LILY AND MISS LIBERTY

It's 1885; the Statue of Liberty is coming, but can't be assembled until a pedestal has been built and paid for. Almost everyone in Miss Pearson's N.Y.C. class is contributing, but Lily can't find even the smallest job to raise money; and, anyway, her mother thinks it should go to the poor rather than to some statue. Then inspiration strikes: Lily will make cardboard crowns to sell. The timing is perfect, the crowns sell like hotcakes, and Lily even gets mentioned in Mr. Pulitzer's World. Later, she gives part of her earnings to an impoverished classmate who proudly adds the money to the Pedestal Fund. The author captures the excitement of the statue's arrival, while Lily's contacts with neighbors and local shopkeepers nicely evoke the flavor of old New York's close-knit ethnic communities. Following simple directions given at the end, modern readers can make their own crowns. Celebratory and well-done. Illustrations frequent, but not seen. (Fiction. 9-12)