Guns for General Washington

Guns for General Washington, Seymour Reit
(Gulliver Books, 1990), pb. 142 pp.
Ages 7 and up

This book tells the story of Henry Knox’s daring mission to cross 300 miles of forest bring 183 cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to George Washington’s army in Boston. This is a significant event in the early part of the Revolutionary War, a mission which many thought was impossible. This book tells the story from the perspective of Knox’s 19 year old brother Will.

This is one my boys (ages 11, 9 and 7) read on their own. They all said they learned more about Henry Knox and this mission. I was glad for this since Knox is often ignored even though he was one of Washington’s closest advisors and eventually served as the first Secretary of War. Nathan also mentioned that perseverance was highlighted often.

My two older boys both said the story was a bit slow though. Matthew said, “Don’t expect action-packed in spite of what it says on the front cover.” Jonathan, however, enjoyed the book more.

So, it was a worthwhile book for them to read. I think it simply did not live up to some of their favorites; and, even kids can be disappointed by overstated PR. :)

Traitor, the Case of Benedict Arnold

Traitor: The Case of Benedict Arnold, Jean Fritz
(Paperstar, 1981), pb., 192 pp.
Ages 10+

This presents the biographical data well, though it is not a real exciting read. It is solid as a biography goes, but the blurbs on the back which describe it as “a thriller” and “highly entertaining” really overstate the case. We had to push our way through most of the book. There was a bit more adventure towards the end. In spite of all the battles earlier in the book this story focuses more on the thoughts and character of Arnold than the action. That is why I have rated this for older children.

The discussion of Arnold’s character does provide for good discussion. My boys knew of Arnold’s treachery already but said, we always thought Arnold was just good up to the point he turned traitor. They had known of some of his battlefield bravery (which is also in this book), but did not know of Arnold’s self-centeredness, vanity and money hungriness that was evident from an earlier time. This led to good discussions on the point that great sins do not just occur in a vacuum. Smaller, earlier decisions shape character which leads to the big actions whether of treachery or nobility. Also anything which highlights the evil of betrayal is worthwhile.

Lastly, though, I was surprised to find several incidences of profanity in this book. This makes no sense to me in a book aimed at children. As I read I just edited these statements since the profanity, as typical, was really unnecessary for the point. Thus, my age recommendation refers to the age group for this book to be read to. If you are thinking of the child himself reading, a higher age would be in view.

The Minute Boys of Bunker Hill

The Minute Boys of Bunker Hill, Edward Stratemeyer
(1899; Lost Classics Book Company, 1998), pb., 316 pp.
Ages 7+

This is the sequel to The Minute Boys of Lexington and Concord following the same characters through the tense days following the battles of Lexington and Concord, trough the Battle of Bunker Hill to the end of the siege of Boston. This book is the same in feel and style as the previous volume. My boys (ages 11, 9, and 7) loved it. There is plenty of action and suspense, and courage, perseverance, nobility and other virtues are assumed and often explicitly commended.

Literary critics would slight this book and its predecessor. Parts of the story stretch credulity (Roger the main character seems to be very ‘lucky’), and similar things recur. However, it works well as a fun story which encourages character and also faithfully tells the history of the time. These do not rise to the level of Allen French or Douglas Bond, but they are good books.

This volume includes, like the previous one, a glossary to explain unusual words.

We have heard of a third volume and my boys are eager o find it, so we would commend this one to you.

The Minute Boys of Lexington

The Minute Boys of Lexington, Edward Stratemeyer
(1898; Lost Classics Book Company, 1996), pb., 306 pp.
7 and up

This is a fictional account of the battles of Lexington and Concord. The main character is a fictional 16 year old boy who has organized a group of friends as “minute boys” to work alongside the minute men. The story covers just over two days and is jam packed with adventure, danger and bravery. My boys loved it!

The 19th century language has been slightly edited but it can still be a challenge in places. I think it is important- in order to be able to read such books to your children- to be able to update language or substitute words as you go. The book contains a 14 page glossary that is also helpful and is a way to build vocabulary. This can present a bit of a challenge in reading, but it is slight and worth it. The dialogue of two characters is also written in dialect which can be a challenge, but we find it fun.

This is a fun way to get a feel for the beginning of the Revolutionary War. This book is also an example of those books from the past which are intentional in encouraging character, nobility, etc. We enjoyed it and commend it to you.

George Washington's World

George Washington’s World, , Genevieve Foster
Expanded Edition by Joanna Foster
(Beautiful Feet Books, 1997; original edition, 1941) pb., 357 pp.
Ages 7+

This book is written in the same way as The World of Columbus and Sons, commented on previously, and has many of the same strengths. It has been really beneficial for my boys to place the American Revolution in the context of other events in the world, not only Europe but also Africa and China. It is difficult still to keep up with all the different people mentioned. I asked my boys when we were about ¾ of the way through if they were able to keep up with the different people. They said it was difficult and began to mention the people they could identify. While some names were lost, I was quite pleased with the historical figures they could remember particular things about. Just recently as some of my boys lined up some armies of bottle caps, he said the leader of one of the groups was “Frederick the Great of Prussia”. There also was a good introduction to the French Revolution.

The presentation of the debate over the Constitution will provide some surprising information to many readers- Alexander Hamilton’s desire to establish the equivalency of a monarchy in America, etc. David Vaughan’s book on Patrick Henry, will be a good supplement here showing the reason why so many leading Americans were skeptical of the proposed Constitution.

The downside, however, is that there is so little of George Washington’s story in the book. The Revolutionary War is mentioned almost just in passing. I was expecting more about Washington. If you are looking for a book on Washington, look elsewhere. However, for a presentation of the broader world during Washington’s life, this is a useful book.

Drums of War series

Drums of War Series, by Peter Reese Doyle
Independence, Vol. 1, pb, 170 pp
Bunker Hill, Vol. 2, pb, 171
A Captive in Williamsburg , Vol. 3, pb,
(Providence Foundation, 1997, 1998)
Ages 6-12+

These three books of historical fiction are set in Williamsburg, VA as the Revolutionary War begins. So, we began reading volume one a day or two before we left for our visit to Williamsburg. We then read the first book while we were there and the next two after we got back home. It was a great combination!

The story centers on two families in Williamsburg, the Hendricks and Edwards. Fourteen year old Andrew Hendricks and his friend Nathan Edwards are the main characters. Their fathers are key participants in the patriot movement and the two boys are particularly keen on each others sisters. The books are intentionally written from a Christian worldview so the faith of the families is evident. There are good examples of faith, bravery, grit, resourcefulness, nobility and sacrifice. My boys (ages 7-10) really got into them. The books are not up to the level of Allen French, but they were good.

These books are great for learning. From our visit to Williamsburg I was struck about how careful and accurate these books were. Readers are introduced to key leaders who are not often talked about in other places as well key battles. I realized that the typical overviews of this era deal almost exclusively with the north once the War begins.

We particularly were excited by reading about Captain Innes in the books. While at Williamsburg we met and heard from one of the actors playing the part of Innes! We did not know if this character was a historical person or a fictional ‘typical’ character. Enough detail was given to him in some of the dramas that I suspected he was a historical figure, but we were delighted to encounter him in the book as the leader of the local militia. Here is a picture we took with Captain Innes- before we read about him in the books!

Many of the locations in Williamsburg are mentioned in these books so they are great to read in relation to a trip to Williamsburg. So we would highly commend both the books and the trip! Our boys loved Williamsburg and these books allowed us to keep thinking through all we saw there.