  | Saving Lady Liberty : Joseph Pulitzer's fight for the Statue of Liberty Author: Friddell, Claudia | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
The story of how the Statue of Liberty got its pedestal when Joseph Pulitzer, a Jewish immigrant and famous newsman, created one of the first American crowdfunding campaigns to raise money for it.
| Illustrator: | Innerst, Stacy |
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: LG Reading Level: 5.90 Points: .5 Quiz: 509876 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (03/01/20)
School Library Journal (04/01/20)
Booklist (+) (04/15/20)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/06/20)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 04/01/2020 PreS-Gr 4—This nonfiction picture book sheds light on Joseph Pulitzer's connection to Lady Liberty and his role in bringing the American icon to the United States. Born in 1847 in Mako, Hungary, Pulitzer moved to America to fight in the Civil War and went on to become a successful newspaper publisher and philanthropist. At the 1878 Paris World's Fair, he became fascinated with the Statue of Liberty and began to actively campaign to bring the statue to the States. He eventually reached out to fellow Americans through his newspaper and offered to print the stories of anyone who made a donation. Young readers will particularly enjoy reproductions of donation letters from kids, pledging money to support the cause. Innerst uses watercolor and acrylic paint, with some ink drawings. Back matter includes fun facts about the Statue of Liberty and Pulitzer, a bibliography, an afterword, a time line, and photos of the statue during its construction and inauguration. VERDICT Although biographies about Pulitzer aren't likely to fly off the shelf, this one is a good jumping-off point for discussions of civic responsibility and philanthropy. A solid, if somewhat additional, purchase for most libraries.—Jennifer Knight, North Olympic Library System, Port Angeles, WA - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
School Library Journal - 04/01/2020 - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 04/15/2020 *Starred Review* Unable to spark sufficient financial support from government or wealthy donors to complete a pedestal on which to place France’s centennial gift to the U.S., newspaper owner Joseph Pulitzer turned to the public for what Friddell dubs “the world’s first crowdfunding effort” and raised more than $100,000. In this soaring account, which spans Pulitzer's birth in Hungary to Lady Liberty’s debut in 1886, the author highlights both Pulitzer's rags-to-riches personal success story and his profound idealism: he “had always loved words. And the word he loved best was liberty.” Innerst adds to the high tone of this celebration with impressionistically brushed scenes of Lady Liberty’s grand features, her frail-looking champion bouncing back from multiple reverses, and ordinary people pitching in coins and small bills to see the iconic statue raised at last. Along with a spread of letters (presumably real ones) that arrived with these contributions (“I am a little girl only eight years old. I send 10 cents), supporting matter includes an afterword, period photos, a time line, lists of basic facts about both the statue and Pulitzer, and a generous reading list. Though histories of the Statue of Liberty often mention Pulitzer’s campaign, this is the most detailed presentation for younger audiences to date. Just another immigrant getting the job done. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.
Booklist - 04/15/2020 - Copyright 2020 Booklist.
