Steven Edenbo
Thomas Jefferson Historian
The 4th Of July Spies
"Capturing the imagination
of a student is one of the most important steps in fostering a lifelong passion for learning. Stanley Harris’s work
achieves that goal, enabling young readers to enjoy the time they spend with America’s founders. His balance of information,
ideas, and pure fun encourages the next generation of citizens to explore our nation’s history - not because they have
to, but because they want to." Midwest Book Review
Children's Bookwatch
Evacuation Day "How does a twenty-first century boy fare in rescuing someone
from the Redcoats? 'Evacuation Day: A Trip Through Time to George Washington's First Victory' tells the
story of Charles Miller and his journey to rescue his friend's father from a prison in Boston back in 1776. The
saga of an arduous task fraught with the risk of the time travel paradox, 'Evacuation Day' is a fun read that also
teaches young people about American history."
Boston Globe
Jan Gardner
Evacuation Day Stanley Harris says he couldn't find a novel about the Battle of Lexington
suitable for his 9-year-old granddaughter, so he wrote one. Harris followed up "The First Shot" this year with "Evacuation Day: A Boy's Trip Through
Time to George Washington's First Victory" (Critical Choices). A Boston native, Harris used to enjoy the school
holiday on March 17, but any celebration of Evacuation Day was overshadowed by St. Patrick's Day. Now he's on a mission to educate school children about the significance of
that day. It was on March 17, 1776, eight years after British soldiers arrived in Boston, that they were driven out
of the city. In Harris's young adult novel, 12-year-old Charles in present-day Lexington is visited at night by
Ben, 12, who lived in the same house in the late 1700s. Together they travel back in time to rescue Ben's father
from British jail in Boston.
Lexington Historical Society
The First
Shot
"Mr. Harris' account of the events of April 19, 1775, from a modern boy's perspective, stirs one to
think about the many possible reasons why a single event could spark such emotion and courage. We recommend the book
to young readers."
| 