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Saving the Liberty Bell

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Readability Age Range

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Awards

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Book Review

Saving the Liberty Bell by Megan McDonald has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine.

Plot Summary

When 11-year-old John Jacob Mickley went to Philadelphia with his father in 1777, he wasn’t expecting an adventure. He tells his younger siblings how, when they arrived, they heard the Great Bell on the State House ringing. People were shouting that the Redcoats were coming and that all supplies and valuables must be hidden. The British wanted all the metal they could steal to melt down for muskets or cannons.

Colonel Benjamin Flower enlisted the help of John Jacob and his father. He gave them the secret mission of carrying the Liberty Bell back to their village, Northampton Towne. John Jacob and his father loaded the bell into the back of their wagon, covering it with straw and a lady’s petticoat. They drove nervously, knowing the Redcoats could discover them at any moment.

Fortunately, the only soldiers they encountered were General Washington and his men. The army escorted John Jacob and his father to Bethlehem, Pa. But just before they could make it home, a wagon wheel broke, and John Jacob injured his foot falling from the wagon.

Six nights later, with the wagon wheel fixed, John Jacob and his father delivered the Liberty Bell to Reverend Blumer at the Zion Reformed Church in their hometown. John Jacob tells his siblings how the bell is hidden under the church floorboards, and they must never tell. He says it will be beneath their feet as they sing hymns during worship.

Christian Beliefs

John Jacob and his father hide the Liberty Bell in the church they attend.

Other Belief Systems

None

Authority Roles

Father readily helps his country on a dangerous mission. He includes his son in that mission. General Washington offers aid in getting the Liberty Bell to safety.

Profanity & Violence

None

Sexual Content

None

Discussion Topics

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books.

Additional Comments

A historical note in the back of the book suggests there may be at least some truth to the account of John Jacob and his father carrying the Liberty Bell from Philadelphia in 1777.

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Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.