YOUNG PATRIOTS

These stories of the American Revolution have “imagined young people into many of the key incidents of the era.” A young girl’s role in the Boston Tea Party, a boy’s sledding down British-controlled Sherburn’s Hill in Boston, a girl in Philadelphia during “Constitution Summer,” and a friendship between a colonial boy and a British drummer at Yorktown suggest ways young people were involved in the larger political and military arenas. Lexington and Concord, Trenton, Saratoga, Valley Forge, and Kings Mountain are some of the famous scenes of the Revolution brought to life here. Some characters are actual historical figures; others are fictional creations. Though the stories are contrived and light, they cover much ground, offer accessible, brief introductions to many sides of the war, and have obvious value for history classrooms. The bibliography offers a fine selection of fiction, nonfiction, and Web sites for young readers. (foreword, introduction, timeline, glossary) (Fiction. 9-12)