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BETSY ZANE

Name: BETSY ZANE
Author: Lynda Durrant
ISBN: 0-395-97899-8

THE ROSE OF FORT HENRY

by Lynda Durrant ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 18, 2000

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A 13-year-old girl named Betsy Zane won the last battle of the American Revolution—the battle of Fort Henry in September of 1782. Upon the death of her grandmother, Betsy left Philadelphia and all her family’s inheritance to return to the Virginia wilderness. Three of her brothers—Eb, Silas, and Jonathan—were already there, fighting off “savages” and British marauders. With the help of the Crofter family—runaway slaves of Scottish origin—she reaches her brothers only to receive an icy reception. Only Isaac, who has married a Wyandot Princess and is caught between life as a white man and a Shawnee, understands Betsy’s need to live an independent life. When war finally arrives at their doorstep, every man, woman, and child finds shelter at Fort Henry. In sum, there are only 45 defenders to fight against 260 warriors and 40 Queen’s Rangers. The odds are poor, but the Zanes refuse to surrender the fort and it’s Betsy who insists upon running 40 yards to a blockhouse in order to obtain needed gunpowder. This courageous tale weaves in historical data from 17 sources, heightening the senses with details that bring each action to life. The rose, which is brought from Philadelphia to Virginia and survives, mirrors Betsy Zane’s fiercely independent personality and desire to make her own way in the world. A real winner in every sense of the word. (extensive afterword, sources) (Fiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2000

ISBN: 0-395-97899-8

Page Count: 175

Publisher: Clarion Books

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2000

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION

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IMPERFECTIONS
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MY LAST SKIRT
by Lynda Durrant

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THE SUN, THE RAIN, AND THE APPLE SEED
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THE SCHOOL FOR THIEVES

From the School for Thieves series , Vol. 1

by Peter Burns ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 26, 2025

A thrilling first installment in an adventurous new series.

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An orphaned street urchin is recruited into an elite school for thieves.

In an alternate world where France is the dominant world power, 13-year-old Tom Morgan has had to scrimp, starve, and steal on the streets of London to survive. Born into a workhouse, he doesn’t know anything about his father, while his mother may have been from North Africa. One thing he does know is the sort of cruelty that awaits the poor who are sent to the workhouse, and he’s determined not to go back. But when their camp is raided and his friends are captured by workhouse agents, the only thing Tom can think of is how to get them out. Enter the Corsair, a cunning and mysterious man with a proposition: He wants to recruit Tom into Beaufort’s School for Deceptive Arts. From nabbing treasures to forging identity papers, Beaufort’s promises to teach Tom everything he needs to know to become a Shadow Thief and a member of the Shadow League, the secret global organization that helps keep the world’s political power in balance. But Beaufort’s has its own rules and secrets, and if Tom is to survive long enough to help his friends, he’ll need to figure them out quickly. Clever and gripping, this fast-paced boarding school story will appeal to fans of the Mysterious Benedict Society and Spy School series.

A thrilling first installment in an adventurous new series. (Adventure. 10-14)