I read Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers to our 4th graders, which describes the history of the Statue of Liberty. It describes the initial spark of the idea of this gift from France to celebrate the centennial of America's freedom and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The reader learns that the structure was designed and built in France, only to be immediately dismantled and shipped to the United States. The reconstruction of the statue in New York City took 17 months to complete, and 35 years for her to oxidize and turn that lovely shade of bluish green.
In addition to the history of the book, Eggers points out the fact that Lady Liberty is "on the move" -- the angle of her right foot makes it appear that she is walking. Why? One theory is that she is welcoming the immigrants and walking to them. Or that she has shed those chains and is exercising her freedom. Or maybe even both. Either way, it was an interesting book with bright collage illustrations.
Many students shared immigrant stories of parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents, and it was interesting to hear about the many countries their families moved from. When I explained that offer immigrants could only choose a few personal items to take with them to start a life in a new country, I asked them to share what items they would choose. Some ideas were practical (passport, money, food and water) while others—not so much (X-box). My favorite responses were books!
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