Tales of Young Americans Series

Sleeping Bear Press does a lot of things – including American History! I reviewed Lily’s Victory Garden over at Reading to Know which is a part of Sleeping Bear Press‘s Tales of Young Americans series. I was excited to be given the opportunity to check out some additional titles from the series. These books are an awesome way to introduce young readers to specific time periods in American history. The fact that the main characters in each of these books are around the age of 10 makes history all that more approachable, when viewed through the eyes of another child.

If you aren’t familiar with these books, please allow me the pleasure of an introduction!

In The Last Brother: A Civil War Tale we view the Civil War through the eyes of Gabe, an eleven year old who lied about his age so that the Union Army would be willing to use his services. Exactly what can eleven year old Gabe do? Well, he can bugle battle calls and so he does. War isn’t quite what he imagined and it’s hard to comprehend a country divided – especially when he meets a southern boy about his age with whom he strikes up an instant friendship. The illustrations in this particular book are done by Robert Papp and they are gorgeous and solemn. The paintings in this book really bring the story to life. I just like to sit and look at the pictures!

Going back in time a little bit further, we have The Scarlet Stockings Spy which is a Revolutionary War Tale. (This one is also illustrated by Robert Papp who I am becoming quite the fan of!) The book opens in the fall of 1777. We are introduced to a rather unsuspecting spy who wears scarlet stockings. Young Maddy Rose lives with her mother and brother next to the harbor in Philedelphia. Maddy Rose’s father was killed in the Battle of Princeton and his young daughtter is a Patriot rebel “from head to toe.” This is one brave little girl and a very touching story about a family who sacrificed for what they believed in. This book stirs the heart for God, country and family and I loved it very much!

Rudy Rides the Rails: A Depression Era Story tells of thirteen year old Rudy who hops a train and leaves his family behind in Depression-Era America. Unsure of how he can help his family, Rudy hopes to find a way to make money to help his parents survive this remarkable period in history. At the beginning of each of the books in this series, the reader receives some sort of introduction to the book and the time period it represents. The Author’s Note in Rudy Rides the Rails was, I thought, the most detailed of all the titles explaining what can be a rather confusing topic for young people. Author Dandi Daley Mackall explains that a quarter of a million teenagers left their hopes to “ride the rails”, hoping to find a way to survive. This book, as all the others are, is a work of fiction. However it is based on fact which makes the story so engaging.

Lastly, for this post anyway, there is Pappy’s Handkerchief is set in Oklahoma Territory in 1889. President Benjamin Harrison announced the first land run in 1889 and African American families began traveling to Oklahoma hoping to secure a piece of land for themselves. Pappy’s Handkerchief combines the stories of these African American families, explaining their hopes, visions, fears, failures and successes. This is a beautiful story, brought to life by illustrator Chris Ellison.

All of these books are remarkable in their own way. If you are looking for a way to draw your young reader into the past to learn life lessons which they can apply towards their future, then I’d recommend you seek out Sleeping Bear Press’s Tales of Young Americans Series. I can’t think of any reason why one should NOT read these books. Quality. But then – I didn’t expect anything else, considering the publisher.

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know.