bookshelf

FOR LIBERTY

Name: FOR LIBERTY
Author: Timothy Decker
ISBN: 978-1-59078-608-6

THE STORY OF THE BOSTON MASSACRE

by Timothy Decker & illustrated by Timothy Decker ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2009

bookshelf

“By March 5, 1770, it was dangerous to be a soldier in Boston.” In a few lines of terse prose illustrated with densely hatched black-and-white pictures, Decker lays out the causes of the tension between Bostonians and British troops, and then delivers a blow-by-blow account of events on that March night and the ensuing trials. Along with casting a grim tone over all, his dark, crowded illustrations capture the incident’s confusion and also add details to the narrative. Despite some questionable choices—he names most of the soldiers but none of the casualties, and except for a row of coffins in one picture, never mentions how many actually died—the author leaves readers with a general understanding of what happened, and with a final scene of John Adams (who defended the soldiers in court) pondering the necessity of protecting true Liberty from the “lawless mob,” some food for thought as well. (Informational picture book. 9-10)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-59078-608-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2009

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION | GENERAL GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS

- BOOK REVIEW
LIES IN THE DUST
by Jakob Crane ; illustrated by Timothy Decker

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PUNK ETHIC
by Timothy Decker

- BOOK REVIEW
RUN FAR, RUN FAST
by Timothy Decker & illustrated by Timothy Decker

bookshelf

DREAMS ARE MORE REAL THAN BATHTUBS

by Susan Musgrave ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 15, 1999

bookshelf

The dream phantasms of a high-spirited narrator intersect, even crowd, reality, but the stream-of-consciousness text makes for a rambling, radically personal tale. Playful images of a stuffed lion, trampoline, purple shoes, and a cat named Pine-Cone take hold in a young girl’s imagination, despite her “old” mother who makes her go to bed when she’d rather “stay up early” and a big sister with a cranky disposition. At home, she likes counting flea bites and pretending to be a worm, but is afraid of the dark and going to Grade One. The second half of the book takes off in a separate first-day-of school direction. Wild dreams precede the big day, which includes bullies on the playground and instant friend Chelsea. The childlike articulations of the text are endearing, but not quite of universal interest, and don’t add up to a compelling story; children may more readily warm to Gay’s illustrations, which include a dreamlike flying cat, a menacing hot dog, and an uproarious stuffed toy looming over everyday domestic scenes. (Picture book. 4-7)