And Then What Happened Paul Revere?

Fritz, J. (1973). And Then What Happened Paul Revere? New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Summary:
Most people are aware of Paul Revere's famous ride to announce the arrival of the British troops to the colonies during the Revolutionary War. But, do they also know that he took part in the Boston Tea Party or that he made false teeth? This book tells about Revere's historic ride and discusses other aspects of his life as well, including his family, military life, and the many different occupations he held. It seems that Paul Revere did not like to be idle, he kept several jobs, many at the same time. His role with the Sons of Liberty in the Boston Tea Party and his ride to spread news of the event to Philadelphia and New York won him the respect of the Patriots, who made him an express rider and secret agent. The book also provides little known facts as told by his great-grandchildren of his famous ride and details events that took place after his death.

Review:
This is a quick little biography. It is written like a fictional account, helping to keep young readers interested in Paul Revere's eventful life. The author adds in funny little anecdotes about Revere's life, such as his dog returning to his home to fetch the spurs he had forgotten on the night of his great ride, as later told by his granddaughter. Or that he sold false teeth he had whittled out of hippopotamus tusks. Another great addition to the book is the inclusion of actual quotes taken from Revere's own writings and images of the engravings from his metalworking. The illustrations add a humorous quality to the book through the cartoon drawings of his life. They also help to keep the biography interesting and entertaining for the young reader.

Genre:
biography, history

Reading Level:
Ages 8 - 12

Similar Books:

Subjects/Themes:
Paul Revere, Revolutionary War, American history

Annotation:
Paul Revere is well known for his historic ride to alert the colonies of the invasion of the British troops during the Revolutionary War, but not much else is known about him. This book provides additional information about Revere's life before and after his famous ride.

Chasing Lincoln's Killer

Swanson, J.L. (2009). Chasing Lincoln's Killers. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Summary:
The book begins with President Abraham Lincoln's inaugural speech on March 4, 1865, of which his eventual assassin, John Wilkes Booth, an actor, was present. It continues on to discuss the end of the Civil War with the fall of the Confederate Army on April 3, 1865. Booth, furious with Lincoln for his success in ending the war and his belief in the rights of black people, had been plotting harm to the president for some time. It was on the night of April 14, 1965, when Mr. Lincoln and his wife were to see a play at the Ford Theater that Booth took his chance to assassinate the president. The book details Booth's plan, as well as his plot with several accomplices to assassinate the Secretary of State and the Vice President as well. It discusses the events that took place that night and the weeks following as the manhunt for Booth and his accomplices ensued.

Review:
This book was fascinating. It is full of authentic quotations from the events that took place, as well as maps and photographs of the victims, assassins, and weapons used. This is a riveting historical account of one of the most horrible events in American history. I learned things I had never known about Lincoln's assassination, as the book goes into great detail into the plot. It was fascinating to read about the manhunt for Booth and to see how divided the country was, with all of the people willing to aide Booth in his escape to the South. The photographs are a wonderful accompaniment to the book, providing spooky photographs of Booth's accomplices as they waited their execution aboard prison ships.

Genre:
Non-fiction

Reading Level:
Ages 10 - 15

Similar Books:

Subjects/Themes:
Civil War, racism, history, Abraham Lincoln, assassination

Awards:
YALSA Best Book for Young Adults

Annotation:
Furious over the fall of the Confederacy, the actor John Wilkes Booth assassinates President Abraham Lincoln in the Ford Theater. What ensues is a chaotic manhunt, full of deception, narrow misses, and those willing to aide a murderer in his escape.

Molly's Craft Book: A Look at Crafts from the Past With Projects You Can Make Today

Bernstein, R.S. & Evert, J. (1994). Molly's Craft Book: A look at crafts from the past with projects you can make today. Middleton, WI: Pleasant Company Publications.

Summary:
Molly McIntyre is a fictional character from the American Girl book series. She was a young girl living in the 1940s during World War Two. This book discusses what was going on in America, especially for young people, and provides crafts that kids like Molly would have made at that time and are fun to make for today's young people as well. The history of the era is discussed through the crafts, such as paper, plastic, and metal shortages because of the war and projects young people created for soldiers away at war. The book provides simple craft projects which captures the spirit of that time, such as a patriotic pinwheel or miniature victory garden.

Review:
I enjoyed the history provided in the book more than the crafts themselves. But, the crafts are age appropriate and follow along the lines of possible crafts created during this time, which makes them interesting. An example of this is the felt photo holder, which is something Molly would have created in the 1940s and given to a soldier to carry with him on his voyage. I liked that any theme used in a particular craft is explained in the text, such as the Scottie dog bookmark and how Scottie dogs became popular due to Franklin D. Roosevelt's own, named Fala.

Genre:
nonfiction

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Similar Books:

Series:
This book is part of the American Girl Series, which contains novels of historical fiction, craft books, cookbooks, and more.

Subjects/Themes:
crafts, World War II, history

Annotation:
During World War II, children were urged to donate metal toys and do without paper, plastic, and new clothes and shoes. The simple crafts in this book reflect this resourceful time in American history.

The Case of the Missing Marquess

Springer, N. (2006). The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery. New York, NY: Puffin Books.

Plot Description:
Raised by her aristocratic, yet unconventional mother, the fourteen year old Enola Holmes has led a life untouched by the rules of young ladies of her day. But when her mother goes missing, Enola's brothers, Mycroft and Sherlock (the great detective), whom she has not seen since she was a little girl, find the lifestyle Enola and her mother have been living unsuitable for their young sister. With the threat of boarding school looming over her, Enola flees the control of her brothers and sets out to find her missing mother. Enola becomes entwined in another missing person mystery encountering her own adventures and proving to her brother Sherlock that he is not the only detective in the family.

Review:
The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery is a wonderful mystery led by the witty and adventurous Enola Holmes. The reader is captivated by the author's descriptive writing style, being able to visualize the damp English countryside and almost smell the slums of London. In addition, the reader is encouraged to solve the mystery along with Enola through the questions she poses and the ciphers she must solve. This book was a great read and the author cleverly does not solve all the mysteries laid out in the book making the reader long for the next book in the series.

Genre:
Mystery

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Similar Books:

Subjects/Themes:
Missing Persons, Single-Parents, Mothers, Mystery, History

Character Names/Descriptions:
Enola Holmes: With her mother missing, Enola facing boarding school, runs off in search of her mother encountering additional mysteries she must solve along the way. She is master of disguise, clever with ciphers, and very talented at drawing caricatures. She is also the sister of the famed detective, Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes: Sherlock is the great detective and sister to Enola.

Viscount Tewksbury, Marquess of Basilwether (Tewky): Tewky is a well off twelve year old boy who runs away to work on a ship. He leads his family to believe that he has been kidnapped, thus attracting the attention of Enola Holmes.

Annotation:
When her mother goes missing, Enola Holmes, sister of the great detective Sherlock, runs off to find her. On the quest to find her mother, Enola encounters other mysteries which command her attention and lead her off on dangerous adventures. Through her skills of disguise, solving ciphers, and drawing caricatures Enola proves that Sherlock is not the only great detective in the family.