Lady Liberty: Naming Liberty by Jane Yolen

Today we remember and honor those men and women in uniform who have died in service to our country.

Naming Liberty by Jane Yolen

From Amazon dot com:
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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Philomel (July 3, 2008)
• ISBN-10: 0399242503

From Booklist

Using parallel narratives, Yolen recounts the tale of a Russian-Jewish family preparing to emigrate to America, and the story of French artist Frederic Auguste Bartholdi’s creation of the Statue of Liberty. Mama, Papa, and their four children dream of a life far away from the pogroms. They travel by train and boat to New York Harbor, where they view the recently completed Lady Liberty, which Bartholdi envisioned, promoted, and built over the course of 21 years as a monument to freedom. Burke’s luminous paintings, designed on burnt sienna oil-washed boards, convey the landscapes and details of nineteenth-century Europe and New York. The generous use of aqua paint throughout serves as a contrast to the statue’s original copper color and forecasts its current familiar hue. Most spreads have separate artwork for each story line, but some illustrations are combined when story events intersect. An author’s note separates the fiction from fact and offers some additional resources, making this an ideal choice for introducing the concepts of immigration and liberty to young listeners. Grades 1-3. --Kay Weisman --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Review

Yolen's graceful text and Burke's illustrations balance the events and emotions of the parallel stories. -- Kirkus --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

First Sentence:

AT THE DINNER TABLE, Papa tells us his big idea.

My Thoughts:

This is a great book for elementary students learning about America History, Statue of Liberty, and immigration. Jane Yolen and Jim Burke with his beautiful paintings weave 2 stories: a young girl who emigrates from Russia to America, wondering what her new name will be, and the story of a young artist Frederic Auguste Bartholdi who dreams of a monument he wants to build to honor freedom.

I really like this book. Are you passionate about your belief in freedom? Let's pray for peace.

Jane Yolen's Biography:

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."

"In Flanders Fields" Poem Printable for Kids
http://www.classroomjr.com/memorial-day-worksheets/in-flanders-fields-poem/

About the VFW Buddy Poppy
http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=cmty.levelc&cid=127

Let's pray for peace!

Presidential Proclamation--Memorial Day 2010

"NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 31, 2010, as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time to unite in prayer. I also ask all Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day."

-- LadyD
“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” — C. S. Lewis