From Publisher's Weekly: "Bold, painterly spreads by Ransome (Before She Was Harriet) give shape to the lives of an enslaved family whose days are ruled by the overseer’s bell."

A story about a slave family, the brother and his friends escape. Ben was not found, main character believes he is now free. It was confusing for me and I may not share with children. Perhaps I will read again and reconsider. ( )

This book is suitable for intermediate students. It is about a slave family who share a very strong family tie. One day, the brother disappears and the family has to wrestle with losing him but also rejoicing in the hopefulness that he has freed himself. This book illustrates the challenge slaves had to face with choosing to attempt to free themselves or stay with their family. It is a really intense book that portrays the pain and reality of freedom that slaves had to endure. I can not decide if I would want to use this book in my classroom. It is extremely hard to read and it shows the reality of pain that slaves dealt with. It is effective and an important topic to understand but I do not know if it is appropriate for young students. I would consider it for classroom use for older students. ( )

The Bell Rang adheres to an audience of second graders. This book is a simple read, but carries heavy concepts for children as it deals with the harsh realities of slavery and the adversity that came with it. Perseverance is a key lesson learned from this book through the repetition seen from page to page and is a good introduction into conversations surrounding the topic of slavery for a young audience. ( )

This book is ages 4-8. It is about a young girl who grows up in slavery and one of her friends ends up getting free, they think. But, they are not sure if the beat him to death or if he is really free. It goes day to day what happens each day. ( )