Naming Liberty Hardcover – July 3, 2008

Great for a fourth-grade study on immigrants.

I love the details in this book about the building of the statue of liberty. Along with the many interesting facts about Lady Liberty is a sweet story of an immigrant family's plans to come to America!

Naming Liberty is unique in the fact that it tells parallel stories of a young girl & her family as they immigrate to America in the early 1900’s and the story of Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the architect of the Statue of Liberty, from the birth of the idea of the statue to its inception. Both stories complimented one another in explaining the hard work and determination that went into Frances gift to America and the struggles an immigrant faces to start a new life in America.This book is best suited for older children and a bit lengthy for any single class read aloud and discussion, breaking it up into a couple sessions would be better.

Naming Liberty tells the story of an Eastern European Jewish family seeking a new life in America. Their story is cleverly balanced with the history of the Statue of Liberty. Told through the eyes of seven-year-old Gitl, readers gain a sense of the personal struggles as the family gives up the life they know to seek freedom in America. On alternating pages, the parallel story of the creation of the Statue of Liberty comes to life. The monument was created in France as a gift to America for its 100th birthday. Readers will learn about Barthodi, the artist who created the Statue of Liberty, and the passion that fueled his work. As the Statue of Liberty makes its way to America, so does Gitl's family. The story of the statue is as emotional and heartfelt as the journey of the immigrant family.The two stories merge as Gitl's family reaches the shores of New York. When Gitl learns that Lady Liberty came to America "...in crates, by train, then by boat," she responds, "Just like me." Wanting to choose a new name in her new country, she asks, "Is Liberty an American name?" Later, she declares, "Here in America ...my name is Liberty. But you can call me Libby."The details of both stories are fascinating, offering readers a real sense of time and place. Even adults who have general knowledge of the immigrant experience and the history of the Statue of Liberty, will discover interesting facts and details about the historical significance of the intertwined events. The stunning art is done in a muted pallet, reflecting the era represented. Yolen has done a tremendous job of bringing history to life in a dual story that is full of heart, hope, and pride. Naming Liberty is a "must have" purchase for both Jewish and secular libraries. - BARBARA BIETZ - OAK PARK, CA

Gitl, a young girl living in the Ukrainian town of Yekaterinoslaf with her three brothers and parents, feels both excited and anxious when she hears Papa's news that the family will leave the Ukraine in search of a safer life in America. Preparing for the move, which includes selling most of the family's assets and sending one of the boys ahead to America to find new work, takes two years. The process of moving such a distance with limited means in the care of a gruff agent necessitates nerves of steel in the face of long waits, uncertainty, a frightening stop at a check point, and cramped quarters for twenty days in the boat's steerage class. Gitl endures it all for the opportunity to find new freedom and a new American name for herself.As Gitl's story unfolds, Janet Yolen and Jim Burke provide the reader with a parallel story about the French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and his pursuit of the dream to build a monument in honor of America's independence and the friendship between the two countries. Building what ultimately became the Statue of Liberty took years of lobbying, fundraising, designing, plastering, carpentry, and metalwork. His ingenuity and persistence paid off when the statue was completed in 1884, dismantled the following year and shipped across the ocean in 214 crates, and reassembled upon a grand pedestal for the official unveiling ceremony on October 28, 1886.These dual stories work well together to give the reader a clear sense of the challenges that immigrants faced in traveling to America and that Bartholdi faced in building Liberty. Also woven into both stories are important economics lessons associated with financial constraints, jobs, and immigration. Burke's gorgeous oil paintings add another layer of sophistication to this informative and appealing book about seeking prosperity.

A tale with two stories: one of family and one of history.The author has written two stories: one which mirrors her families immigration and the other the creation, development, and travels of what we call "Lady Liberty" to the United States. Yolen tells of one brother who goes to the United States to get things set-up so the family can follow in time on the left side pages. The history of the `big idea' that stands in the waters off of Manhattan and her journey from idea to full statue in the bay is told on the right side pages.This book is long for the really young but would be a great book for elementary students learning about America History, Statue of Liberty, or immigration. The book has nice pictures that can help the readers see the similarities in the stories of family and of history. In a learning environment during a focused story time or part of a lesson plan this book could be utilized to encourage understanding and learning by asking questions amongst the reading that will allow the listeners to think of the immigrant and the larger then life story of a historical part of history. The pictures could be the beginning but with preparation more questions could be developed for the story.This book is recommended.