Extraordinary Patriots of the United States of America: Colonial Times to Pre-Civil War (Extraordinary People)
Grade 5-8–This book provides biographical sketches of dozens of individuals and groups of people. The three- to five-page sketches are arranged chronologically by the patriots birth year, beginning with Benjamin Franklin and ending with Sam Houston. The entries are a mixture of well-known, little-known, and unknown people, and there are representatives from a wide variety of ethnic groups. Masters relies upon the best available information for some of the little-known figures and informs readers when facts are in doubt, frequently concluding that the individuals symbolic legacy can be the most important part of his or her story. A black-and-white portrait or representation of each person and occasional reproductions break up the text. Also included are Drummers and Fifers, The Oneida, Daughters of Liberty, and African American Patriots as well as discussions of patriotic symbols such as the Liberty Bell, the Purple Heart medal, and the Star Spangled Banner. Appendixes include an average-quality general bibliography of print sources and an extensive list of Web sites arranged by person or group. Although these sketches are very brief, they are interesting and readable, and they provide basic information that could be used to introduce students to the people who created our nation.–Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MOCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.