Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider

It's Nonfiction Monday and I'm back from my vacation to Boston, a wonderful city which lays claim to the title of Birthplace of America.  The role of Boston in the American Revolution cannot be denied, nor can the contributions of Alexander Hamilton, scholar, soldier, politician and statesman. 

Frtiz, Jean. 2011. Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider. New York: Putnam.

In Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider, Jean Fritz follows a theme that ran through all aspects of Hamilton's life - that of outsider.  Born on the island of St. Kitts in the West Indies, Hamilton was often accused of being an interloper in Revolutionary American politics.  Once committed to the ideal of a free and independent America, however, his "outsider" status never dampened his enthusiasm for his country. Fritz recounts his many contributions to the revolutionary cause and to these United States.

Besides serving in the Revolutionary War, he was also an aide-de-camp to then General George Washington.  He served as a New York delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He was the architect of the Bank of the United States and the nation's first Secretary of the Treasury.  As a New Jerseyan, I knew that his life ended in Weehawken in the famous duel with Aaron Burr, but I did not know that he founded the city of Paterson.  He was convinced that American should and would be more than an agrarian society. He chose Paterson because its large waterfall could be used to generate electricity for business.  (In 2009, Paterson's Great Falls became a National Park Historic District)

In short, using her customary exactitude, Fritz tells a complete story of a complex man, using only facts and period quotations in this small, slim, 144-page volume.  Archaic language ("poltroon") or long-abandoned customs (anonymous leaflet writing) are explained fully in the author's Notes. Historical reproductions (credited) are scattered throughout. A Bibliography and extensive Index complete the book.

This would make an excellent choice for a school biography report, much better than the formulaic series that students often choose.

The United States Treasury website features a page on Alexander Hamilton, the nation's first Secretary of the Treasury, and architect of the National Bank and the US Mint.

Just an aside - Jean Fritz is 95 years old! How wonderful that she's still working and producing great children's books.

Today's Nonfiction Monday roundup is at Telling the Kids the Truth: Writing Nonfiction for Children. Please be sure to visit.

Forge

Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2010. Forge. Read by Tim Cain. Brilliance Audio.
(This is the second book in a series with began with the award-winning Chains.)

forge - noun
1. A furnace or hearth where metals are heated or wrought; a smithy.
2. A workshop where pig iron is transformed into wrought iron.

forge - verb
1.To form by heating in a forge and beating or hammering into shape.
2. To give form or shape to, especially by means of careful effort
3. To fashion or reproduce for fraudulent purposes; counterfeit

Forge - noun
1. a valley, Valley Forge

Forge, the historical fiction novel by Laurie Halse Anderson is all of these things.  Ostensibly the story of the brutal winter of 1777-1778 suffered by patriot soldiers at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Forge is also the story of the forging of a nation.  And while the nation forges ahead toward freedom, it forges not only weaponry and tools of war, but also tools of bondage against fellow men.  And while some may forge lies and deception, the harsh Valley Forge winter is itself a forge, forging a united army of determined men (and women) who cannot be disuaded from the path to freedom.

The story begins where Chains left off.  Runaway slaves Isabel and Curzon escape from New York, Isabel from household servitude, Curzon from a British prison.  They travel together, forging a wary companionship, but Isabel - stubborn and defiant, is insistent on following her sister who was sold South.  The more thoughtful and deliberative Curzon believes that North, towards Albany is the safest route.  They part ways and Curzon survives many dangerous situations, eventually ending up with a Massachusetts Regiment at Valley Forge. The horrific conditions of the starving, freezing, over-worked, poorly clothed men at Valley Forge are better, however, than the life to which Curzon is forcibly and unfairly returned. He is warm, well-fed, and well-dressed, but he is no longer free. Eventually, he reunites with the "pigheaded" Isabel and they forge a true alliance, no longer allied by chance, but by choice.

Told in chronological fashion, each chapter beginning with a period quote relevant to the story, Forge is a perfect mix of moving historical fiction and fast-paced adventure with intrigue. Laurie Halse Anderson is in the midst of writing a YA book.  If it's not the conclusion, I hope she gets back to Curzon and Isabel soon!

Tim Cain's voice has a youthful sound and a lively spirit. His is a believable Curzon. He reads Curzon's speech with the measured tones of a young man who must carefully weigh every word that he speaks.  Any mistake can cause danger, even death.  The voices of every soldier and officer have a distinct, though not dramatically different tone.  Even the voice of Isabel is plausible.  A young woman of her stubbornness and determination might be assumed to have a strong manner of speaking. An excellent performance.  I enjoyed Forge even more than its predecessor, Chains.

Read a few pages of the print copy of Forge here.
A reading group guide for Forge is available from Simon & Schuster.
Enjoy this interview with author Laurie Halse Anderson.


Another review @ AudioFile

The Crossing: How George Washington Saved the American Revolution

Murphy, Jim.2010. The Crossing: How George Washington Saved the American Revolution. New York: Scholastic.

The brave young men who first enlisted as soldiers under General George Washington's command were promised

a few happy years in viewing the different parts of this beautiful continent, in the honourable and truly reputable character of a soldier, after which, he may, if he pleases return home to his friends, with his pockets FULL of money and his head COVERED with laurels.

Of course, anyone familiar with the Revolution knows that nothing could have been further from the truth, which is why the choice of this 1775 recruiting poster makes such an excellent place to begin The Crossing: How George Washington Saved the American Revolution. After the victories at Lexington and Concord, Congress and soldiers were feeling brave and confident.  It seemed that only George Washington understood the gravity of the situation and the enormity of the task ahead. 

Jim Murphy's latest book is not a chronicle of the American Revolution, but rather a close look at the period between June 15, 1775, when Washington was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental army, and January 3, 1777, when the Continental army defeated the British troops at Princeton, following the famous victory at Trenton on December 26, 1777.  This was, Murphy contends, the most crucial period in the American Revolution, the period when the very survival of the nation hung in the balance.

In seven chronological chapters, Murphy carefully recounts the strategy, battles, and general mood of the soldiers and citizens during this period.  Maps, period artwork and quotations help to set the desperate mood of the times. At one point, after George Washington's "humiliating retreat through New Jersey,"

even a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton, gave "his word of honor that he would not meddle in ... American affairs" and swore allegiance to King George III.

(Here I am left to wonder why one of New Jersey's colleges is named after Mr. Stockton, though he apparently did, at a later date, again swear allegiance to the United States.)

During a retreat from Fort Lee in November of 1776, just barely ahead of advancing British troops, Murphy writes that Washington's

desperate soldiers abandoned cooking kettles, muskets, ammunition pouches, and unnecessary clothing as they staggered along.  A New Jersey citizen recalled that these soldiers "looked ragged, some without a shoe to their feet, and most of them wrapped in their blankets."

As always, Jim Murphy's book is thoroughly researched, highly engaging, and exhaustively indexed.   A timeline, list of Revolutionary war sites, and notes and sources are also included.

As a New Jerseyan, an undergrad history major, and  mother who has accompanied the annual 4th graders' class trip to Trenton, I am quite familiar with New Jersey's Revolutionary history, but still found The Crossing to be enlightening and engrossing.  Particularly interesting to me is the lengthy explanation following the final chapter, of the famously inaccurate painting, "Washington Crossing the Delaware." Murphy has given me new insight into, and appreciation for artist Emanual Gottlieb Leutze's iconic painting, depicting the standing George Washington crossing the Delaware River.  Art (and history) teachers would do well to use Murphy's text to introduce this painting. I plan to take a fresh look at it myself, as unfortunately, in keeping with the book's sepia-tones on white pages, only the back of the book jacket shows the painting in color in its entirety.

Highly recommended.

Enjoy this virtual visit to the present-day site of the famous landing spot,
 Washington Crossing State Park in NJ, where a reenactment is held each Christmas.

 

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Woods Runner

Paulsen, Gary. 2010.  Woods Runner. New York: Wendy Lamb.

At only thirteen years old, Samuel is already a man in some ways.  Born on the frontier, he is at home in the woods; hunting, tracking and providing for his family.  His parents have taught him to read, to be curious, to enjoy the hard work and simplicity of the frontier, but at heart, they are city-born, content to live at the edge of the great woods. Samuel, though, is perhaps even more at home in the woods than in his family's modest home.

So it is that Samuel is away hunting bear when the war comes to Western Pennsylvania.  Carefully deciphering the tracks and signs near the scorched earth of what was once their settlement, Samuel knows that his parents have been taken captive by British Redcoats and their Native allies.  Others from the settlement were not so lucky.  After burying the dead, Samuel sets out to find his parents - traveling eastward to the Redcoats stronghold, New York.

Like a Cold Mountain for teens and young adults, Woods Runner doesn’t recount the battles of war , but rather, its impact on civilian life.  Samuel, his parents, and his traveling companions do not fight in the war, but neither can they escape it.

     "It is the way of it," Abner put in from the darkness, "of war.  Some get, some don't, some live, some ... don't.  It's the way of it.
     "It's bad."
     "Yes. It is.  But it is our lot now, and we must live it."  Abner sighed. "The best we know how.”

A historical tale of action, suspense, determination and survival.  Single page entries of historical facts (ammunition, orphans, communication, etc.) separate the chapters and add background and perspective to this short, gripping story. History repeats itself every day in some location in the world.  It's good to remind ourselves sometimes of war's less visible consequences.  Highly recommended for grades 6 and up.


Read an excerpt from Woods Runner.

Bookpage has a great interview with Gary Paulsen.

Woods Runner, Three Rivers Rising, One Crazy Summer, The Keening, Countdown ... this has been a great year for historical fiction. I can’t wait to see what wins the Scott O’Dell Award.  It’s hard for me to pick a favorite.

I nominated this book for the Cybils (Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards) in the Young Adult category.  Anyone can nominate books until October 15th.  Just be sure to read the nomination rules first.

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Chains

Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2008. Chains. Narrated by Madison Leigh. Brilliance Audio.

(Running time: about 7.5 hours)

This highly-acclaimed novel by award winning author, Laurie Halse Anderson, is an interesting juxtaposition of America's fight for independence and freedom from British rule, against its simultaneous enslavement of African people. While this obvious contradiction may have gone unnoticed by American colonists, it becomes a harsh and perplexing reality for Isabelle, a young slave girl faced with a never-ending stream of tribulations.

Stolen out of freedom, she and her sister are sold to a loyalist New York couple during the start of the Revolutionary War. At first struggling to choose sides, loyalist or patriot, Isabelle comes to the conclusion that her fate is not tied to that of the Revolution. Her chains are not the chains of America.

Although the plot is sometimes contrived, Madison's Leigh's reading of Chains is compelling, and at times moving, to the point of tears. An excellent and fast-paced historical fiction novel, suitable for middle-schoolers.

Chains was chosen as a 2008 National Book Award finalist for Young People's Literature.

The Many Rides of Paul Revere

The Many Rides of Paul Revere by James Cross Giblin is a fascinating new look at a man we thought we knew through the famous Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem. How wrong we were! Paul Revere was a Renaissance man of his time, much like Benjamin Franklin or much later, Thomas Edison.

The son of a French Huguenot immigrant, Revere overcame early poverty and minimal education to become a master silver and goldsmith, a rider for the Revolution, a skilled copper engraver, a dentist, a soldier, a bell-caster, and the father of sixteen children. He learned the art of making gunpowder and built Massachusetts’ first gunpowder mill to supply the Patriots. He was a messenger for the Revolutionary forces, making many trips in addition to his famed “midnight ride.” He built the new nation’s first copper-rolling mill. He worked with Robert Fulton, designing boilers for the new steamboats.

The award-winning Giblin has lived up to his reputation, creating an engaging and well-documented look at this famous American. The Many Rides of Paul Revere is a chronological look at Revere’s life and the text is generously accompanied by sepia-toned replicas of period paintings, engravings, and photos of primary sources, including colonial paper money engraved by Revere. Complementing the captivating biography are supplemental materials including a look at Wordsworth and the famous poem, a timeline, a list of present-day historical sites to visit, source notes and an index. Hopefully teachers will not dismiss this book for biography assignments due to its length of less than 100 pages. Suitable for 4th grade to adult.