Synopses & Reviews
The American Revolution is about to ignite!
Life is tough for thirteen-year-old Nathaniel Dunn, an indentured servant in colonial Virginia. Yet in a twist of luck, he meets Basil, a kind schoolmaster, and an arrangement is struck lending Nathaniel's labor to a Williamsburg carriage maker. Basil introduces Nathaniel to music, books, and philosophies that open his mind to new attitudes about equality. The year is 1775, and as colonists voice their rage over England's taxation, Patrick Henry's words "give me liberty, or give me death" become the sounding call for action. Should Nathaniel and Basil join the fight? What is the meaning of "liberty" in a country reliant on indentured servants and slaves? Nathaniel must face the puzzling choices a dawning nation lays before him.
Review
“Elliott successfully evokes the spirit of the times.” KLIATT
Review
“A lively account of the times with a likable narrator and solid action.” Kirkus Reviews
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“Filled with action, welldrawn characters, and a sympathetic understanding of many points of view.” ALA Booklist
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“A rich and robust piece of historical literature.” School Library Journal
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“Elliotts vivid descriptions and in-depth research make it easy to envision revolutionary-era Williamsburg.” Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
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“Nathaniel and Basil come alive, making this a solid piece of historical fiction.” KLIATT
Synopsis
An exciting novel for tweens that captures the dawn of the American Revolution.
Life is tough for thirteen-year-old Nathaniel Dunn, an indentured servant in colonial Virginia. Then in a twist of luck, he meets Basil, a kind schoolmaster, and an arrangement is struck lending Nathaniel's labor to a Williamsburg carriage maker. Basil introduces Nathaniel to music, books, and philosophies that open his mind to new attitudes about equality.
The year is 1775, and as colonists voice their rage over England's taxation, Patrick Henry's words "give me liberty, or give me death" become the sounding call for action. Should Nathaniel and Basil join the fight? What is the meaning of "liberty" in a country reliant on indentured servants and slaves? Nathaniel must face the puzzling choices a dawning nation lays before him.
"Filled with action, well-drawn characters, and a sympathetic understanding of many points of view." --ALA Booklist
About the Author
L. M. Elliott is the author of several award-winning novels for older readers, including the historical novel under a war-torn sky, a Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies (NCSS/CBC); Flying South, winner of the Joan G. Sugarman Children's Book Award; and Annie, Between the States, a New York Public LibraryBook for the Teen Age and an IRA/CBC Teachers' Choice. She is also the author of the picture books Hunter's Best Friend at School and Hunter and Stripe and the Soccer Showdown, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. She lives with her husband and their two children in Virginia.