Heroes of Liberty is a new biographical series of books about famous American conservatives, written for children ages 7 through 12. The first three books in the series are titled Ronald Reagan: It's Morning in America, by Christine O'Hare; Thomas Sowell, A Self-Made Man, by Sean B. Dickson; and, Amy Coney Barrett, A Justice and a Mother, by Joyce Claiborne-West.

The stories are factual, interesting, engagingly written in language understandable to children in the target age group, and beautifully illustrated. Graphic depictions of the "heroes" look just like the real persons. This reviewer read each of the first three biographies and was impressed with their simplicity and straightforward style without political overtones.

While written for children, each book contains tidbits and factoids about the featured hero which would be interesting to people of all ages. For example, the Reagan biography aptly focuses on Reagan's background and path to the presidency, then covers the story of the Cold War. But an entertaining description of President Reagan's telephone call to an ordinary citizen, Reginald Andrews, makes Reagan the man come alive. Andrews was returning from a job interview on the subway when he saved another man who had fallen on the tracks between two trains. Reagan read about Andrews' bravery in the newspaper and telephoned to congratulate him. The president urged him to take care of the knee injury he sustained during the rescue, then he contacted the company where Andrews had interviewed to put in a good word for him. Andrews got the job.

This reviewer was most impressed by the Thomas Sowell biography, perhaps because his background is less well known. Sowell's early life was chaotic, but his story is a wonderful example of achievement and an inspiration for overcoming obstacles. Again, an engaging vignette captures not only the imaginations of children, but also of adult readers.

When Sowell was nine years old, the aunt who had become his guardian moved the family from her home in the south to New York City. It was a huge adjustment, and young Sowell's new school was skeptical of the quality of his education in the south. The teachers wanted him to repeat third grade, but Sowell had worked very hard at his studies and wanted to enter fourth grade. He told his teachers that he was not going back to third grade. When advised that this was not possible, he asked to see the principal. The teachers were understandably taken aback at the child's request, but he did get his audience with the principal.

When confronted with the child's resolve, the principal decided to give young Sowell a few difficult math problems to test his abilities. The child solved them all in short order, and the principal sent young Sowell on to fourth grade. The balance of this biography is equally engaging.

The Amy Coney Barrett biography recounts the story of Barrett's early life and ascendance to the high court, but as the title indicates, it also describes her life as a mother. A charming anecdote recounts how, when the Barretts adopted their daughter, Vivian, from Haiti, they also met a little boy they fell in love with and wanted to adopt. But while they were able to eventually take Vivian home, they had to leave John behind due to governmental red tape. After the island nation was struck by a terrible earthquake, the Barretts received a phone call asking if they still wanted to adopt John. Of course they did, and the adoption went through. The point of this aspect of the story is the importance of family to the talented Supreme Court Justice.

Attacks on the Publisher

These wholesome, factual stories for children about conservative icons did not sit well with the titans of social media. When editor Mandel set up a Facebook page on behalf of Heroes of Liberty Publishing to advertise the new book series, the page was taken down in record time. As reported by the New York Post, the company's account was locked for violating Facebook's policy on "Low Quality or Disruptive Content."

The publisher appealed to Facebook to reconsider but was rebuffed. When a public outcry ensued, the account was reinstated, and the familiar mantra of the left was repeated by Facebook spokesman Andy Stone, who claimed the account had been locked "due to an error." The Post added that Stone "failed to elaborate" and that Heroes of Liberty was not informed of the reinstatement.

Mandel reportedly detailed the company's interaction with Facebook in an op-ed for The Post, calling the decision to block the account a "financial setback."

"Apparently, an illustrated biography celebrating the achievements of President Reagan is no longer permissible according to our Big Tech cultural overlords," Mandel wrote. "They have informed us that our content is ‘disruptive' and locked our ad account, our data banks, our digital assets."

The Facebook account has been restored for now, and the company is forging ahead with new additions to the series. The Heroes of Liberty website is showcasing new biographies about John Wayne, Margaret Thatcher and Alexander Hamilton. The website observes: "Introducing greatness to our children is the best way to give them valuable life lessons and connect them to our heritage and founding principles." Can we get an "Amen"?

The Education Reporter Book Review is a project of America’s Future, Inc. To find out more about America’s Future, visit AmericasFuture.net.

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