffin (which was quite a lot of money at that time,) he died at the ripe age of 71. Owning eight hundred acres , a horse and thousands of apple trees and seeds, he left a large legacy.

As the book notes, "Bills and a greedy lawyer took much of his estate. Anything left went to his very special half sister." What he leaves behind is a legend."

I will keep this book with the other beautifully told and illustrated books kept on a special shelf.

Four and 1/2 stars!… (lisätietoja)

"Naming Liberty" is about a young girl's adventure to America. Gilt dreams of coming to America and following in her brother's foot steps. She and her family endure a tough journey from Russia to Ellis Island. Once she arrives, Gilt is very excited to get her new "American" name. But, unfortunately she is checked in by her real name. Her brother tells her that her name can be anything she wants in America. She likes the name Liberty, but decides to go by Libby. I really love this story because it takes the reader on a journey. I felt as if I were on the boat and stepping off at Ellis Island.… (lisätietoja)