Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 4-8. After setting the year 1776 into a world context and briefly describing the colonies and rebels, Brenner fleshes out the world, combining a look at what children were doing then (in chapters entitled "What's for Dinner?" and "At Play," for example) with a tour of the diverse populations of the colonies. Separate chapters on Native Americans and slaves make clear the groups the signers of the Declaration of Independence did not intend to include in their document. The illustrations include many examples that go beyond conventional pictures of colonial life. Notes; bibliography. ~--Mary Harris Veeder
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-After briefly sketching early colonial history and citing some of the tensions leading to the break with England, Brenner presents an interesting survey of everyday life in 1776. Clothing, food, work, religion, and recreation are discussed, as are Native peoples and slaves. Also, the six largest cities are visited. Reproductions of prints and paintings illustrate the book. Information on this subject is readily available in any number of sources, such as the new ``Colonial American'' series (Watts), Alice M. Earle's Home Life in Colonial Days (1991) and Child Life in Colonial Days (1989, both Omnigraphics), etc. The author's inclusion of details of how peoples' lives began to change as a result of the Revolution and her accessible style are the selling points here. Both budding historians and report writers will find this title worth their time.-Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Using an approach similiar to that of 'If You Were There in 1492' (Bradbury), Brenner describes people and events of both the New and Old Worlds at the time of the Revolutionary War, while maintaining primary focus on the American colonies -- vocations, dress, home life, recreations. In addition to Brenner's sketches, the book includes reproductions from such sources as Colonial Williamsburg and the Library of Congress. Bib., ind. From HORN BOOK 1994, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
