Read the Revolution
Summer Reading List: 2021 Young Readers Edition
August 25, 2021
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As the summer nears its end and a new school year approaches, our education team likes to gather up our favorite books on the American Revolution and suggest a few of our favorites for young readers. This year we’re focusing on recently published books. This selection represents the power of storytelling to open us up to new places, people, and sometimes even perspectives across the centuries. Books can be a conduit between the past and the present, and we hope that these will earn spots on your bookshelves!
Picture Book
A Parade for George Washington
Written by David A. Adler | Illustrated by John O’Brien
In this colorful new book, George Washington just wants to travel to New York City to take the first presidential oath of office, but people are determined to celebrate their new president with parades, dinners, and even a thirteen-gun salute. Young readers will love the bright illustrations while enjoying this well-researched story of our first president.
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Middle Reader
Why Longfellow Lied: The Truth About Paul Revere’s Ride
Written by Jeff Lantos
In our Lexington & Concord gallery, we spend time separating the truth from the poetic license that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow took with his legendary work “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.” Jeff Lantos takes a similar approach, teaching the more complex story of Revere’s ride along with the reasons behind why Longfellow chose not to always stick to the facts.
Teen Readers
The Age of Phillis
Written by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
Phillis Wheatley Peters was born free in West Africa, but then captured, enslaved, and brought to Massachusetts as a young child. Yet, by the end of her life, she is again a free woman, and the first female African American poet to have their works published. Readers will be drawn into this story as Jeffers uses her own poetry, excerpts of Wheatley’s works, and quotes from primary sources to explore Phillis’s life, private feelings, hopes, and dreams.
National Book Award for Poetry, Longlist 2020
Read the Revolution is sponsored by The Haverford Trust Company.
Read the Revolution is published biweekly by the Museum of the American Revolution to inspire learning about the history of the American Revolution and its ongoing relevance.
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