This year’s monumental Independence Day celebration is made accessible to young readers through a special collection of historical fiction and interactive books.
‘Rebellion 1776’ by Laurie Halse Anderson
It is Boston 1776, and 13-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper is living in the best of times and the worst of times. While the Continental Army holds the city to contain the British Army, she finds herself working as a kitchen maid to a Loyalist judge, while her father must earn his living as a sailmaker at the docks. But as soon as the British leave, her father also disappears. With her employer fleeing to Canada, she becomes a servant to a new family that has taken over the judge’s lodgings. The Pike family, with their crew of six children, proves to be a handful, especially when Boston is beset by the smallpox epidemic. As the country declares its independence from Britain, Elsbeth continues to search for her father, help friends along the way, and care for the family she serves.Set against the backdrop of the early colonies’ struggles for freedom, “Rebellion 1776” is an engaging story of family, friendships, love, and betrayal. While the characters are fictional, the situation Elsbeth and her father find themselves in is based on actual accounts of people from that era. The first-person narrative, together with Elsbeth’s occasional asides, will draw readers in for a fully immersive experience of 1776 America. Recommended for readers ages 12 and up.
