Kathy Maggart, Author of The 1947 Freedom Train, Interview CBA Unite 2017

I met Kathy last year at CBA Unite 2016 and had the opportunity to review her book The 1947 Freedom Train.  You can read my review here.   I was intentional about interviewing her this year to share her story and that of the book. Kathy has taken a little known historical event and made it into a fascinating fiction story that will keep the attention of children and adults. I highly recommend the book.   In addition, we both share a passion for the military.

The Freedom Train carried our founding documents and other historical treasures to every state at that time.  Millions of Americans boarded the red, white and blue train to view our national treasures.

On September 17, 1947 the Freedom Train began its journey in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! This was the 160th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. Many people signed “The Freedom Scroll”, which was a promise to keep the beliefs of freedom. Thousands of more people signed it as the Freedom Train traveled around the United States!

If you missed our Facebook live interview, you can catch it here.

Kathy Maggart’s heart is thoroughly passionate on the subject of America’s children learning about the amazing journey of the 1947 Freedom Train! As a former educator with her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education, she is intently focused on our upcoming generations of children, growing up with wonderful knowledge of our country’s history and a heartfelt understanding pertaining to the profound privilege of living in America. Along with this, she believes children can learn that chasing dreams is provided by our freedoms, and for this, we owe tremendous gratitude to all our military heroes and their families past, present and future for the sacrifice it continues to take to maintain our liberties. Working in elementary education for years, she fully recognizes the need for innovative, high-quality resources, and the wide variety of learning activities it takes to reach students with different learning styles.

The children’s book, “The 1947 Freedom Train” is a captivating, fictional story based on the real-life event of the 1947 Freedom Train. The Freedom Train traveled all around America carrying the nation’s vital founding documents for viewers of all ages to see. This journey inspired patriotism, respect of our nation’s military heroes and appreciation of our great freedoms. Amazingly, this story so rich in American history was forgotten for many years. Thanks to the patriotic efforts of the authors, children and parents alike will relish learning about this historical adventure while enjoying the beautiful illustrations. This book is a great teaching tool for any school and also a wonderful read for children, who are all naturally fascinated with trains. Recommended read-aloud for ages 5-7 and an independent read for ages 8 and up. All aboard! For free activities to accompany our book, please visit www.freedomtrainforkids.com.