Jenny Fountain

December 6, 2006

Eng 112B

Warner

 

War and a Changing Society: 

An annotated bibliography featuring YA novels set in 18th Century New England

 

Historical Fiction was always my genre of choice as a child.  When immersed in stories of Pilgrim communities, Oregon Trail adventures or young war heroes, I became a welcomed visitor back in time.  With every turn of the page, I grew further acquainted with the world of the characters who I read about.  As noted in Literature for Today�s Young Adults, �Historical novels should tell a lively story with a sense of impending danger, mystery, suspense, or romance.� (Donelson and Nilsen, 95)  The courage displayed by the strong protagonists in this genre carries the adventure, and invites the reader along in the journey.

            Born and raised until the age of nine in New England, I was surrounded by the classic scenery featured in numerous Historical Fiction novels that I read.  For this annotated bibliography, I chose to collect stories centered in and around New England during the 1700s.  During this time, much was developing on the East Coast concerning the Revolutionary War, slavery and society. Tension between the Tories and the Patriots was widespread, slaves were forced out of their African homeland and shipped to the United States to work on plantations, confrontations between Native Americans and the new settlers were numerous and controversy arose over the Salem Witch Trials. The young �heroes� featured in these stories face common struggles; mainly, they are caught in a search for identity and courage amidst the chaos and uncertainty brought upon by a war and a changing society. I was able to find an abundant collection of historical fiction novels set in 18th Century New England and highlight ten of them in the list below:

Blackwood, Gary.  The Year of the Hangman.  New York: Dutton Children�s Books, 2002.

            In the year 1777, seventeen year-old Creighton Brown is kidnapped from his home in Britain and shipped to America.  Connecting with Benjamin Franklin and the Liberty Tree newspaper, Creighton must decide whether he will stay true to his roots and spy for the British Army or take the side of the American Revolutionaries.  The reading level of this novel appears appropriate for middle school and examines one young adult�s struggle to distinguish the importance of loyalty over personal conviction.

*Summary adapted from the book The Year of the Hangman, Dutton Children�s Books.

 

Bruchac, Joseph.  The Winter People.  New York: Dial Books, 2002.

The Winter People is the story of Saxso, a fourteen year-old Abenaki boy.  When British soldiers attack his village in 1759, his mother and younger sisters are taken hostage.  Saxso is left alone to search for his family and bring them home.  This novel offers a Native American perspective on the French and Indian War and appears appropriate for 8th and 9th grade classes.

*Summary adapted from the book The Winter People, Dial Books.

 

Collier, James Lincoln and Christopher.  My Brother Sam Is Dead.  New York: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, 1974.

            Tim�s family runs a small tavern in Connecticut during the Revolutionary War.  When his sixteen year-old brother, Sam, steals his father�s gun to help fight the British, Tim and his family are left uncertain and must eventually face the consequences of Sam�s decision.  My Brother Sam Is Dead explores the ways in which one family�s relationship is strained by teenage rebellion amidst the chaos of war.  The reading level of this novel appears appropriate for 7th-9th grade classes.

*Summary adapted from the book My Brother Sam Is Dead, Simon & Schuster.

 

Field, Rachel.  Calico Bush.  New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1931.

Thirteen year-old Marguerite left her home in France to live in America.  She becomes a �bound-out girl� to the Sargent pioneer family and moves with them to the Northern Coast of Maine.  There, she struggles to find her place amidst unfamiliar and sometimes challenging surroundings.  This is a classic story of a young immigrant�s courage and also teaches students of the unpredictable environmental obstacles faced by traveling pioneers during mid-1700s.  Calico Bush would be appropriate for an 8th or 9th grade class.

*Summary adapted from the book Calico Bush, Simon & Schuster Books.

 

Hansen, Joyce.  The Captive.  New York: Scholastic Inc., 1994.

            The Captive is the story of an African boy named Kofi, who is taken from his homeland and shipped to New England to work as a slave for Puritan farm owners.  He eventually meets an African-American ship builder who dreams of taking captive slaves back to Africa.  This novel offers perspective on slavery in New England following the American Revolution and is appropriate for middle school classes.

*Summary adapted from the book The Captive, Scholastic Inc.

 

Lunn, Janet.  The Hollow Tree.  New York: Viking, 1997.

            In the year 1777, fifteen year-old Phoebe of New Hampshire sets out on a journey through the wilderness toward British Canada to deliver a message to British general containing the names of Loyalist families to be protected by the King�s soldiers.  Phoebe finds love and friendship along the way, and uncovers a hidden courage inside her.  This novel appears appropriate for 8th and 9th grade classes.

*Summary adapted from the book The Hollow Tree, Viking.

           

O�Dell, Scott.  Sarah Bishop.  New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1980.

            Sarah Bishop re-located to the American colonies from England just prior to the American Revolution.  When Birdsall�s raiders invade her family�s Long Island farm, Sarah is left alone and sets out on a journey to shape her new life.  This novel appears appropriate for 8th-9th grade classes and is a representation of a historical fiction selection based on true-life events.

*Summary adapted from the book Sarah Bishop, Houghton Mifflin Company.

 

Rinaldi, Ann.  A Break With Charity: A Story About The Salem Witch Trials.  New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1992.

Susanna English, the daughter of a wealthy merchant in Salem, Massachusetts, finds herself involved with a circle of girls who hold secret meetings to �expose� alleged witches living in the town.  Although Susanna does not agree with the group�s intentions, she fears turning her back on them will result in false accusations about herself and her family.  This novel appears appropriate for 9th grade classes and teaches students about the Salem Witch Trials and the impact of superstitions and persecution on various individuals.

*Summary adapted from the book A Break With Charity, Harcourt Brace & Company.

 

Rinaldi, Ann.  A Ride into Morning: The Story of Tempe Wick.  San Diego, CA: Gulliver Books, 1991.

            Cousins Mary Cooper and Tempe Wick work together to support American Revolutionary Army soldiers who camp on their New Jersey farm.  Tempe soon grows impatient as she sees the soldiers suffering due to the war, causing her to divert her support from the Revolutionary cause.  A Ride into Morning offers adventure and suspense, while teaching students the common realities of war for those who lived on the sidelines, including the invasion of personal space and other domestic inconveniences that can arise during times of war.  This novel is recommended for grades 7-9.

*Summary adapted from the book A Ride into Morning, Gulliver Books.

 

Speare, Elizabeth George.  The Sign of the Beaver.  New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1983.

When thirteen year-old Matt is left alone by his father to protect their cabin in the wilderness of Maine, he befriends an Indian boy from the Beaver Clan who teaches Matt how to be resourceful and survive in the forest.  Matt develops a newfound appreciation for nature and Beaver Clan heritage, while also learning of the struggle between the natives and the white man as a result of the developing frontier.  This book is a solid introduction to the varied relations between the Native Americans and the settlers during the Revolutionary period and is appropriate for middle school classes.

*Summary adapted from the book The Sign of the Beaver, Houghton Mifflin Company.

 

Suggestions for the selected novels, as well as other Historical Fiction for juveniles and young adults set in the United States during the 1700�s, were taken from the Youth Services Department at www.santacruzpl.org.

 

 

Works Cited

Donelson, Kenneth L. and Allen Pace Nilson.  Literature for Today�s Young Adults.  Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2006.