Description

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This extensively researched and groundbreaking account by Sibert medalist Marc Aronson centers on events in the mid-18th century that enabled Americans to give up their loyalty to England and form their own nation. Shedding new light on familiar aspects of American history, such as the Boston Tea Party, and ending with the aftermath of the American Revolution, Aronson approaches the events that shaped our country from a fresh angle and connects them to issues that still exist in modern times. Also developed throughout is the pioneering idea that the struggle for American independence was actually part of a larger conflict that spanned the globe, reaching across Europe to India.

Packed with dramatic events, battles, and memorable figures such as George Washington and Tom Paine in America and Robert Clive in India, this insightful narrative provides a multi-layered portrait of how our nation came to be, while discovering anew the themes, images, and fascinating personalities that run through our entire history. Cast of characters, maps, endnotes and bibliography, Internet resources, timeline, index.

About the Author

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Marc Aronson is the award-winning author of a wide variety of nonfiction works for younger readers, including Sugar Changed the World and Sir Walter Ralegh and the Quest for El Dorado, which received the first Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award. He edits and publishes young adult fiction in a special arrangement with Candlewick and lives with his wife and two sons in Maplewood, New Jersey. Visit him at marcaronson.com.

Praise For…

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* “Superb . . . a strong choice for history classrooms and a must for all libraries. —Kirkus Reviews, starred review   * “Fascinating, insightful . . . startling global connections. . . . This outstanding work is highly compelling reading and belongs in every library.” —School Library Journal, starred review   “Aronson offers a timely and relevant interpretation of this chapter of history, its contradictions, and its compromises.” —Publishers Weekly   “For serious students curious about who and what we are as a nation.” —Booklist    “Unquestionably significant. . . . Readers gain a better understanding of [events] . . . that spurred the colonies toward independence.” —Bulletin    “Engaging history . . . lively prose” —Horn Book   “An account that will strike not only children but most adults as in many ways original.” —The New York Times Book Review   “Refreshing . . . provides provocative fodder for classroom discussion. . . . History was never so much fun.” —VOYA    A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year  A Kirkus Editors’ Choice    Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books  New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age List    A Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies —