The Secret Life of Mercy Otis Warren
Illustrated by Alexandra Wallner
2012, Calkins Creek, Honesdale, PA
Rating: 5
For: older kids,
probably not preschool
40 pages
HC $16.95
Endpapers: Orange
Title Page: Mercy’s
arm and hand, with quill and melting candle, writing on a stack of papers.
Setting: Late 1700’s
during the American Revolution, in Massachusetts
1st line/lines: “From her parlor window in West
Barnstable, young Mercy Otis could watch
the tide flow in and out of the Great Marsh on Cape Cod Bay.”
OSS: Tells the
life of Mercy Otis Warren, a woman who told the story of the Revolution in over
1,000 pages that took thirty years. She
would have been a politician if she had lived in contemporary times!
This was an exceptionally fine story about a really
interesting person – of the female persuasion – in our history. The writing is beautiful and sophisticated,
the story well-researched and finely told.
A keeper. Perfect for my 4th
grade biography unit.
Includes Author’s Note, a painting of Mercy Otis Warren
by John Singleton Copley (this REALLY makes her a real person for the kids), a
2-page timeline of her life and what was going on politically, an excellent
bibliography, and a number of websites.
What a perfect model for a well researched book of history to share with
kids!
Bravo!
About the author:
Woelfe is a writer from LA who loves history, especially stories of
little-known people in history. She’s
written Katie the Windmill Cat, All the World’s a Stage: A Novel in Five Acts,
and Jeannette Rankin: Political Pioneer.
The illustrator, also a love of history, lives in
Yucatan, Mexico.
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