A Kids' Guide to the American Revolution

Gr 5–8—Krull takes the American Revolution by the horns and drags it out of the doldrums. Her chatty prose shows it for what it was—a gutsy "blowup between a parent figure and unruly children" that was "deadly, messy, scary, and suspenseful." Oh, and did we mention world-shaking? Chockablock with interesting incidents (see "The Crucial Lee Resolution," when "It was an appropriate time to be twitchy"), and fascinating factoids such as "the median age of the colonists was 16," this is a history book that can be read for pleasure. How interesting to discover the Stamp Act meant not postage fees, but the fee for an official stamp on "anything made of paper"—books, licenses, contracts, newspapers, and court documents included. Sidebars include brief biographies of variously famous and unknown personages, quotes from contemporaries and later historians, and tidbits to whet the appetite for more. The main focus of the text is dedicated to the daring and the determination on the part of the rebelling colonists. And to the lasting, powerful message of the Declaration of Independence. Krull does touch on slavery, racism, the use of black troops, and on the decisions made by various Native American tribes who had little reason to favor any white government. However, the generic use of the terms Indians and slaves is disappointing.