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Thank you for your understanding. ~ Lynda
My review of For You They Signed, by Marilyn Boyer
I've enjoyed the thoroughness, the attention to detail in noticing God-honoring character in each of the 56 men, and the quotes shared, by Marilyn in her book For You They Signed. She has done a superb job in writing this book!
I would recommend it to anyone, from grandparents to any home-educated students who are willing to read this book and appreciate it for the invaluable life studies it contains. It's a great book to read through, or skip around in, to learn as much as we are willing to tackle, in one sitting. Why? Because it's hard to put it down!
Marilyn Boyer has packed so many goodies into her book, and so much that's helpful for us to know about these 56 men, that I am quite inspired by just being allowed to read through it. I am glad to get to learn all I can from her research on the lives of these men, who put their lives on the line for our sake, for the sake of their children or the children of others, and for the sake of those in their home towns, in order to draft and then, later, discuss and sign the Declaration of Independence.
Some of the 56 men are men about whom I knew nearly nothing before opening up this book! This book has also taught me more than I ever knew about this worthy & honorable group of men! Many of these men had families who had to run the farm while they were away. Their wives and children were more than willing to sacrifice quite a lot, just so these husbands and fathers could participate in this process. Their families (of the married men) knew the men felt compelled by The Lord Almighty to be a part of this process, so that they could help form a nation where men could live by the "unalienable rights" that our Creator has "endowed" each one (citizen) with.
What an exciting, challenging, yet life-endangering, process! Yet they weighed the risks they took and believed what they were doing was right, under God!
For You They Signed will enable me to do many more studies about these men whose lives exemplify character I’d like my sons to emulate. I home educate my younger 3 children, who are aged 16, 14 and almost-11. My children are getting the blessed benefit of becoming acquainted with men of high moral character: men who feared God more than a tyrannical king who had been their earthly authority; men who wanted to acknowledge what they believed to be their "necessary" duties in dissociating themselves from the one to whom they were previously "bound," and who wanted to "assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them."
How do you sum up a 50-year (or an 80-year) lifespan in only a few paragraphs? Marilyn has used her God-given gifts to accomplish this through the cameos she’s written so well. I hope to continue to share with my children from these cameos to fill our coming year with inspirational readings we can all benefit from! We'll be able to learn so much more, by taking it a piece at a time, so we can digest it well.
In Marilyn’s book, the artistic elements she used (shaded areas for some quotes) and well-drawn sketches by her illustrator, plus the areas in which she shared information about place of birth, education, occupation, etc., all helped to give an artistically-balanced look to this book. For artist-type moms or children, this element of her book helps hold our interest while reading it.
Having also been given the privilege of learning about some of our Founding Fathers through David Barton’s ministry, Wall Builders, I am so glad to see that Marilyn used David’s inspiration to lead her to write such a helpful book, for educators, parents and children to all gain wisdom & Godly character lessons from!
My 16-year-old son told me "this book is thorough and it is interesting."
The questions at chapter ends will provide for some great family discussions! They require much thought and show how carefully Marilyn planned this book to help our children develop their thinking abilities. Thank you, Marilyn!
Marilyn's character sketches on the lives of Matthew Thornton, Richard Henry Lee and George Wythe opened my eyes to much I wish I had known, about them, long ago. However, please understand how hard it is not to list quite a few more names, here, of those men whose lives can inspire our sons to greatness!
I'm so thankful to New Leaf Publishing Group (New Leaf Press) for giving me the opportunity to review this book! wow! Thank you, New Leaf Publishing Group! What a great book to get to review!
The accompanying activity book (180 pages in length) will be enjoyed by anyone who has a teachable attitude. I especially like the cards that link a Scripture verse and a character quality to each of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence! This activity book is available for free to anyone who purchases For You They Signed.
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First I would like to say how sorry I am that this wasn't posted sooner. We have had a rough month, the dryer died, kids have been sick, vehicles have broken down, and family emergencies have arisen. That being said I have loved this book! It is absolutely wonderful. I was a history major in college, I have a teaching certificate and a master's degree and I didn't know really any of the things found in this book.
We started using it as a devotional for the family since my 7th grader is doing Texas History and my 9th grader is doing Geography this year. I recently had someone recommend to me that we do a devotional at dinner, which with everyone's hectic schedule we do manage to all eat together at least 98% of the time. It has been wonderful to say the least. I read about one of the signers on Sunday and throughout the week we discuss that person and their beliefs. Doing one a week we would make it through the book in a little over a year but we find them so exciting we are going to start doing two a week so it won't take us a year but will still be very fulfilling. As the book suggests these men make wonderful character studies. I highly recommend you do these with your family.
I cannot say enough about this book, Marilyn did a fabulous job! This is what our children need to be learning a true depiction of the principles this country was founded on. As you read you will get a sense of unease at how far off track our nation has become and you start thinking of what is needed to get it back on track.
If you buy the book, you will get access to a Family Activity Guide online that Marilyn has also written as a companion book. It includes coloring pages for the little ones and much more! You can find out how to get this companion book in the section titled "Suggestions for Using This Book". Buy this book here at Amazon.com
Liberty. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways all 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence loved thee. Marilyn Boyer captured my attention in For You They Signed. This fantastic book features all 56 founding fathers; a history of their life; a handsome drawing of each signer; his signature; a Bible verse that represents that signer; a character trait; a quote from each signer; vital statistics and family information, if married; a record of their public service; questions for discussion; and insightful information to make you think.
Wow! I can't think of another educational book that is filled with so much treasure for you and your family to discover. The book even comes with a FREE bonus--a family activity guide. It is a gift that Mrs. Boyer makes available to all who purchase her truly inspiring book. The companion guide features fun quizzes so you can use them in a game format, if desired. It also has coloring pages that the little ones can enjoy as they listen and learn. There are weekly character qualities with verses written in calligraphy for memorization. These look nice hanging on the fridge, or perhaps you might use them for copy work. The book is set up so the lead teacher, parent, or even student has no prep work. Just pick the book up and begin the adventure.
I love history. I envision each person or scene in my mind as I read. Boyer's descriptions and illustrations make that easy to do. My daughter is 13 and doesn't exactly love history the way I love it, however, she was excited to learn about one particular signer of the Declaration of Independence--a fellow from North Carolina. We have never lived in North Carolina nor have we spent much time learning about the wonderful state. Any guesses why my non-history loving teen would very much want to learn about this particular signer? I'll tell you since there is really not much chance in you guessing correctly. His name is John Penn. Our family name is Penn. My daughter LOVES learning about her family history, so anyone with our surname is sure to be a hit. It's funny how she really doesn't care much about history, but loves to learn about her family history. It is a fun and sneaky way to include history in her studies without her thinking she is actually learning history. I must say though, she is passionate about her faith and liberty.
John Penn was a peacemaker. His Bible verse is James 3:17. The New Living Translation says: "But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere." Since verses are given, the book lends itself for Bible study that ties in beautifully with the heritage lessons I want my daughter to grasp. We explored the verse and discussed why Boyer chose "Peacemaker" as Mr. Penn's character trait. Further reading of his story paints a life lesson as to why he was truly a peacemaker and a real man of God. Mrs. Boyer's discussion questions require deeper thinking. They are not simple regurgitation of facts, nor are they easy yes or no answers. The questions help you apply the Christian qualities of the founding fathers to your own life. My daughter enjoyed learning about John Penn. She also thought the book was very interesting and well written. What a blessing it was to spend time together learning quality lessons about the founding of our great nation.
For You They Signed made such a positive impact on my daughter and myself, we both decided to use it in our small co-op that begins in January. It will be exciting to share and grow with the kids as we all learn about the true Christian heritage of our beloved country and the precious liberty that was given to us by such brave, selfless, and God-fearing men.
You can obtain your copy of this valuable book at Amazon. I invite you follow Master Books and Marilyn Boyer on Facebook. If you enjoyed reading this review, please leave a comment.
Thank you for taking time to read about the fun my daughter and I enjoyed together as we perused For You They Signed.
How many signers of the Declaration of Independence can you name? I could only name a few. I wasn't born and raised in America so I had a good excuse :). I am now an American and I want to teach my children the Christian heritage of this nation. It is important to let them know that our Founding Fathers feared God, not men. It is important for them to understand that the signers of the Declaration of Independence relied on God's principles, provision, and power. It is important to teach them to value and preserve their freedom. Our youth in general today tend to look at athletes, musicians, and celebrities as their heroes. I desire to show my kids that Jesus is our #1 Hero. And then godly Christ's followers whose lives demonstrate righteousness, faithfulness, devotion to God, integrity, moral values, and Biblical virtues are the ones who deserve to be called heroes. That's why I like to read biographies and autobiographies of great godly men to my children. Besides Bible study, character-building is on the top of my "must-teach" list :).
For You They Signed combines history and character-building into one convenient resource. The author presents biographical summaries of 56 brave men who signed the Declaration of Independence. This book helps readers see the character and Christian faith of these men who risked so much in order that we could enjoy freedom. Their firm faith, courage, and sacrifice are truly inspirational. I love what William Ellery of Rhode Island said: "I was determined to see how they all looked as they signed what might be their death warrants. I placed myself beside the secretary, Charles Thompson, and eyed each closely as he affixed his name to the document. Undaunted resolution was displayed on every countenance." (page 57) Undaunted resolution! Undaunted = not discouraged or disheartened, fearless! It was a matter of life and death; yet they were undaunted because (I believe) they placed their lives in God's hands as they sought freedom.
It's suggested that this book can be used as a family devotional, a complete resource for a single mom to teach her children Bible, character, & history, a self-study for students to work through on their own, a group study/a unit study, or an inspirational general reading for junior high age through adults. I use it as our read-aloud book in our homeschool. I have been reading it to my three children (9, 12, 17). This thick hardcover book looked somewhat intimidating to my kids :). They feel that lots of sentences (from many quotes) are long-winded (probably due to the style of writing back then :)). However, lively discussions take place during and after reading about each signer. Many interesting tidbits stand out. My 17 yo daughter noted, "I like Matthew Thornton's work ethic since I can identify with him. Once he didn't change his clothes for ten days while working on starting the New Hampshire government. To me, this shows dedication. As a result, New Hampshire was the first of the 13 colonies to create their own government apart from Great Britain." When you purchase this book, you will find a code in the book for a free download of a Family Activity Guide online. The activity guide includes coloring pages, weekly character qualities with verses for memorization, and fun quizzes. I ask my kids questions and reward them with chocolate for correct answers. That helps motivate them to pay closer attention while I read :). I am thinking about making "trading cards" of all the 56 signers by having their portrait on one side and the important facts about them on the other side and then laminating all the cards. I think the "trading cards" will be a fun tool to help my kids remember what they have learned.
If you love history (which is really His story), you will enjoy this book. If you like character-building material for your kids, you will appreciate this book. If you want accurate, thoroughly-researched American history and a faith-exemplifying & character-building resource, you will treasure this book. How thankful I am to have a valuable tool such as this book to help us pass on a godly heritage to our family!
"This is all the inheritance I can give my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed." ~Patrick Henry (By the way, Patrick Henry's speech delivered to signers, "Our Heritage of Freedom" is included as Appendix B in this book)
To read other reviews of this book and to vote for my review (if you like it), visit Christian Home School Hub.
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To follow Marilyn Boyer on Facebook, click here.
~I received this book for free from New Leaf Publishing Group in an exchange for my honest review.
When David Barton recommends a book, I pay attention. So when the author of For You They Signed mentioned that Mr. Barton inspired her to write this book, I was intrigued. I too watched a program where Mr. Barton asked the audience if they recognized more than three signers in a painting depicting the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Sadly, I did not; however, I was determined to learn more about them. Much to my delight, I was asked to review For You They Signed.
All the information I sought was conveniently and cleverly presented in one book and the discussion questions were thought-provoking. Mrs. Boyer designed the material to function for both individual and group study which enables more families to enjoy learning about the signers. Both my daughters, found the text interesting and easy to understand. The activity guide listed on https://www.thelearningparent.com, is a wonderful companion to the book. We each chose a separate signer and then discussed whom we chose:
“I studied Stephen Hopkins, and one thing I noticed was that he, although a Quaker, knew he was supposed to fight and win this Great War with guns. He was willing to set aside his personal convictions for the freedom of his people. The discussion questions reinforced what I learned about Hopkins.” Lizzy, age 15
“I studied Lewis Morris and found that he was a selfless man who dedicated his life to the needs of his country.” Ellyn, age 13
I chose Josiah Bartlett. His patriotic enthusiasm spilled over and engulfed New Hampshire and its delegates, and he tenaciously pursued the freedom for which he believed belong to his fellow man.
Reading about the experiences of the individual signers, I became fascinated with their personal sacrifices and hardships yet realized throughout their struggles, they consistently mentioned their prayers seeking guidance from their Supreme Ruler. They found it not only just a personal choice, but a duty to serve God and the people by leaving a free nation for generations to come.
To learn more about Marilyn Boyer and For You They Signed, please visit and Master Books and Marily Boyer (on Facebook) or to purchase this fabulous book please visit Amazon.
If you want your children to know the true beliefs and values of the Founding Fathers, then this book is a must for your home library. If you have any doubt that we live in a nation that was founded on Christian principles, then just read some of the quotes in this book by the men who signed our Declaration of Independence. Marilyn Boyer did her homework when she researched this book. It is full of primary source material, including quotes, excerpts from letters and journals, and what their contemporaries said about the Signers.
This book is FULL of history! My family has studied this era of American History pretty thoroughly, but we got an even fuller picture of the risks, the uncertainty, the selflessness and sacrifice of the signers of the Declaration, as well as their admirable character and integrity.
Mrs. Boyer gives a brief synopsis of the life experiences that led each man to the position of leadership that placed the burden of this momentous decision on him.
Through these biographies, we get to know them as husbands and fathers as well as learning about the careers some set aside to do public service for their country. We see the relationships between some of them, and to me that fleshes out and helps me understand what each man was like. Their stories are connected by this pivotal moment in history, and this book helps us to see those connections.
In our reading, we learned that one of the Signers kept his house open at all times to the homeless and fed the poor at his own table. My son was so impressed with Matthew Thornton that he considers him a saint. To learn more about this godly man, you should buy this book!
I even learned where the word "gerrymander" came from. I'll give you a hint: it's found on page 42.
The author provides a bio of each Signer, a timeline of their public service, quotes and interesting facts, a picture of each man and his home, and questions for discussion.
The information in the preface and the appendices is important for us to know as Christians as we teach our children the TRUE history of America.
It is difficult to find primary source documents with the words of the Signers in them. Marilyn Boyer has done us a great service in collecting them all in one place.
If you're a history buff, you'll love this book. If you only know what you were told in public school about our country's history, you NEED to read this book. If you want your children to love history and to appreciate the caliber of the patriotic, Christian men who founded our nation, you will want to read this book to them or have it available for them to read.
If you buy the book, you will get access to a Family Activity Guide online that Marilyn has also written as a companion book. It includes coloring pages for the little ones and much more! You can find out how to get this companion book in the section titled "Suggestions for Using This Book". Buy this book here at Amazon.com
For those who enjoy a taste of history, here's the scene from the HBO miniseries "John Adams" that portrays the drama and tension that surrounded the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
When I was first asked to do a book review on For You They Signed, I wanted to participate because I figured it would be an interesting book. After only a few minutes of reading the book I realized that “interesting” was a huge understatement. My vocabulary quickly changed to intriguing, fascinating, and captivating. I would get so engrossed in these men’s lives that it was as if I was transported back in time and could visualize their surroundings, know their character and feel their passion for what they believed was “the best and most glorious cause”, which was what Charles Carroll called the struggle for independence.
In today’s society we enjoy freedom, we celebrate the 4th of July and we talk about how our patriotic fathers signed a document declaring the freedom of a nation. But if you randomly ask people who signed the Declaration of Independence, most will very quickly say “John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson”, and then they might be able to name a handful of others. I think, however, that it would be safe to say that most people don’t even know how many signers there actually were or what sacrifices they made and what they had to lose by penning their signature on a piece of paper. I certainly did not know these things and must admit that I really didn’t give it much thought, until now.
My fifteen year old son has been reading this book also and has been equally enthralled with it. At times I’ll be reading it and get so excited about a certain fact that I would go to him and start telling him something about one of the men and he would finish my sentence before I had a chance to. I’ve been amazed at how this book has held his attention and how he’s retaining the information. He has such a deeper regard for the adversity, danger and hardship that these men went through that Marilyn’s writing makes so vividly clear.
Marilyn Boyer’s book has inspired me to learn more about our country, it’s beginnings and the people that made it possible. I found a love for history that I never knew I had and a deep respect for all fifty-six signers.
The author has also included a free companion guide with the purchase of the book. It’s a one hundred eighty page activity book comprised of coloring pages, scripture verses and fun quizzes to use along with the lessons. You can find out how to get this wonderful tool at the beginning of the book on the page titled “Suggestions for Using This Book”.
I originally thought that this book would be great for homeschoolers so that they could teach their children the truth about the men who signed and the principles that founded our nation, and while I do believe that it is a superb teaching tool, I do not want to limit my recommendation to just homeschoolers. I believe that every American family should have this book. It is so rich in detail and facts and portrays such a beautiful picture of what this country was and should be all about.
Marilyn Boyer is my new hero! "For You They Signed" is a wonderful work of love and quite an eye-opening piece of literature that any God-fearing home schooling family must have. Most people know that Thomas Jefferson and John Hancock signed the Declaration of Independence, but most of us do not know of the other fifty-four men who also signed. Who were they? What did they believe? What qualified them to sign this most important historical document?
From the very first page of this beautifully illustrated 341 page hardbound book, the reader is presented with fascinating quotes, illustrations and facts that aren't taught in today's typical history text book. While reading the various biographies in "For You They Signed" it becomes clear that modern texts have distorted, or even eliminated, our country's Christian heritage and the faith of our founding fathers. For example, did you know that the American Revolution wasn't a revolution at all, or that the minute men consisted of ministers and deacons and their parishioners? A Crown-appointed British governor said this of the minute men, "If you ask an American, who is his master, he'll tell you he has none, nor any governor but Jesus Christ." .
Having lived in Georgia for six years, our family was fascinated to learn about Button Gwinnett. Mr. Gwinnett (for whom Gwinnett County is named) emigrated to Georgia from England in 1759 as an export shipper and storekeeper. He failed in his business so he borrowed money to purchase land, which we know as St. Catherine's Island. In 1773 Gwinnett's creditors took over his land and the British invaded his livestock. In 1768 he entered politics and then became a part of the Continental Congress in 1776, just in time to sign the Declaration at the age of 41. Mr. Gwinnett was then elected as Speaker of the Georgia legislature, where he helped form the state's constitution. A year after signing, Mr. Gwinnett died in a very unusual way, but you'll have to read pages 311 - 312 to find out how his story ends!
In this body of work you will find an easy to read biography for each of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, categorized by the state in which he lived. It furnishes a Scripture verse for each signer, his birth and death dates, his family and education information, and several pages outlining his life and what led up to him becoming a participant in signing the Declaration. Each biography is followed by several discussion questions which would be suitable to use in a one-year family devotion format, as a supplement to history assignments, within a co-op setting, or even as personal devotions.
It has been an absolute pleasure to read through this book and to learn some amazing facts about the men who sacrificed their lives, resources, and honor so that we could live freely. It is so evident that Marilyn Boyer has poured countless hours in this labor of love, and in my humble opinion, every family who wants to teach the truth to our children needs to have this resource in their home.
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I love history. I envision each person or scene in my mind as I read. Boyer's descriptions and illustrations make that easy to do. My daughter is 13 and doesn't exactly love history the way I love it, however, she was excited to learn about one particular signer of the Declaration of Independence--a fellow from North Carolina. We have never lived in North Carolina nor have we spent much time learning about the wonderful state. Any guesses why my non-history loving teen would very much want to learn about this particular signer? I'll tell you since there is really not much chance in you guessing correctly. His name is John Penn. Our family name is Penn. My daughter LOVES learning about her family history, so anyone with our surname is sure to be a hit. It's funny how she really doesn't care much about history, but loves to learn about her family history. It is a fun and sneaky way to include history in her studies without her thinking she is actually learning history. I must say though, she is passionate about her faith and liberty.
