By Fiona Stevenson — Columnist
The 250th is almost here, and perhaps you’ve been ignoring that, hoping to retreat into your own private Concord. But is it possible that as the great day draws near, you’re feeling a desire to embrace a little Revolutionary War history?
I didn’t grow up in the States and have never had a solid education in American history, aside from what I had to study for the citizenship test. I confessed this to a neighbor, and she assured me that her young children don’t have a clue why battles at Lexington and Concord were fought and how this led to the start of the American Revolutionary War. She asked for some book suggestions — and, of course, anyone who’s ever had to help a child with a school project knows that the fastest way to grasp a complex subject is reading a children’s book.
If you fear they might not understand the significance of what is happening this Patriots Day (April 19, right?) and have left it too late to read any of the 500-page histories of the period aloud to them every night, then it’s the perfect time to engage with some reading. It combines the excitement of exploring the past and bringing a contemporary analysis to our complex history. Then, visit a few local sites before April 19; there’s still time.
For the younger set, and for those of us who will always love art with our stories, “George Washington’s Teeth” by Deborah Chandra, illustrated by Brock Cole (Square Fish) is a rhyming story about Washington’s lifelong challenge with his teeth, with Cole’s evocative illustrations. If ever cavities and rot could be funny, they are here.
“They Called Her Molly Pitcher” by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Cynthia von Buhler (Dragonfly Books) is the true story of the indomitable woman at the Battle of Monmouth (New Jersey), who kept the American soldiers safe from heatstroke by providing water throughout the fighting. And when she saw her husband shot, she took over his job of firing the cannons. Von Buhler’s illustrations capture the epic sweep and hands-on labor of a battle.
Another great one by Rockwell, one of the best writers of non-fiction for children, is her “A Spy Called James: The True Story of James Lafayette, Revolutionary War Double-Agent” (Carolrhoda Books), elevated by Floyd Cooper’s stirring illustrations.
“My Name is Phillis Wheatley: A Story of Slavery and Freedom” by Afua Cooper (Kids Can Press) tells of our famous poet and the inspiration her words provided. “Sam the Minuteman” by Nathaniel Benchley, illustrated by Arnold Lobel (Harper & Row) is a classic early reader that tells the story of a boy and his father serving as militiamen for the American side.
For eager readers, the American Revolutionary War Adventures series by Robert K. Stead (Zonderkidz) are quick, fact-packed stories of twin brothers aiding their patriot father and the Continental Army.
For older kids, there’s nothing like a graphic novel to catch interest in historical events, and the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series installments “One Dead Spy” and “Lafayette!” — both by a contemporary author named Nathan Hale (Abrams Fanfare) — are fantastic fun.
“History Smashers: The American Revolution” by Kate Messner (Random House), illustrated by Justin Greenwood, packs a ton of facts, eye-catching drawings, and page-turning action. For more, “George Washington Book for Curious Kids: Explore the Captivating Life and Lasting Legacy of America’s First President” (Great Minds for Curious Kids) focuses on our first president.
There aren’t many good films about the Revolution, but there are some terrific novels for middle-grade and teen readers. “Sophia’s War: A Tale of the Revolution” by Avi (Beach Lane Books) is set in the Revolutionary period as Sophie sees Nathan Hale hanged by the British and then becomes a spy for the same cause.
“The Notorious Benedict Arnold” by Steve Sheinkin (Flash Point) is a terrific examination of the pressures and personal flaws that led to Arnold’s betrayal.
“Chains” and “Rebellion 1776” by Laurie Halse Anderson (Atheneum) are two of the very best stories about young women in revolutionary America — the first a slave fighting to get to freedom somewhere for herself and her sister, the second a young Bostonian girl struggling against the smallpox epidemic and her own dawning sense of independence.
Two different experiences and perspectives make for a great reading duo.
Of course, “Johnny Tremain” by Esther Forbes (Clarion) will always be a standard bearer for famous Revolution-era novels, and the story of a young silversmith and his involvement with the coming conflict still packs a punch.
I recommend “My Brother Sam Is Dead” by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier (Scholastic). It’s a moving read of the costs of war for one family and an examination of how people, however close, can have entirely different views of the direction their country should go. Both of these books won the Newbery Medal, 30 years apart. “A Girl Called Samson” by Amy Harmon (Lake Union) is for young adults, about a woman who disguised herself as a man to fight for the United States.
For adults who want a good read, “The Girl From Greenwich Street: An Intriguing Historical Novel Based on the True Story of Hamilton, Burr, and America’s First Murder Trial” by Lauren Willig (William Morrow) is a terrific mystery set in a New York struggling with its emerging legal system. And for a Concord mystery, there’s “The Minuteman Murder” by Jane Langton (Dell) where a re-enactment goes very wrong in our own town and that cranky academic Homer Kelly makes his first appearance to solve the case.
We are getting a stamp in the Battlefields of the American Revolution series issued as a Commemorative Forever First Class. If you want to attend something celebratory that hopefully won’t be mobbed, the first-day-of-issue ceremony for the stamp is at Minute Man National Historical Park, at the North Bridge, on Wednesday, April 16, at 11 a.m.
If you attend, please thank a staff member for everything they’ve been doing and will do to ensure the success of the 250th.
The Concord Museum is offering, among other programs, a special exhibition, “Whose Revolution,” opening March 28; it focuses on the experience of women, Indigenous, and free and enslaved Black people at this tumultuous time, displaying a variety of objects and print matter. It also will hold its 250th Midnight Bike Ride on April 26, or the Paul Revere Family Bike Ride on May 17; register on the museum website. On the day itself, there’s the Dawn Salute, a parade, and a family music festival.
Wherever you choose to celebrate, I hope it’s a safe and satisfying weekend for all, when we can be thankful for the hard-won freedoms we enjoy today.
