And Round Me Rings: Bell Tales and Folklore

by Ann Spencer

Named Notable Book by the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award in the intermediate fiction category

Selected by the Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education as one of the 2004 Best Children’s Books for the Year


Bells play such an extraordinary role in our lives it is not surprising that many people believe that bells have souls. In And Round Me Rings Ann Spencer has gathered together a treasury of fascinating bell facts, lore, and stories. She describes curfew bells, fire alarms, and the bell of justice that rings out a criminal’s fate. She writes about bells with centuries of history, melted down into cannons during times of war and then recast as bells in times of peace, only to become cannons once again. And of course she describes the Liberty Bell, the symbol of America’s freedom.

Around the world, people have created bells to mark the important moments in our lives: disaster, death, bad weather, victory, and happiness. And Round Me Rings is a unique and absorbing collection of stories from the world’s folklore – and much more.

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2003

Reviews

[Stephanie H]

A compilation of tales, rhymes, and folklore about bells, And Round Me Rings is definitely an interesting book. I enjoyed most of the tales, and thought the writing was compelling enough. However, I don’t quite understand why this book exists at all, the sources are not nearly enough to bolster some of the claims made, and there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of rhyme or reason to any part of the book. It was just a lot of stories about bells in no particular order. I enjoyed the book, but I’m still left questioning why it was written and how many other people would be interested in such a ridiculously niche topic without any explanation of why it’s worth reading about.

[Sharon Thurnell]

I have read this book as few times now. I really enjoy these stories. Great to read while your looking for you next book or when you just want to read a short story. Very interesting stories . Well written and research.

[Vanessa Dargain]

A good book to read with Charles Dickens' THE CHIMES . Both are a nice reflection on the world before digital time keeping .