Heroes of 1776: Janie Nitze Is Teaching Kids the Real Courage Behind the Declaration

In this inspiring episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes Janie Nitze, co-author of the picture book Heroes of 1776, to shine a light on the real human courage behind the Declaration of Independence. Speaking from historic Concord, Massachusetts, Janie shares how her background clerking for Justice Neil Gorsuch and their shared concern about the decline in civic education led them to create a children's book that doesn't just march through events, but highlights the sacrifices of men, women, and even children of the Revolutionary era.

Janie explains that many of the Declaration's 56 signers paid a steep price—homes destroyed, family members lost, fortunes diminished—and most expected to be hanged for treason when they signed. She wants kids to see that they acted not for their own comfort, but for future generations, passing a torch of liberty that now rests in young readers' hands. Janie and Jed talk about the troubling statistics on civic knowledge and her hope that families will read rich, substantive books together, join debate clubs, and encourage kids to serve their communities and learn to "disagree while being agreeable."

Janie also celebrates illustrator Chris Ellison, describing how his art brings to life powerful stories like teenage messenger Emily Geiger and 10-year-old soldier Richard Lord Jones.

In the final segment, Jed talks with Cheryl Hellner, author of Sing Up the Earth, a layered picture book about art, nature, loss, and renewal. Cheryl describes how children connect with different threads—animals, grief, hope, or creativity—and how picture books can nourish both kids and adults at many stages of life.