Let It Begin Here!: Lexington & Concord: First Battles of the American Revolution - Hardcover

Fradin, Dennis Brindell

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802789455 ISBN 13: 9780802789457

Publisher: Walker Childrens, 2005

Synopsis

April 18, 1775

9:30 P.M. Paul Revere learns that the British army is marching to Lexington and Concord to arrest rebel leaders and destroy American military supplies.

11:00 P.M. Revere begins his famous midnight ride to warn his fellow patriots about the British plans.

April 19, 1775

12:00 A.M. Revere reaches Lexington and warns rebel leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British are coming. They escape and rouse the town's militia.

1:00 A.M. Revere is captured by the British, but a fellow patriot continues on to warn the sleeping village of Concord.

5:00 A.M. An advance lookout for the Lexington militia spots the approaching British army and shouts a warning.

5:20 A.M. Most of the 70 Lexington militiamen, outgunned by the military might of the 250 British regulars, decide to back down. But a few men stand their ground, including Jonas Parker, a grandfather who has vowed never to flee the British.

Suddenly, a shot rings out.

About this title

About the Author

Dennis Brindell Fradin is the author of The Signers: The 56 Stories Behind the Declaration of Independence, which won numerous awards, including being named an ALA Notable, an American Booksellers for Children's Choice, and an International Reading Association Teachers' Choice. The New York Times Book Review called it "fascinating for young historians and just about anyone else."

Dennis lives in Evanston, Illinois, with his wife, Judith.

Larry Day has illustrated several picture books while working in the advertising industry, creating storyboards for such clients as McDonalds and the U.S. Army. His illustrations have appeared in the Chicago Tribune Magazine and in several exhibits, including his own shows.

Larry lives in Downers Grove, Illinois, with his wife, Melanie, and their two sons, Andrew and Peter.

From the Back Cover

"Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon. But if they mean to have a war, let it begin here!"-- Captain John Parker, leader of the Lexington militia

From the Inside Flap

In less than 24 hours a rebellious colony would be changed forever.

April 18, 1775
9:30 P.M. Paul Revere learns that the British army is marching to Lexington and Concord to arrest rebel leaders and destroy American military supplies.

11:00 P.M. Revere begins his famous midnight ride to warn his fellow patriots about the British plans.

April 19, 1775
12:00 A.M. Revere reaches Lexington and warns rebel leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British are coming. They escape and rouse the town's militia.

1:00 A.M. Revere is captured by the British, but a fellow patriot continues on to warn the sleeping village of Concord.

5:00 A.M. An advance lookout for the Lexington militia spots the approaching British army and shouts a warning.

5:20 A.M. Most of the 70 Lexington militiamen, outgunned by the military might of the 250 British regulars, decide to back down. But a few men stand their ground, including Jonas Parker, a grandfather who has vowed never to flee the British.

Suddenly, a shot rings out.

Dennis Brindell Fradin is the author of The Signers: The 56 Stories Behind the Declaration of Independence, which won numerous awards, including being named an ALA Notable, an American Booksellers for Children's Choice, and an International Reading Association Teachers' Choice. The New York Times Book Review called it "fascinating for young historians and just about anyone else."

Dennis lives in Evanston, Illinois, with his wife, Judith.

Larry Day has illustrated several picture books while working in the advertising industry, creating storyboards for such clients as McDonalds and the U.S. Army. His illustrations have appeared in the Chicago Tribune Magazine and in several exhibits, including his own shows.

Larry lives in Downers Grove, Illinois, with his wife, Melanie, and their two sons, Andrew and Peter.

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 4-Although brief, this book contains an informative description of the opening shots of the American Revolution. It starts with a who's who identifying the major players and a short introduction that provides some historical context. An hour-by-hour account of the events of April 18 and 19, 1775, follows, beginning with Paul Revere's ride to warn Samuel Adams (pictured in a fetching nightshirt and cap) and John Hancock in Lexington, as well as the patriots in Concord, that the British are on the move. Fradin presents quick summaries of the two battles, highlighting a few interesting facts and individuals in the exciting narrative. Vivid two-page watercolor, gouache, and pen-and-ink illustrations, reminiscent of Robert Andrew Parker's style, dramatize the events. Text blocks are carefully placed both for legibility and design. A map on the front endpapers shows a free rendering of the Boston area; one in the back places Massachusetts within the 13 colonies. A compelling cover, featuring determined-looking patriots holding muskets, will entice youngsters to pick up this book, and its appealing format makes it appropriate for reading aloud. Stephen Krensky's Paul Revere's Midnight Ride (HarperCollins, 2002) has a similar look and tone, but a different focus. Neil Johnson's The Battle of Lexington and Concord (Four Winds, 1992) provides more detail and is illustrated with reenactor photographs.-Elaine Fort Weischedel, Milton Public Library, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

*Starred Review* Gr. 2-4. Using active verbs and present tense, Fradin creates a crisply written, vivid, you-are-there account of Paul Revere's actions on the night of April 18, 1775, and the battles in Lexington and Concord on the following day, ending with the British limping back to Boston in the evening. Rather than sanitizing or romanticizing the beginning of the Revolutionary War, this account acknowledges the bloody, deadly nature of the fighting. Each section of the book begins with a notation of the date and time. An afterword comments on the significance of the battles in American history. Facing the introduction to preceding events in Boston, a page called "Who's Who" identifies the main historical figures on each side, picturing them in tiny silhouette portraits. An identical list at the book's end tells "What Happened to the People," followed by bibliographies of sources and recommended reading, including Stephen Krensky's fine picture book Paul Revere's Midnight Ride (2002). Well-composed double-page illustrations, ink drawings with watercolor and gouache, highlight the human drama implicit in the text. Although not the first illustrated book to present these pivotal events in American history, this one is notable for the immediacy of its telling, and its strong writing, art, and design. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Walker Childrens
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0802789455
• ISBN 13: 9780802789457
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Day Larry
• Number of pages: 32