A long time ago some smart guys wrote the Preamble to the Constitution. You have probably read it before, but do you know what it means? And did it ever make you laugh? Now it will! Perfect for inspiring discussion in classrooms and around kitchen tables, this fun-filled and cheerfully illustrated look at the Preamble provides an accessible introduction to America’s founding ideals for citizens of all ages.
Signers, The: The 56 Stories Behind the Declaration of Independence
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
For more than 225 years these words have inspired men and women in countries the world over to risk everything in pursuit of these lofty ideals. When they first appeared in our nation’s birth certificate, the Declaration of Independence, they were a call to action for a colony on the brink of rebellion. The 56 men who dared to sign their names to this revolutionary document knew they were putting their reputations, their fortunes, and their very lives on the line by boldly and publicly declaring their support for liberty and freedom. As Benjamin Franklin said as he signed his name, “We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately!”
Who were these men who are the first heroes of our nation? Award-winning team of author Dennis Brindell Fradin and illustrator Michael McCurdy bring their considerable talents together to illuminate the lives of these valiant men, ranging from the poorest farmers to the wealthiest merchants, whose dauntless courage inspired thousands of colonists to risk all for freedom.
Picture Book of John Hancock (A Picture Book Biography)
This is the story of John Hancock, American Patriot and Founding Father. When the English started imposing unfair taxes on the colonists, John Hancock decided to stand up to the injustice. He served as a delegate to the First Continental Congress; and as the president of the Second Continental Congress, he was the first to add his bold signature to the Declaration of Independence.
Picture Book of Samuel Adams, A (Picture Book Biography)
List, The (Bookends of Liberty #2)
A fast-paced, meticulously researched tale of the birth of American liberty, ‘The List’ is based on an untold mystery of the Revolutionary War. Baker brings to vivid life the occupied city of 1777 Philadelphia with a memorable cast of historical characters—including the British General Howe, Joseph Galloway, the unsung American Captain Alan McLane—as well as imaginary ones you will never forget such as the divided family of Archibald Browne, Whittaker Yates, Major Oliver Crippen and the beloved ‘Grackle.’ While the misery and dangers of war bring turmoil into the lives of the loyalists and patriots alike, the destiny of a nation hangs on the tip of a quill pen, one anxiously poised above a piece of parchment. As Volume 2 in the ‘Bookends of Liberty’ series, ‘The List’ is an excellent resource for any interested in America’s founding principles. (Volume 1 in the series is, ‘Swords of Heaven,’ an intriguing novel that explores the development of liberty during the era of Magna Carta.) Suitable for readers ten to adult.