The Bell Rang
What's The Bell Rang About
A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019 A young slave girl witnesses the heartbreak and hopefulness of her family and their plantation community when her brother escapes for freedom in this brilliantly conceived picture book by Coretta Scott King Award winner James E. Ransome. Every single morning, the overseer of the plantation rings the bell. Daddy gathers wood. Mama cooks. Ben and the other slaves go out to work. Each day is the same. Full of grueling work and sweltering heat. Every day, except one, when the bell rings and Ben is nowhere to be found. Because Ben ran. Yet, despite their fear and sadness, his family remains hopeful that maybe, just maybe, he made it North. That he is free. An ode to hope and a powerful tribute to the courage of those who ran for freedom, The Bell Rang is a stunning reminder that our past can never be forgotten.
What Kind of Book is The Bell Rang
Reviews
"With spare text and gorgeous illustrations, this work represents a unique and engaging perspective on enslaved families."
"Stories about escaping people often follow the journeys of those leaving; this one imagines what life was like for a family left behind."
Book Lists That Include The Bell Rang
The Creative Behind the Book
James E. Ransome’s highly acclaimed illustrations for Before She Was Harriett received the 2018 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. His other award-winning titles include Coretta Scott King Honor Book Uncle Jed’s Barbershop; Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt; and Let My People Go, winner of the NAACP Image Award. He frequently collaborates with his wife, author Lesa Cline-Ransome. Some of their titles include Game Changers: The Story of Venus Serena Williams, which received four starred reviews; My Story, My Dance: Robert Battle’s Journey to Alvin Ailey; and Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass. Mr. Ransome teaches illustration at Pratt Institute and lives in upstate New York with his family. Visit James at JamesRansome.com.
Awards Given to The Bell Rang
What Has James E. Ransome Said About This Book
Nothing yet! Let James E. Ransome know that you want to hear from them about their book.
More Books by James E. Ransome
Other Books You Might Enjoy If You Liked The Bell Rang
Book Details
- ISBN
- 9781442421134
- Publication Date
- January 15, 2019
- Publisher
- Atheneum Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
- Text Details
- The text for this book was set in Archer
- Illustration Details
- The illustrations for this book were rendered in acrylics.
- Page Count
- 40
- Words Per Page
- 13
- Audience
- Picture
- Reading Age
- 4 - 8 years
- Lib. of Congress (LCCN)
- 2018020589
- WorldCat Number (OCLC)
- 1040083456
- Est. Lexile® Level
- ~202L
- Est. Fountas & Pinnell Level
- ~G
- ATOS® Book Level
- 1.8
- Accelerated Reader® Points
- 0.5
- Accelerated Reader Interest Level
- LG
Contribute to this page
Are you the author or illustrator? Claim your book.