Young George Washington: The Making of a Hero

A fictionalized biography, with emphasis on the early life, of the Virginia farmer's son who would eventually become a Revolutionary War leader and first President of the United States

Grade 5-7. This admiring fictional account traces the young George Washington's path to heroism and influence in colonial America, including his first mission to counter French expansionism in the Ohio valley, his experiences in the early part of the French and Indian War, and his successful leadership of Virginia's colonial troops. Rosenburg also details some of Washington's personal life, including his ambition for wealth and prominence, his (apparently unconsummated) romance with the married Sally Fairfax, and his courtship of and marriage to Martha Custis. Although it is clear that Rosenburg has researched his subject's life thoroughly and has used primary sources extensively, this book has some serious weaknesses. It reads like a heavily fictionalized biography and has long stretches of background details about the conditions and politics in colonial America and Washington's travels. It will not hold the attention of fiction readers, and the limited scope (it ends when Washington was 26) and lack of documentation will discourage researchers. There is no natural audience for this book. In contrast, Mary P. Osborne's George Washington (Dial, 1991) is a more complete, readable, and better-organized choice for both general readers and researchers.?Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A rarity: a biography of Washington that ends 15 years before the Revolution. The story opens when the subject is in his teens, yearning to go into the Navy and forced to stay on the farm by his mother. Using snippets from journals, Rosenburg (William Parker, p. 73, etc.) progresses through Washington's difficulties with his mother and his early surveying days, then focuses on his efforts on behalf of the Crown to drive the French out of the Ohio Valley. The author employs a novelistic style and dialogue (from sources mentioned in the acknowledgments--there is, unfortunately, no bibliography) to create a fast-paced, exciting biography. Although Rosenburg limns the qualities Washington gained that served him so well later on in life, this is not hagiography, but a chronicle of mistakes made and lessons learned. Atypical of a book of this length, there are no chapters to impede readers through this invigorating, human look at a man who usually resides among statues, monuments, and other US icons. (b&w photos, not seen, chronology) (Biography. 10+) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 6^-8. Rosenburg's exciting story of Washington's early life has plenty of adventure as well as a survival ministory that rivals the best fiction. Following Washington's military career and personal life from his early teens through age 27, the author explores George's relationship with his older half-brother, Lawrence, who paved the way for Washington's military career by introducing him to many influential political and military personalities. Washington's ambition, courage, and dedication to country are emphasized, but Rosenburg also gives unbiased coverage to his subject's early military failures and discusses Sally Fairfax, a married woman with whom Washington secretly corresponded throughout his early military life. The fast-paced account will be a good addition to library collections. A chronology is appended, and illustrations and references are planned. Lauren Peterson