Give Me Liberty

By Elliott, Laura Malone

Publishers Summary:
Thirteen-year-old Nathaniel Dunn is an indentured servant in colonial Virginia. Life is hard, and it's about to get harder when Nathaniel is sold. But in a twist of luck, he meets Basil, a kind, elderly schoolmaster. An arrangement is struck lending Nathaniel's labor to a Williamsburg carriage maker with strong loyalist ties in a town increasingly led by patriots such as Thomas Jefferson. Basil introduces Nathaniel to music, books, and philosophies that open his mind and heart to daring new attitudes on equality. The year is 1775. Colonists are enraged by England's taxation. When Virginia organizes a protest embargo of British goods, patriots and loyalists clash. Soon Patrick Henry's impassioned words "give me liberty, or give me death" become the sounding call. Should Nathaniel and Basil join the fight? And what is the meaning of "liberty" in a country that depends on indentured servants and slaves? Nathaniel grapples with the choices a dawning nation lays before him and the possibility of facing his closest friend in battle as the American Revolution explodes in Virginia. L. M. Elliott's gripping account captures the hopes and dilemmas of a boy caught up in this crucial turning point in American history.

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ISBN
978-0-06074-422-9
Publisher
HarperCollins


REVIEWS

School Library Journal

Reviewed on September 1, 2006

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 avoid trouble, he cannot help but be caught up in...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

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