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25th out of 40 books
—
14 voters
Give Me Liberty
For thirteen-year-old Nathaniel, an indentured servant in colonial Virginia, life is hard. Though things improve with the help of a kind master named Basil-who shares music, books, and philosophies on equality-around him the climate is heating up. It's 1775 and colonists are enraged by England's taxation. Patrick Henry's words "give me liberty, or give me death" become the...more
Hardcover, 384 pages
Published
September 5th 2006
by Katherine Tegen Books
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From Sept 2006 SLJ
Gr 5-8-Thirteen-year-old indentured servant Nathaniel Dunn arrives in Williamsburg in 1774 to work for the local carriage maker. As the royal governor and the king's loyalists attempt to control the colonists more tightly, it becomes apparent that there will be no peaceful resolution to the tension. Through his friendship with an elderly schoolmaster, Nathaniel is exposed to music, philosophy, and the political ideas of the day. While his inclination is to keep to himself and a...more
Gr 5-8-Thirteen-year-old indentured servant Nathaniel Dunn arrives in Williamsburg in 1774 to work for the local carriage maker. As the royal governor and the king's loyalists attempt to control the colonists more tightly, it becomes apparent that there will be no peaceful resolution to the tension. Through his friendship with an elderly schoolmaster, Nathaniel is exposed to music, philosophy, and the political ideas of the day. While his inclination is to keep to himself and a...more
May 01, 2008
Terry
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
historical fiction fans, teens, preteens, teachers, librarians
Shelves:
middle-grade-readers,
ya-12-and-up
Under “normal” circumstances, life is filled with complexities for young adolescents. The year is 1774 and you have landed in Williamsburg, Virginia. Meet Nathanial Dunn, 13, parent-less, and penniless. He is forced into indentured servitude and to top it all, there is talk of war with England and rebellion among the slaves.
Although the story is fictional, Nathaniel’s experiences are authentic and accurately describe the issues, events, and personalities that led to the founding of the United S...more
Although the story is fictional, Nathaniel’s experiences are authentic and accurately describe the issues, events, and personalities that led to the founding of the United S...more
My son and I read this together and we loved the story, the characters, and the rich historical content. A great read for anyone who loves historical fiction and coming-of-age stories of empowerment. I also appreciate the author's balanced perspective of patriots and loyalists, and how she portrays the complexity and socioeconomic aspects of the political conflict of the time in the story, without sacrificing the dramatic momentum of the story. In a nutshell, this book made a big impression on m...more
I found this book very mediocre...it had a nice storyline, yet I felt that all of the characters, especially Nathaniel Dunn--the main character--were shallow and dull. And while I'm getting myself started, might I spoil the fact that the 'love story' between Nathaniel and Maria, is nothing more than a pathetic crush! All and all, ok. Oh, and also, if you've been to Williamsburg, VA, you will appreciate hearing about all of the sites! :)
This book is a gem. I think it is an excellent book for boys or girls. It would be a great companion to Chains. I love the idea of re-thinking history as it is being retold through the eyes of different social groups who participated in those historical events. The events rising up to the Revolutionary War are told through the eyes of a 13 year-old indentured servant boy. Excellent read.
I thought it tied together events and people of the American Revolution in a way that was easy and enjoyable for students to read. My 5th graders didn't like the beginning but LOVED the end. I think that is because the story is about a young boy who becomes an indentured servant and the plot is quite twisted in the begininng. It is challenging text for a 5th grader but well worth the effort.
Great story about the revolution in Williamsburg. Fast paced, lots of action and dialog. Mostly "show me" style of writing, very little "tell me." Love Basil, the schoolmaster who says that the war (and everything important) is won with words, not actions. Makes strong point of how the founding fathers kept talking about "freedom" yet never freed the enslaved Africans. Nicely weaves in famous people such as Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and others.
I liked this by the end but the first half was soooo slow and I couldn't get through it. There is a LOT of "educational" narrative and although it was interesting at times, I felt like it just slowed down the story. It did make me think about a lot of different perspectives from the Revolutionary War era that I hadn't before.
This book is about an indentured servent who finds freedom after a long journy. I only rated it 3 starts because it started off really slow until about half way through. Its kinda cool how the author decribes what it was like to be the main character in this book.
So far Give Me Liberty is very interesting and has lots of details in it. I gave this book a 5 star rating because one of my friends has read this book before and they said it was really good so I trust them and am giving this book 5 stars.
I enjoyed reading about Nathaniel's journey as he grows from someone reacting to life into a thinker and doer. His growth parallels the struggles going on in the larger picture as the new colonies begin to rebel against the British.
Super book for teens. Addresses issues such as Courage, friendship, slavery, servitude, government, linguistics, morality, war, and more. The story, told from the viewpoint of a 14-year-old boy is engaging and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It was ok. A little heavy-handed on the history. I am not sure that kids who are not interested in historical fiction would enjoy this. Seems like it was well researched, and it was a nice refresher for me on Revolutionary War elements. But I've read better historical fiction.
Aug 01, 2011
Jennifer Kujath
added it
Read it to see if it was ok to read to my third graders when we study that period in Social Studies. It was pretty good.
I think this book was a amazing and enticing. Elliott made a great book combining real historical events and a lovable story
Really enjoyed this book. Lots of things to talk about - historical issues, character flaws/strengths, learning experiences etc.
I love historical fiction and found this book about the beginnings of the revolutionary war a fun and fast read.
Very, very good...to this day, people will walk up to me and say, "Give me liberty or give me death!"
This was a Novel Study book. It was okay, but it was DEFINETELY better than Across Five Aprils!
This book was great.. If you like historical fiction, this is a great one..
Emmy
Emmy
It just felt like it ended abruptly which made the story seem incomplete...
It was a really good book and was just the type of book I like to read.
Sep 23, 2011
Lindsay
added it
i didnt rlly like the way the theme came across
Enjoyed learning more about pre-revolution America. There is much I have forgotten from my history classes, and this was a fun way to revisit.
This was not a book that demanded to be read in a single sitting, but it was a good plot with good characters, and an excellent retelling of the American Revolution. If you want to know more about the time period without opening a history book this is a great alternative.
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My goodness! This came quite quite unexpectedly in my mailbox today. I had forgotten that she had said that she would send it to me! What a nice surprise and inscription that she wrote. Really made my day (which, incidentally, I spent at a re-enactment.)
Great YA historical fiction!! Best explaination of why we fought Rev War! Great intro to Williamsburg. As parents, both my husband and I loved it and our 8 yr old son -- who got us into it -- was fascinated. Thank you Laura Elliott.
This was a really great historical fiction novel set in the Revolutionary War time period. Be sure to read the author's note!
I'm reading this with some kids in Maddy's class, our Lit Circle that just started last week. The kids are really excited about it!
Sep 09, 2012
Ashley
added it
I don't like this Book because it's super boring. My cousin would like this book because he's a history major.
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L. M. Elliott is author of the young adult (YA) historical novels: Under a War-torn Sky, a Notable Book in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC), a Jefferson Cup Honor Book, winner of Border’s Original Voices Award for YA Literature, and a finalist for the Iowa, PA, SC, and MD state teen literature awards; Annie, Between the States, a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, IRA Teachers’ choice, and VA...more
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