George Washington's Kid Spy: A Tale from the American Revolution, Christmas 1776

General George Washington and his American Patriot troops were bivouacked on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River in the freezing snowy cold of Christmastime 1776. "Should we cross the river to New Jersey and attack the British and Hessian soldiers?" General Washington wondered. Along came 11-year old Silas who offered to sneak across the icy river to find out the plans of the British generals. Would they cross the river in a surprise attack against the Patriots? Or would they spend Christmas on the New Jersey side and wait for better weather? The future of the young American colonies was at stake. Liberty or death? Freedom from the ruling British king or subjugation? This historical fiction story takes the reader back to a pivotal time in the American Revolutionary War when General Washington must decide whether to take his very cold and exhausted troops across the Delaware to attack the British. Young Silas offers to help. His patriotism and bravery are unquestioned. Kid Spy is perfect reading for middle grade students. Although Silas probably did not exist in history, the book gives historical perspective to the importance of that moment. There were spies on both sides, men and women of all ages, but maybe not an 11-year old--though it's possible. Both sides scrambled to get information about the other. Six months later on July 4, 1776 the colonies officially declared independence from Great Britain. On the back pages, the reader will find vocabulary from those times and important bits of history. The black and white scratchboard illustrations by artist Colleen Dwire lend reality to the story; you can feel the cold and sense the significance of the event through her artwork. And once again, book designer Rita Ter Sarkissoff does an outstanding job as book designer putting the book together.