From the American Revolution to a New Nation

The Georges most prominent in early America — England’s George III and America’s George Washington — had much in common even though their politics put them on opposite sides of the issue of independence as well as the Atlantic. Serious information about the men, their struggles, and the times in which they lived is conveyed in an engaging format and light touch that tells of the birth of the United States.

Fact and fiction, old and new styles of illustration, wit and seriousness combine in this pithy, lighthearted look at four luminaries in American history. Only mature readers will appreciate the title’s name play but are sure to chuckle at the take on John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington and Ben Franklin. Fact is clearly differentiated from fun at book’s end.

Long ago in 1787, a group of men known as the Founding Fathers of the United States met in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. (It’s now a national park.) There they discussed, argued, and finally agreed upon a document that still in use today — the U.S. Constitution. Their story is told with verve and humor in this playful book.

Isabel, an enslaved 13-year old, and her younger sister are set to be freed but instead are sold to a ruthless Loyalist at the start of the Revolutionary War. Life in New York City during the time comes vividly alive as do the complexities of the war. The first novel in the historical middle grade The Seeds of America trilogy.

The story of Nathan Hale, who was an officer and spy for the American rebels during the Revolutionary War. This lively, rigorously researched, visually engaging graphic novel highlights the unusual and just plain unbelievable truth of the historical Nathan Hale. (Book 1 in Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series)

Follow the story of Abigail and John Adams as they forge an equal and loving partnership that will last a lifetime and help shape a young republic. The Adamses were firsthand witnesses to historical events such as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the American Revolution, and the Continental Congresses. They met revolutionary leaders and heroes including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and America’s first president, George Washington along the way. See history through the eyes of Abigail and John Adams as you learn the true story behind their powerful and influential union. See an exclusive digital version of Abigail & John.

When her husband followed George Washington into battle during the war for independence, Mary “Molly” Hays followed her husband, gaining the name Molly Pitcher by carrying water to the thirsty men on the battlefield. When she took up her wounded husband’s position firing the cannon, a legend was born. The illustrations depict sturdy figures and fierce battles in this dramatic account.

“All men are born free and equal.” Everybody knows about the Founding Fathers and the Declaration of Independence in 1776. But the founders weren’t the only ones who believed that everyone had a right to freedom. Mumbet, a Massachusetts enslaved person, believed it too. She longed to be free, but how? Would anyone help her in her fight for freedom? Could she win against the richest man in town? Mumbet was determined to try. This picture book biography tells her story for the first time, illustrating how her brave actions set a milestone on the road toward ending slavery in the United States.

This fact and fun-filled look at female contributions to the American Revolution provides a serious but lighthearted introduction to a range of known and unknown women. Affable illustrations include thought and speech bubbles.

This lively look at Thomas Jefferson’s lifelong obsession with books and reading is told with verve and humor. How Jefferson’s sizeable book collection came to reside at the Library of Congress brings both the man and his time into focus. Additional information about the man and his legacy as well as additional resources conclude this brief, fact-filled, engaging book.

Thomas Jefferson’s many activities and interests took root in a new country and remain evident in contemporary America. They are celebrated in a breezy but informative text and charming, stylized illustrations in a muted palette that help bring the time, the person and his undertakings into focus. 

Journals, letters and other primary sources were used to introduce “a few of the women who helped… make [the United States] a nation where everyone could pursue the happiness promised when America declared independence…” Line and wash illustrations enhance the brief entries of these intriguing but largely unknown women.

Who will outsmart whom — Phineas Bump, the 1790 U.S. census taker who rides into Tunbridge, Vermont, heartsick, saddle-sore, and down on his luck but determined to count the people for his job, or the townsfolk who don’t want to be counted because they think they’ll have to pay more taxes? When young rascal Boston Pepper gets an idea, it switches their thinking: more people would mean more government representation and more votes to get things done!

Trace the stories of heroic, patriotic women such as Abigail Adams, Martha Washington, Phillis Wheatley, Mercy Otis Warren, Sarah Livingston Jay, and others. Details are gleaned from their letters, private journals, lists, and ledgers. The bravery of these women’s courageous acts contributed to the founding of America and spurred the founding fathers to make this a country that “remembered the ladies.”

On the stormy night of April 26, 1777, young Sybil Ludington rode on her horse spreading the word that the British were coming. They had already set fire to the nearby town of Danbury, Connecticut and the glow of the flames had turned the night sky to fiery red. Sybil rode through the countryside to alert the patriots with the cry of “Muster at Ludington’s!”

Learn about Crispus Attucks, an escaped slave whose freedom ended when he died in the Boston Massacre, — as well as many other lesser-known black men and women who made enormous contributions to U.S. independence. Readers will discover Edward Hector, the brave wagoner of Brandywine; artilleryman and slave Austin Dabney; William Lee, the aide and closest companion of George Washington throughout the war; and many others.

As the former Colonies struggle for freedom, the American Revolution is in the hands of a brave and resourceful teenage girl. At sixteen, Susanna Bolling is like America in rebellion; she craves independence. When British General Cornwallis invades her family’s Bollingbrook Plantation, she overhears his secret plan to defeat the Patriots. Much to her shock, she finds herself at the center of the war.

In the shadows of the American Revolution, a quiet signal could be the difference between victory and defeat. Anna Smith Strong (1740–1812) risked everything to help George Washington ― not with muskets, but with spycraft. Recruited by Washington’s spymaster Major Benjamin Tallmadge, Anna became part of the Culper Ring, an intelligence network operating under constant danger. From her home in Setauket, Long Island, she helped move vital information through enemy-occupied territory―where discovery could mean prison or execution. Her most ingenious tool looked perfectly ordinary: laundry on a clothesline. By arranging a black petticoat and carefully placed handkerchiefs, Anna could signal when a message was ready and guide fellow spies to the correct pickup point―turning “everyday life” into a coded lifeline for the Patriot cause. The book also includes an author’s note, bibliography, index, and a spy code so kids can jump into the world of secret messages themselves.

Everyone knew Abigail was different. Instead of keeping quiet, she blurted out questions. Instead of settling down with a wealthy minister, she married a poor country lawyer named John Adams. Instead of running from the Revolutionary War, she managed a farm and fed hungry soldiers. Instead of leaving the governing to men, she insisted they “Remember the Ladies.” Instead of fearing Europe’s kings and queens, she boldly crossed the sea to represent her new country. And when John become President of the United States, Abigail became First Lady, and a powerful advisor.

An illustrated history of how the Constitution came to be. In May 1787 delegates from across the country—including George Washington, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin—gathered in Philadelphia and, meeting over the course of a sweltering summer, created a new framework for governing: the Constitution of the United States. Their efforts turned a shaky alliance of states into a nation that would prosper and grow powerful, drawing its strength for centuries to come from “We the people” and inspiring hope for freedom around the world.

Prudence Wright had a spark of independence. Annoyed when the British king held back freedoms in colonial Massachusetts, feisty and fearless Prudence had enough. She said no! to British goods, determined to rely on her resourcefulness and ingenuity to get by. And when British troops continued to threaten the lives of her family and community, she assembled and led the “minute women” of Pepperell to break free of tradition. Wright rallied the first and only group of “minute women” to fight the British, changing history in the process.This untold story of a courageous and brave woman from the Revolutionary War continues to inspire today.

The year is 1777, and young Maddy Rose’s brother Jonathan has gone to fight with Washington. Maddy Rose is also doing her part for the revolution. She has worked out a simple, clever system to inform Jonathan about ships docked in the harbor: her petticoats and stockings have particular meanings as they hang on the line.

The U.S. Constitution brought to life for young readers!In this visual celebration of the U.S. Constitution and America’s founding fathers, Caldecott Medalist Peter Spier tells the stirring American tale of how this most important document came to symbolize freedom, justice, equality, and hope for all citizens.

Born into a life of slavery, Ona Judge eventually grew up to be George and Martha Washington’s “favored” enslaved person. When she was told that she was going to be given as a wedding gift to Martha Washington’s granddaughter, Ona made the bold and brave decision to flee to the north, where she would be a fugitive. From her childhood, to her time with the Washingtons and living in the slave quarters, to her escape to New Hampshire, readers will get a glimpse into the life of a little-known, but powerful figure in history.

The home of the United States president was built by many hands, including those of slaves, who undertook this amazing achievement long before there were machines to do those same jobs. Stirring and emotional, Floyd Cooper’s illustrations bring to life the faces of those who endured hard, brutal work when the profit of their labor was paid to the master, not the slave. The fact that many were able to purchase their freedom after earning money from learning a trade speaks to the strength of those individuals. They created this iconic emblem of America, brick by brick. Includes an insightful author’s note and a list of selected resources.

Commemorate the innumerable ways the African American community has shaped the foundation of the United States in this poetic picture book from the Caldecott Honor-winning team behind Freedom in Congo Square.

Black hands molded clay, chiseled marble,
rendered portraits, and painted vistas.
Black hands penned literary testaments
that have stood the test of time.

Since the United States won independence in 1776, African Americans have contributed greatly to the nation’s culture, politics, economy, and landscape. Black Hands celebrates the countless contributions of African Americans — from building the White House, birthing jazz, and landing a man on the moon to pushing for social justice. Black excellence, however, has too often been overlooked.

Who was Mary Katharine Goddard? Born in 1738, she was homeschooled by her mother in reading and math. She took over her brother’s printing shop a few years later and became an expert in printing newspapers, essays, and posters. When the American Revolution started, she published important news that helped the fight against the British — even if it meant that if she was caught, she’d be punished for treason. In 1776, Mary was asked to print the Declaration of Independence — she is the only woman whose name is on the Declaration.

A gripping view of the Revolutionary War through the eyes of a 12-year-old spy. When young Sophia Calderwood witnesses the execution of Nathan Hale in New York City, she resolves to do all she can to help the American cause. Recruited as a spy, she becomes aware that someone in the American army might be switching sides, and she uncovers a plot that will grievously damage the Americans if it succeeds. 

This is an historical fiction middle grade adventure about a girl struggling to survive amid a smallpox epidemic, the public’s fear of inoculation, and the seething Revolutionary War. In the spring of 1776, thirteen-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper wakes to the sound of cannons. It’s the Siege of Boston, the Patriots’ massive drive to push the Loyalists out that turns the city into a chaotic war zone. Elsbeth’s father — her only living relative — has gone missing, leaving her alone and adrift in a broken town while desperately seeking employment to avoid the orphanage. Just when things couldn’t feel worse, the smallpox epidemic sweeps across Boston. Thousands of people rush in from the countryside begging for inoculation. At the same time, others refuse protection, for the treatment is crude at best and at times more dangerous than the disease itself. Elsbeth, who had smallpox as a small child and is now immune, finds work taking care of a large, wealthy family with discord of their own as they await a turn at inoculation, but as the epidemic and the revolution rage on, will she find her father?

From the controversial, unpopular taxes on tea through the defiant act of dumping hundreds of chests of British cargo into the harbor, this exciting retelling puts readers in the middle of this historic event. Detailed watercolor illustrations bring this story of early American protest to life, depicting the colonial era and the charged atmosphere of Boston in the weeks leading up to the Boston Tea Party.  Informational backmatter includes a bibliography, index, and historic map of Boston.

The story of one of the most famous events in U.S. history, focusing on the role of Samuel Adams. Considered the leader of the protest movement against Britain’s authority in Massachusetts, Samuel Adams convinced many people to join the Sons of Liberty. Presented in graphic novel format.

The friendship between Lafayette and Washington is dramatically told for sophisticated readers in a handsome picture book format. It began while the fledgling United States fought for its independence from Britain though it continued after the war. Additional information about the two men and the time in which they lived is included.