Francis Scott Key (Robbie Readers) (What's So Great About?) [Library Binding]

Marylou Morano Kjelle (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: What's So Great About?

On a September morning in 1812, an eyewitness to the British bombing of Ft. McHenry scribbled a poem about the American flag on the back of an envelop. The eyewitness was Francis Scott Key, a well-known Washington D.C. poet and lawyer. The sight of the American Flag waving through the battle told Key that the Americans were holding strong, and stirred Key to put the pride he felt into the words of a poem. These words became “The Star-Spangled Banner,” our national anthem. Today every American knows Key’s words and sings them proudly at official proceedings and before sports events. Key went on to create an African republic where former slaves could live in freedom. He helped President Andrew Jackson settle differences between Native Americans and settlers in Alabama, and he was made District Attorney for Washington D.C. But it is for “The Star-Spangled Banner” that he is most remembered. Here is the story of the man who was the first to call the fledging United ! States of America the “land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4–Brief but serviceable introductions to notable figures in American history. Kjelle recounts the story of the U.S. national anthem's composition and then details Key's life from childhood through his civic offices and death. It's a worthwhile alternative to Steven Kroll's embellished narrative in By the Dawn's Early Light (Scholastic, 2000). Smalley relates Hudson's four unsuccessful voyages in search of a northern passage to Asia, culminating in abandonment by his crew. Details of the explorer's encounters with Native Americans are sketchy. A major flaw is the lack of maps displaying his routes. Hallmarks of the series are highlighted vocabulary, glossaries, time lines, bibliographies, and indexes. Illustrations are credited and captioned, though their quality is uneven, ranging from attractive reprints of historical paintings and photos to somewhat crude diagrams. Joan Elizabeth Goodman's Beyond the Sea of Ice (Mikaya, 1999) and Ruth Manning's Henry Hudson (Heinemann Library, 2001) are more detailed and livelier accounts of Hudson's voyages, though for slightly more advanced readers. With the demand for easy-reader biographies, these titles should find use in most collections.–Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI
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About the Author

Marylou Morano Kjelle is a freelance writer and photojournalist who lives and works in central New Jersey. She is a regular contributor to several local newspaper and online publications. She has written over 20 nonfiction books for young readers, including Hilary Duff and Tony Hawk for Mitchell Lane Publishers. Marylou has a master’s of science degree from Rutgers University. She teaches English and writing at Rutgers and several other colleges in New Jersey.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Mitchell Lane Publishers (June 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584154748
• ISBN-13: 978-1584154747
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,861,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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