Woelfle, Gretchen. Answering The Cry For Freedom.

Woelfle, Gretchen.  Answering The Cry For Freedom.  Boyd’s Mills/Calkins Creek  2016  238p   $18.95  ISBN 978-1-62979-306-1     ms/jr            Collective biography  E-BN

Thirteen important African American figures who were fighting against slavery at the time of the American Revolution are profiled in this excellent illustrated history book. We meet such colorful characters as Jarena Lee, a house slave who gave up her family and home to travel widely preaching against slavery, Philadelphia’s own Richard Allen, who founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and Sally Hemings, who succumbed to Thomas Jefferson’s every whim in exchange for her children’s future freedom.  Each chapter includes dates of birth and death, biographical details, and stories that have come down through the ages about these larger-than-life individuals who paved the way for the Abolitionist Movement and the Underground Railroad. The type is large and easy-to-read for middle-school and even elementary students, but the information will appeal to all ages, even adults. There is a lot to learn in these pages.  The book also includes extensive research notes, a good bibliography, citation information, and guides for further research on each freedom fighter.  The illustrations are subtle and enhance the text, done in black-and-white drawings by Gregory Christie.  This one is a must-have for public and school libraries, even those serving older kids, because the information is so compelling and is largely unknown by most readers.     

Summary: Thirteen important African American figures who were fighting against slavery at the time of the American Revolution are profiled in this excellent illustrated history book.      

African Americans                                                                                                      —Carol Kennedy

Micklos, John, Jr. Making of the U.S. from Thirteen Colonies.

Micklos, John, Jr.  Making of the U.S. from Thirteen Colonies.    Enslow  2013  48p  $18.00  ISBN 978-0-7660-4133-2      elm/ms  series: American Revolution Through Primary Sources VG   

In this book, upper-elementary and middle-school students are introduced to Great Britain’s thirteen colonies and how they stretched from Massachusetts to Georgia.  Students learn that sometimes these colonies got along, and at other times they did not.  While the thirteen colonies had differences among themselves, they were all a part of the British Empire.  Students discover how early governments worked, as well as what led to the British and American colonists’ battles, which ultimately led to the American Revolution.  Written in a story format, this book provides students with a better understanding of how the United States won its independence.  Within each individual state, Americans did not initially want any central government, but because they endured hard times, the states knew that they must come up with something central to help fix their problems.  The Constitutional Convention, the Great Compromise, and the Bill of Rights were then in play as the states tried to build a more perfect union.  The Electoral College was created to select the president with each state represented fairly. 

Students gain a great deal of knowledge through the primary-source documents that are included to help them gain a better understanding of the American Revolution and the creation of the United States.  The author includes colorful graphics, a timeline of events, dates of ratification, maps, proof sheets, portrait reprints, documents, chapter notes, a glossary of terms, a list of books and Internet addresses, and an index.      Each title in this series of six (as of this review) presents personal accounts of American men and women in battle and on the home front.  These titles contain songs, speeches, poetry, newspaper accounts, and photos that reflect the broader culture of the time.

American Revolution                                   --Charleen Forba-Mayer

Micklos, John, Jr. Washington’s Crossing the Delaware and the Winter at Valley Forge Through Primary Sources.

Micklos, John, Jr.  Washington’s Crossing the Delaware and the Winter at Valley Forge Through Primary Sources.  Enslow  2013      48p   $30.60  ISBN 978-0-7660-4132-5  elm/ms  series: American Revolution Through Primary Sources     VG-BNS

Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River and the winter at Valley Forge with his men are described, along with examples of primary and secondary sources of information in the illustrations that are scattered through the book.  The writing is good, the layout is attractive, and the book includes an easy-to-follow timeline, a glossary, chapter notes, a list of books and internet addresses for further reading, and an index. The goal of the series, which is, in addition to teaching the kids some history, to teach them to discern the difference between primary and secondary sources, should have been discussed more overtly in a forword of some sort.  Instead, the book relies on a teacher discussing this prior to looking at the book with the students.  Illustrations of primary-source materials are marked with a special designation, and those that depict secondary sources are not.  Some of the reproduction of the primary-source materials could have been sharper, as is the case with the July 1775 document commissioning George Washington as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.  However, in a book of this size, perhaps this was the best that could be done in terms of the image.    The American Revolution Through Primary Sources is a subset of the Primary Sources series by Enslow.  Others in this subset cover American Indians and African Americans, women and children, how the 13 colonies became the US, and how the revolution was won.  

American Revolution                                               --Carol Kennedy

Raum, Elizabeth. True Stories of the Revolutionary War.

Raum, Elizabeth.  True Stories of the Revolutionary War.   Capstone Publishers    32p  $29.99 978-1-4296-8674-7  2013  ms      VG-BNS  series: Stories of War   History

This graphic nonfiction book provides brief information and key dates at the beginning of the book as an introduction.  The subsequent chapters provide true stories from actual people that were involved, or directly affected by, the American Revolution.  Written as a graphic nonfiction book, these stories come to life because of captions and illustrations that make the accounts interesting and easy to follow.  The format, text, and illustrations encourage a unique understanding of this war and allow readers to make distinctive connections with individuals and their involvement in the Revolutionary War.

All the accounts are brief but thorough, and key points and definitions are enhanced in text boxes that are sprinkled throughout the stories. The colors depict the settings and time of the accounts and provide clarity to the text.

The short but detailed stories and accounts of important battles and events provide a concise history and relativity to the Revolutionary War for young and reluctant readers.  The graphic nonfiction format will excite and engage young readers and whet their appetites for other historical graphic nonfiction books.

This is one book in the Stories of War series.  There are many titles in the Graphic Library series; however, this is one of the first published in the Stories of War Graphic Library series.

American Revolution                                   --Virginia McGarvey

Freedman, Russell Lafayette and the American Revolution

Freedman, Russell Lafayette and the American Revolution
Holiday House 2010 88p 24.95
978-0-8234-2182-4 all ages E-BN
This is a well written story of Lafayette, who joined George Washington during the Winter at Valley Forge.
This book is an enticing story of a young Frenchman who finds that he believes in the idea of liberty portrayed by the American colonies. The readers will gain an insight into the world of Lafayette when he came to America to fight a war and also persuade the French government to fund ships and troops for the Americans.
It also covers his return to France and his imprisonment. At this point readers will realize that many of our heroes did not have an easy life because glory isn’t everything.
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In creating a format that intersperses text with visuals, the book has created a non-threatening approach for young readers. The format and text “are designed to fascinate as well as educate”. The inclusion of where to obtain more information, timeline, and an index make this a useful research tool.

The most outstanding part of this book for me was the exquisite selection of paintings and graphics utilized throughout the book to illustrate the accompanying text. The pictures credits are listed for others to locate if needed.

This book would also make an excellent coffee table book for a historian. This is a very well written book that will relate well to many young readers. It is recommended as a basic book for any school library. It would make an excellent selection for a basic books list for school libraries. It has been recommended for Books of Note. McNeil, Linda
U.S. History

Thompson, Paul B. Liberty’s Son: A Spy Story of the American Revolution.

Thompson, Paul B. Liberty’s Son: A Spy Story of the American Revolution.
Enslow 2009 160p 27.93 978-0-7660-3309-2 ms/jr
Historical American Biographies
Oliver Carter was a teenager who lived in Boston during 1773. He worked for the famous Dr. Benjamin Church. Both were members of the Sons of Liberty, but one of them was a traitor. The author has created an insightful story that will appeal to young readers as well as providing them with an clear understanding of the working conditions at the time. It was also evident that Oliver had to stand by his own beliefs and morals as he became more involved with the tea conspiracy.
As I read the book (which flew by the way), I was impressed with the characterization and attendance to details. The inclusion of : The Real History Behind the Story” is a terrific resource for both teachers and students. Supplementing it with further readings and internet resources will also be appreciated by schools. One of the most important aspects of this series is the support .pdf for educators. In today’s busy schools it is so hard to fit everything into the schedule. Teachers will be most appreciative of the tools and support provided for them.
I am teaching a course in historical fiction to teachers. I can certainly say that I will be highlighting this Historical Fiction Adventures series because of the above mentioned positives. Linda McNeil