Justice for All: December 5, 1773-September 5, 1774 (Liberty's Kids) [Hardcover]

Amanda Stephens (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

A revolutionary animated series from PBS and DIC Entertainment, Liberty's Kids tells the tale of the birth of democracy in America, through the eyes of two teenagers working in Ben Franklin's printshop

The show features the voices of many celebrities, including; Walter Cronkite as Ben Franklin, Billy Crystal as John Adams, Whoopi Goldberg as Deborah Sampson, Annette Bening as Abigail Adams, and Aaron Carter performing the title song.

The Boston Tea Party. Taxation without representation. Intolerable Acts. The First Continental Congress.

With the help of Ben Franklin, Moses (a freed slave), James and Henri (Ben Franklin's apprentices), and Sarah (a British teen who traveled to America), readers will travel back in time to discover what happened in American history from December 1773-September 1774.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Sarah Phillips, 15, sails alone from England to the American Colonies on a cargo ship, where she is to stay with Ben Franklin and eventually join her father, a British officer serving in the Wilderness West. Franklin, a friend of her mother's, has arranged for three of his employees to meet Sarah's ship when it docks in Boston. They are Moses, a free man of color and the mature influence in the group; James, a printer's apprentice with dive-before-looking enthusiasm; and Henri, an eight-year-old street boy. Through a set of unbelievable coincidences, the four characters take an active part in Colonial history. With the mention of her officer father, Sarah gains the trust of the British soldiers. The group is then free to make the road trip to Philadelphia where they meet John and Sam Adams and other patriots. By this time Sarah has converted from a loyal British subject to a fervent American. The plot is as jerky and bumpy as the wagon ride from Boston to Philadelphia and the characters are straight out of the 21st century. Their shallow development is based on modern stereotypes, and their thoughts and actions are neither sufficiently nor historically motivated or explained. Although there is one "lesson" designed to teach James to make less biased judgments about the loyalists and the patriots, it is too obvious and fits awkwardly into the story. In the attempt to make the past accessible to today's readers, real history has been lost.
Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap (July 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044843248X
• ISBN-13: 978-0448432489
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,213,003 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My 5yr son is LOVING this book..., November 13, 2003

By 

Renee (WI , USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Justice for All: December 5, 1773-September 5, 1774 (Liberty's Kids) (Hardcover)

This is a great read-aloud chapter book for those kids ready to hear more than they can read. The text flows smooothly so reading it aloud is easy. No he said, she said text commonly found in easier chapter books.

My son loves the series on TV but we don't always get to see it and a lot of the story line is missed so this is helping to fill in the gaps. And while I agree, it is 21st century characters, it still does bring history to life especially for the younger grades. I think the grade level of 5-8 is high. I think that age group would be bored with this. Although the writing is at that level which is making it enjoyable for me to read.

I highly recommend it as a read aloud with grades K-3. It is a great introduction to the American Revolution filled with enough action and suspense to keep my 5yr asking for one more chapter please???

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love it!, April 9, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Justice for All: December 5, 1773-September 5, 1774 (Liberty's Kids) (Hardcover)

It was a really good book. I could read it 10000000 times and still not predict the next page. It was so much fun to read, and it shows that human nature hasn't changed at all since then. I'm a big fan of the show and I loved reading and watching it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun way to learn!, January 29, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Justice for All: December 5, 1773-September 5, 1774 (Liberty's Kids) (Hardcover)

Wow! A book that is fun for kids to read and educational. My 10 year old son really liked this book. It has sparked his interest in the history of our country. I will definately be buying more in this series.