I Survived the American Revolution, 1776

Lauren Tarshis's I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 is a gripping history adventure for 7 year olds about an orphan who runs straight into a war.

What happens

Nathaniel Fox is eleven. Since his papa was swept off his ship in a storm, Nate has lived with his uncle in Connecticut. Uncle Storch is rich, mean and on the English king's side. The only people who're kind to Nate are Eliza and her little boy Theo, who are enslaved by Storch.

Then three-year-old Theo, playing pirates, sends a stick flying into Storch's head. Nate knows what Storch might do to Theo, so he takes the blame himself. It goes very badly.

So Nate runs. He stows away on a boat to New York City, hoping to find work on a ship. Instead he finds the streets full of soldiers digging walls and hauling cannons. The British are coming, and there's a familiar face waiting in the army camp.

It opens with a heart-thumping scene from later in the story, then goes back to show how Nate got there. The writing is short and punchy, full of KI-crack and Kaboom!

You learn loads without noticing. Bunker Hill. The Declaration of Independence. Why the soldiers' drums mattered so much. And Nate asks the question any child would. If all men are created equal, why doesn't that include Eliza and Theo?

Worth knowing before you hand it over

Worth knowing that it doesn't shy away from what war and slavery meant. In the first pages Nate's friend lies dead on a battlefield and a soldier with a bayonet is chasing him. His uncle grabs him by the throat. A kind young soldier dies of smallpox. And we hear that Storch sold Eliza's husband away.

For a child who gets upset easily, you might want to read this one together. For a history lover who wants it real, it's brilliant.

What to read next

If they're gripped, I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 is in the library too. Oscar is also eleven and missing his papa, and he's just stepped off the train in a city where the fire is about to start.