Rebecca's War tells the story of a teenager left with her younger siblings in Philadelphia during the English occupation. It is an exceptionally good book for giving the American and British perspectives on the conflict as well as the usual pre-adolescent story of rising to meet challenges. The story line includes a spy plot, and smuggling, and keeps the reluctant reader reading to find out what happened. Good for elementary and early middle school.

Rebecca is only fourteen when she is left in charge of her young brother and sister. Alone in occupied Philadelphia as America struggles for her freedom from England,she must find a way to feed and protect them, and guard a secret that could destroy America's dream of independance, while having to share her house with British Army Officers! When war turns family friends into strangers, and enemies into dear friends, who can Rebecca trust?

A story of a girl growing up in a time when childhood took a back burner to patriotism. This book is exceptionally written, with characters that have you involved and mesmerized. Iam sixteen years of age and have read this book twice. Each time it holds new excitement and adventure for me. The friendship between The Honourable Frederick and Rebecca has a charm that gives you the insentive to read on.They have a mutual respect for each other and although on opposing sides of a historic war they form a friendship that war cannot come between. The story was imaginative and the characters memorable.

I have just finished reading Redcoat in Boston for the second time. This time I read it to my 9 year old son. It is a wonderful book contrasting the American and British points of view of Boston in the 1760s. Harry, the main character, is a British soldier posted in Boston. He lives some of the key events of early American history and through his eyes we see the reasoning behind the American revolution. The read is a ride along with young Harry as he struggles to find out who he is and which nation he truly belongs to. An enjoyable way to get the feel for some real history.

I loved this book...but NOT for its realism, that's for sure. It's put forward as a warts-and-all, true to life account of what happens when a girl runs away from home (in this case, a basically loving home because of the SEEMING oversight of her birthday), but it's soft & gentle to the point of fairy tale. The dialog is unrealistic, especially that of the "bad guys," and the ending partially defies logic. BUT. I loved the dated-ness of the book, its good intentions, and the believable kindness of some of the characters. Enjoyed the accounts of a young girl staying at a hostel of sorts without friends or money, and the descriptions of her dreary assembly line job. The subtle romantic angle was sweet and compelling. Worth a read, definitely...just don't see it as the Gospel of the times.

A good thing about this book is it goes into alot of description about the different difficulties in traveling to New York City. A disadvantage is the book ends abrutly. The book leaves you with many questions. A thing that somebody can relate to is the dissapointment when John Luckless finds out that his message is fake. John felt very misled and dissapointed because the British Army let him down.