The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the beginning of the American Revolution. The first volley of shots between the British and the minutemen at Concord is known as “the shot heard round the world.” We kicked off our study of the American Revolution with these books. The list includes a poem to study and one of the American Girl books.
Colonial Voices: Hear them Speak
Beginning with the story of Ethan, the errandboy at the printshop, we are immersed into the world of Boston on December 16, 1773 through free verse. Ethan travels to the various stores around town, bringing his secret message. The reader is introduced to the different trades as well as different perspectives on the political climate of the time. It ends with the secret event: The Boston Tea Party. A map in the front and back covers shows Ethan’s route around town. There are more details about each trade in the endnotes.
Poetry Study
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, link to read for free at archive.org
This is a great choice for poetry reading while studying the American Revolution. Inside the front cover is a fold-out copy of a historical document from Thomas Gage to Lieutenant Colonel Smith of the 16th Regiment, ordering soldiers to seize the ammunition in Concord, Massachusetts. Inside the back cover is “The Deposition of Paul Revere prepared for the Massachusetts Provincial Congress.”
The artwork is stunning and the artist’s painstaking process is explained at the end of the book. Complete with maps and a section about historical accuracy, this is my choice for anyone reading Longfellow’s poem.
“Paul Revere’s daring midnight ride made him an instant celebrity, right? Wrong! At first, no one in Boston even wanted to mention it. Jeff Lantos pulls apart Longfellow’s famous poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” to unravel how and why he twisted historical facts.“
“Do you know how historically inaccurate “Paul Revere’s Ride” is? And do you know why? Author Jeff Lantos pulls apart Longfellow’s poem, tells the real story about Paul Revere’s historic ride, and sets the record right. Not only that, he lays out when and why Longfellow wrote his poem and explains how without it, many of us wouldn’t know much about Revere at all. This is Steve Sheinkin for the younger set, complete with an American mystery and a look at two important moments in the history of our country.”
Twelve interesting chapters dissect the poem chronologically for readers ages 8 to 12. Colorful photographs, historical documents, and sidebars complete the glossy pages.
Shorter Chapter Books
Nathaniel Benchley writes two books about the battles at Lexington and Concord from different points of view: that of a minuteman fighting with the American patriots, and that of a drummer boy in the British army. Both Sam and George are boys and children will be able to empathize with their feelings at the beginning of the American Revolution.
These are both “I Can Read!” Level 3 books (Grades 2-4).
Sam the Minuteman, link to read it for free at archive.org
“In this exciting classic early reader, Nathaniel Benchly re-creates what it must have been like for a young boy to fight in the Battle of Lexington. Arnold Lobel’s vivid pictures give a poignant reality to the famous battle that marked the beginning of the American Revolution.” (from the publisher)
George the Drummer Boy, link to read it for free at archive.org
“More than two hundred years ago, Boston belonged to the British. George was a drummer boy with the King’s soldiers there. He wanted to be friends with the people of Boston. But they did not like the soldiers. They shouted and threw things at them. One night, George and the other soldiers were sent on a secret mission. They crossed the river and headed toward Concord. George had no idea that this was the start of the American Revolution.” (from the publisher)
American Girl: Felicity, link to read it for free at archive.org
We read all six of the Felicity books while studying the American Revolution. Felicity and her family are patriots in Williamsburg in 1774, but her grandfather and her best friend’s family are loyalists. The books are a good insider view to the colony of Williamsburg during this tumultuous time.
The recommended independent reading age for these books is ages 8 to 10. I did these as read-alouds for my 6 and 7 year olds, and my 11 year olds enjoyed the stories as well.
We also looked through Welcome to Felicity’s World (archive.org link), did a few crafts from Felicity’s Craft Book (archive.org link), and used recipes from Felicity’s Cookbook (archive.org link)
Longer Chapter Books
Mr. Revere and I, link to read for free at archive.org
“Paul Revere didn’t make his famous midnight ride alone. Meet a patriot unlike any other: Scheherazade, the mare who doesn’t mind mentioning she was once the fastest and most admired horse in the King’s army. But on arrival in America, “Sherry” is quickly let down by her British rider and recruited by Sam Adams to join the Sons of Liberty. Before long, she finds herself teamed with Raul Revere to play a key-if unnoticed-role in the American Revolution. Full of wit and wisdom, this beloved classic presents an unforgettable view to the birth of a nation-straight from the horse’s mouth!” (from the publisher)
This is written by the same author as Ben and I, which is how I came across it. We listened to this on audiobook and after the first few chapters, it turned out to be very engaging.
My only caveat with the book is that I don’t know what is fact and fiction. For example, I learned later that a fast horse was loaned to Paul Revere for his midnight ride, Brown Beauty. She was taken away by the British that night and never returned.
Johnny Tremain, historical fiction chapter book, Newbery Award winner, link to read it for free at archive.org
“Fourteen-year-old Johnny Tremain, an apprentice silversmith with a bright future ahead of him, injures his hand in a tragic accident, forcing him to look for other work. In his new job as a horse-boy, riding for the patriotic newspaper The Boston Observer and as a messenger for the Sons of Liberty, he encounters John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Dr. Joseph Warren. Soon Johnny is involved in the pivotal events of the American Revolution, from the Boston Tea Party to the first shots fired at Lexington.” (from the publisher)
The recommended age is 10 and up. We listened to this on audiobook and it was captivating for my kids, aged 6 to 11. You know it’s good when they don’t want to stop! Parts of it are a bit intense for the younger age group, though. My 6 and 7 year olds were sad when Johnny has an accident that injures his hand, and also at the death of a main character towards the end of the book.
There is an old Disney movie based on the book. We all thought the book was better, of course, but the movie does a wonderful job keeping all the important plot lines with the fewest possible characters. (And none of the main characters die.)