United States

The year is 1769, not even ten years after the French and Indian War, when colonial militia joined the British regulars in defeating the French. John Treegate proudly served in the militia then. As a symbol of his fierce loyalty to England and in remembrance of those days gone by, he proudly displays his musket over his mantle.

But the sentiments of Boston have drastically changed since then, now, with the imposition of heavy taxes from England, Boston is seething with resentment. Hoping to remedy the situation, John Treegate, a loyalist, sets off for England, but unable to meet with the proper officials, is detained longer than expected.

In the meantime, his eleven-year-old son, Peter, is apprenticed to Mr. Fielding, a manufacturer of barrel staves. Although Mr. Fielding is a man of principle, not all of his apprentices are. So begins Peter Treegate’s rough and tumble existence as he tries to navigate the turbulence that has set in Boston, leading to the Boston Massacre.

As the tension begins to mount, Peter’s life dramatically changes. After a series of terrifying events, Peter flees Boston, fearing for his life. His adventures take him far and wide as he sails rough seas aboard an illegal merchant ship, encountering hostile ships and fierce storms. When a hurricane strikes, he becomes shipwrecked, loses his memory, and is rescued by a fierce mountain man and more.

Reflecting the bitterness, anger, and strife of the times, Peter’s life is beset with violence, making this book more appropriate for ages 14 and up. No matter what happens to Peter, throughout the story, the principles of good and evil are clearly laid out. Peter chooses wisely and never succumbs to the revenge, hatred, or evil portrayed by others.

A series of six historical fiction titles from the time of the Great Depression; page count above is per book.

This series of six books from the American Girl collection can be enjoyed by young girls even without getting into buying the doll and all her accessories. Set in Ohio in the 1930s, this series focuses on Kit Kittredge and her family who are learning to be more frugal and caring during the tough times of the Great Depression. These are sweet stories and fairly easy for young readers (as young as six or seven years old). The stories are filled with nice little lessons about the things that really matter.

These books can be purchased new from numerous catalogs or warehouse stores but are also readily available in used book stores.

My Brother Sam is Dead is the story of a boy whose brother rebels against his father to join the colonial army in the Revolutionary War. There are many good things to recommend about this story and some warnings to give also.

The boy, Tim Meeker, is witness to the chaotic events of the war. The book gives a good description of the confusion of the times with occupying armies and defiant citizens, senseless death and seemingly cruel punishments. Tim's brother, Sam, joins the patriot army against his father's wishes and even returns to steal his father's gun. Sam's father is a staunch loyalist and scandalized by his son's behavior. The father has also had a taste of war in the French and Indian war and does not want his son to have to experience the horror of it. The son thinks he knows better.

As the war progresses, and goods become scarce, armies on both sides resort to commandeering or stealing for food and supplies. Tim's father is arrested as he is bringing a load of supplies to the tavern he runs and Sam is arrested for stealing cows, which he did not steal. Tim's father dies on a British prison ship and Sam is executed by his own army for theft. The scene of the execution is somewhat unsettling as are other scenes like it in the book.

This is definitely an anti-war story. The authors end the book by asking if we might have been able to accomplish independence without a war. Throughout the story the atrocities of war are reflected upon by Tim and there are many quotes by Tim's father about the price of war, such as, "In war, the dead pay the debts of the living." This slant by the author would make a great subject for discussion.

Another very interesting aspect of story is that the rebellion of the son to his father directly parallels the rebellion of the colonies to the father country, England. The exchanges between father and son could be laid right across the colonies and England. Yet another interesting aspect is the irony of the deaths of father and son. Father, as a loyalist, dies in a prison ship as a prisoner of the country he professes and Sam, as a rebel, dies at the end of an firing squad of his fellow patriots. All of these make this book a great vehicle for discussion of author's bias and purpose, of literary devices such as irony and story structure, and finally of the ideas behind the war itself.

However, there is one great drawback to the story. There is an enormous amount of swearing in it, including taking the Lord's name. If it were just once or twice, you might be able to overlook it, but one teacher I know counted and found over fifty instances of swearing. If you want your children to have the experience of the book, you might consider reading it aloud and editing out the swearing as you read. However, there are many other books available which discuss the ideas of the Revolutionary War while avoiding this drawback.

Our Pioneers and Patriots begins with a review of Viking exploration and continues through the history of the United States to the time of President Roosevelt and the New Deal. The text is direct and factual, focusing on key people and events. Read straight through, this book would bore most children; however, when read a page or two at a time the presentation style is interesting and easily understood. Fr. Furlong has a unique way of digesting complex information into a few short sentences. These sentences are written in a conversational tone that would appeal to most young students. For example...

"The Boston Tea Party made the British very angry. The owners lost their tea and the government lost its tax. Worst of all the affair was an act of defiance. An act of defiance is a refusal to obey an order or command. King George III would not overlook that. The people of Boston must be taught to obey. The port of Boston was therefore declared closed." p. 201

Each of the twelve units is broken into unnumbered chapters and subsections making for many natural stopping points if reading time must be limited to just five or ten minutes a day. Each chapter is preceded with a brief "Read to Learn" section that sets the tone for the upcoming material and alerts the reader to key points to be remembered. Following each chapter is a Study Summary that includes a listing of key people, events and dates. An activity section provides mapping activities and other projects. These projects are meaningful and would bring depth to the student's study of the chapter material. The study test provides an easy means for evaluation.

This book provides the important factual information needed for Junior High students, but it does not provide enough material for critical thinking or integration needed by that age group. As a Junior High textbook it should be supplemented with research assignments, biographies and journal articles or historical fiction.

In comparison to From Sea To Shining Sea, also reviewed on this page, Our Pioneers and Patriots is more succinct, but it does not tell the story of United States history as well as From Sea to Shining Sea. While the latter paints the larger picture of our history in a way that is captivating to students, Our Pioneers and Patriots is better used to bring to life isolated events and people. This text is suitable for Grades 4-6, and may be used in conjunction with other resources for Grades 7-8.