A review of In 1776

As a follow up to my last blog entry, I have a review for you of In 1776. This splendid book uses very simple yet rich language to tell the story of what took place in America in 1776. Children who want to better understand what the Fourth of July is all about will find that this title will answer many of their questions.

In 1776
Jean Marzollo
Illustrated by Steve Bjorkman
Non Fiction picture book
Ages 7 to 9
Scholastic, 1994, 0-545-11073-4
In 1775 America was under British rule. It was an uneasy time because the colonists were angry that “they had no say” in their own government. The king of England insisted that the colonists had to pay more taxes and the colonist said “No!” Some even went so far as to say, “It’s time for you to go.” And so, in Lexington and Concord, fighting broke out between the English and the colonists.
Then in 1776, the colonists decided that they needed to make their position clear. Their leaders met in Philadelphia to discuss the problem. A committee of men then worked together to write a document that would clarify what the colonists wanted. This document came to called the Declaration of Independence.
In this excellent title, Jean Marzallo uses rhyming stanzas to help children understand what took place in 1776. They will come to appreciate why and how the events that took place at that time still have an impact on us today. An excellent introduction discusses the fact that the “struggle” for democracy is ongoing, and it is something that we can all work for.

In a few days time my whole town will shift into celebration mode. The Fourth of July is a big thing here, and it begins very early when people go down to the main street to stake out their sidewalk space. This is done by taping blankets to the cement and by parking chairs along the road.
At around eight the streets fill up with runners for the Fourth of July races. I will be running in the shorter of the two, and I am looking forward to it. I had hoped that I could do the longer race, but I just am not in shape to manage the hills along the route. Maybe next year I can tackle this longer run.
After the races there is the parade. This is a very large affair. In fact it is so large that numerous streets blocks away from the parade route have to be shut down to serve as staging areas. Vintage cars, stilt walkers, dancers, bands, dog brigades, floats and more will walk through town for a couple of hours. It is a wonderfully loud and entertaining spectacle.

After the parade, there is a reading of the Declaration of Independence in the park and live music. We like to take a picnic to this event and the town's children have a blast paddling in the river and eating ice cream, cotton candy, and other sweet confections.

This year is going to be special because a German friend of mine will be with us. I am looking forward to seeing what she thinks of this celebration. I am sure some of the parade entries will puzzle and amuse her.

The day wraps up with a spectcular fireworks display. This year we will be watching it from our front porch, sharing the time with lots of friends.

Every year I sit down with my daughter to read a book or two about the first fourth of July. We discuss the events that lead up to the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence, and my daughter likes to read the opening lines of that famous document. If you are looking for books to help your child or children understand the story behind the Fourth of July, take a look at the Through the Looking Glass Book Review Fourth of July feature. This is an excellent collection of books for readers of all ages. Also check out the American Revolutionary War feature for related titles.

Happy reading! I'll have a review for you of In 1776 tomorrow.