Give Me Liberty!: The Story of the Declaration of Independence by Russell Freedman (Holiday House, 2000) gives a thorough account of the early days of the Revolutionary War with a storytelling voice, making it a highly accessible and interesting middle grade nonfiction book. The title suggests that the book is about the Declaration of Independence, although the main focus of the book is the events and reasons behind the eventual writing of the Declaration.
Although the book gives details and dates, a few significant dates are emphasized in the Table of Contents for the book, and these four dates underscore the importance of those events to the cause of freedom and separation from England. These are the Boston Tea Party, Lexington and Concord, Battles of Bunker Hill, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Chapters have plenty more details and dates, and a thorough multiple page index follows. Pages of text are broken up by artwork of the events from history and portraits of the significant people. Captions accompany all illustrations. The text as a whole is large enough to provide an easy reading experience and the feel of plenty of white space.
As a fan of history and a person who truly loves learning about the Revolutionary era, I really enjoyed this overview of the events and causes. It truly painted a picture of just why the colonists were ready for independence. It would be a great book for students to read or reference for learning about the early Revolutionary War and the need for the Declaration of Independence.
