What's the Big Deal about Freedom (What's The Big Deal #2)

by Ruby Shamir (Author) Matt Faulkner (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
From the Constitution to civil rights, from women's rights to the four freedoms, this kid-friendly picture book filled with fun facts and historical trivia shows how America got the nickname "land of the free." It's a "free country"! Why? Because in America we're free speak our minds, choose our leaders and set the rules. Since way back when Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, Americans have stood up for freedom again and again - but it wasn't always easy! Did you know that Henry "Box" Brown escaped slavery by shipping himself north in a box? Or that Susan B. Anthony was arrested when she tried to vote? Did you know that even young kids protested for the right to go to school? This entertaining, fact-filled book celebrates how, with every generation, more and more Americans won the right to be free. Find out how they did it and why standing up for the "land of the free" is such a big deal! Perfect for fans of The One and Only Declaration of Independence, John, Paul, George & Ben, and Shh! We're Writing the Constitution - and a great way to talk about America, its values, and the rights we all enjoy. Praise for What's the Big Deal About Freedom "Bolstering the upbeat tone of the writing while emphasizing the racial and religious diversity of Americans, the lively watercolor-and-pencil illustrations are consistently engaging and occasionally endearing. A hopeful, idealistic portrayal of freedom in America." --Booklist "An effective place for children to begin learning about the concept of freedom." --School Library Journal
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School Library Journal

Gr 2-5--Americans describe their country as the "land of the free" every time they sing their national anthem, but how often do they take a step back and really think about what that phrase means? Starting with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, this book considers how freedom has been expanded and restricted by governmental, racial, religious, and economic factors. Demonstrating that freedom in practice can be the framework that provides citizens with rights and protections, the author explains the significance of the Bill of Rights, then goes into more detail about slavery, labor laws, immigration policies, and voting expansion. Using a question-and-answer format, the conversational text incorporates sentence fragments and mimics an animated adult/child discussion. Carefully designed and well-executed watercolor and pencil illustrations spill over the pages, adding information, detail, and humor to the text. The images depict people of varying ethnicities, religious dress, and ages; a person using a wheelchair; same-sex couples; etc. Presenting so many topics necessarily leads to some simplification, but Shamir offers enough content to give readers a general idea and inspire them to investigate further. VERDICT An effective place for children to begin learning about the concept of freedom. A general nonfiction purchase.--Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for What's the Big Deal About Freedom

"Bolstering the upbeat tone of the writing while emphasizing the racial and religious diversity of Americans, the lively watercolor-and-pencil illustrations are consistently engaging and occasionally endearing. A hopeful, idealistic portrayal of freedom in America." —Booklist

"An effective place for children to begin learning about the concept of freedom." —School Library Journal
Ruby Shamir
Ruby Shamir (www.rubyshamir.com) worked at the White House in the Clinton administration for three and a half years, for two of which she served in the First Lady's office, and she also led Hillary Rodham Clinton's New York Senate office. Now she's an award-winning children's book author and literary researcher in the Bronx, New York, where she lives with her husband and three children. She is the author of What's the Big Deal About First Ladies, What's the Big Deal About Freedom, What's the Big Deal About Elections, and What's the Big Deal About Americans. Follow Ruby on Twitter @ruby_shamir.

Matt Faulkner (www.mattfaulkner.com) is an award-winning children's book author and illustrator who graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design. With 39 illustrated books to his credit, Matt enjoys working on projects both historical and fantastical in nature (and he concentrates very hard not to get them confused). His most recent graphic novel GAIJIN: AMERICAN PRISONER OF WAR (Disney/Hyperion) won the Asian/PacificALA award for 2015. He is married to author and children's librarian, Kris Remenar. They worked together to create the delightful picture book GROUNDHOG'S DILEMMA (Charlesbridge). They live with their two kids and two cats in the lower right hand corner of Michigan. Follow him on Twitter @MattFaulkner1.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780399547287
Lexile Measure
1100
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Philomel Books
Publication date
May 20, 2017
Series
What's the Big Deal about
BISAC categories
JNF038100 - Juvenile Nonfiction | People & Places | United States
JNF043000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Science | Politics & Government
JNF025170 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | United States/General
Library of Congress categories
United States
Civil rights
Liberty

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