Siege: How General Washington Kicked the British Out of Boston and Launched a Revolution Hardcover – Illustrated, March 6, 2018

I wasn't aware this book was written in free verse until I picked it up to read it. I've developed a fondness for free verse stories as I've become an adult. Sadly I'm not sure I would have picked this up as a kid. But it's a fabulous telling of one of the major events leading into the American Revolution. The siege of Boston was the prelude to the 'official' start of war between the patriots and the British and as such was an important series of events in moving the country towards independence.One of the problems with writing history nonfiction for young readers is knowing how many details to include. If you don't include enough, the young reader doesn't get a good picture of events, but if you include too many details, the reader will get bogged down and lose interest. So the combination of free verse with it's limited word use with history makes for a great combination. But only if the writing is well done. And the writing here is very well done. The poems are short enough to be quick to read, but include enough information to be compelling. At least I found the writing compelling. The author also did a fabulous job balancing different aspects of the story. There are poems about Washington and the challenges he faced in pulling together untrained, poorly supplied, volunteer soldiers from across the area. There are poems about the orders given by Washington in an efforts to establish some discipline. There are poems about life in the camps (mostly boring with occasional events of interest). Poems about the British in Boston give a look at a city under siege. Henry Knox's remarkable trip to Fort Ticonderoga to obtain artillery for the fledgling army provide a glimpse into the challenges that the patriots faced.Overall, Orgill has written a fascinating account of an important event in American history. This is a book that would be a great teaching tool in either history classes or Language Arts classes. The options are numerous here. But I think history-loving middle grade readers who pick this up will find much to enjoy as well.

SIEGE: HOW GENERAL WASHINGTON KICKED THE BRITISH OUT OF BOSTON AND LAUNCHED A REVOLUTION by Roxanne Orgill.I read an ‘Advance Reading Copy’ from Candlewick Press; part of an Early Review Program sponsored by Library Thing.As a retired school librarian, I am very familiar with the excellent offerings of Candlewick Press. The publisher is top-notch.In 1775, the British Army occupied Boston in order to subdue and discourage the colonists.Roxanne Orgill tells the ‘story’ of the siege in free verse/poetic verse.Access Points include:a Cast of Characters including George Washington (Commander of the Continental Army); William Lee (Washington’s servant); Henry Knox (a Boston bookseller who became a colonel under Washington).Introduction - I liked the simplicity and matter-of-factness of the Introduction.Summer 1775Fall 1775Winter 1775-1776Spring 1776Glossary - excellent, interesting and helpfulSource Notes - excellent, interesting and helpfulBibliography - excellent resourcesAcknowledgementsMap - of Boston and its environsI liked the repetition of ‘Orders’ (Orders is an actual character)I liked the instructions for loading a ‘Brown Bess’ or musket written by Cyrus (a servant boy).I liked the references to George Washington as a surveyor. I liked the reference to Henry Knox who was later rewarded for service with thousands of acres of land in Maine - one of the ‘Great Proprietors’. I also liked the list of victuals procured by Cyrus.I liked that there was little punctuation.The rhythm and cadence of the words was mesmerizing. The rhythm speaks to the hard work, the drudgery of the tasks to be performed everyday.This title would be an excellent ‘stand-alone’ book for students to read. It could also be used as supplemental reading on this topic or as ‘theater’ or a broadcast.I would recommend this title for grades 6 and above. The content is excellent and gives a very personalized account of daily life/military life and history in the Revolutionary War period.

I was excited to find a kids book about the Revolutionary War. This is exactly the kind of book my kids would enjoy reading, I thought.Unfortunately I did not read the description closely enough, as it is a "verse novel". Translation: it is a collection of poems and excerpts from the writings of random people.A history buff would have difficulty following the events when presented in such scattershot fashion from so many points of view in the cryptic lines of verse. Anyone who was trying to learn about the Revolutionary War would be hopelessly confused. I didn't even bother giving this book to my kids, it's going straight out the door.

This is the best non-fiction book you will read all year. Siege is a historical account of the British occupation of Boston during the American Revolutionary times. It tells, in chronologic order, the invasion, the struggles, the eventual victory over the British. But before you yawn and move on to another review, please know that this book is written differently than other non-fiction books. The author chose prose format and it SHINES in this text. Prose allows for sparse facts set in a rhythm and sometimes even rhyme. Prose allows for repetition that gives meaning to the text and adds a familiar feel. This book is attractive and complete. Though no great detail is rendered in a book this size it provides information about George Washington and his men in their daily lives to accounts of military battle. The author introduces you to several characters from history, including Martha Washington, William Lee (Washington’s slave), Sir William Howe (British Commander) and of course, George Washington himself. Truly a great undertaking from a great author.