If You Were There in 1776

Demonstrates how the concepts and principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence were drawn from the experiences of living in America in the late eighteenth century, with emphasis given to how children lived on a New England farm, a Southern plantation, and the frontier.

Let Barbara Brenner take you on a lively tour that reveals the spirit of the times. She helps you imagine what you'd have been doing back in the exciting days of 1776.

School Library Journal

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

Barbara Brenner, William H. Hooks and Betty Boegehold are veterans of the Bank Street College Media Group and between their efforts have hundreds of children's publications to their credit, including the ALA Notable books Pioneer Cat (Hooks) and Wagon Wheels (Brenner).