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Sam the Minuteman (I Can Read Book 3) Review

When young Sam grabs his gun to enter The Battle of Lexington alongside his father, young readers won't help but wonder: What's going to happen to him? This central, suspenseful question is just one of the mature thematic elements encountered in Sam the Minuteman, a lean, accurate, and surprisingly contemplative historical narrative of the American Revolution's opening days. Benchley slips in key events and characters (the anonymous first shot, British Redcoats, Captain Parker, guerilla warfare) that may encourage young history enthusiasts to uncover the other stories behind Sam. Most provocatively, Benchley takes Sam on a hell-bent ("I'll shoot [the British soldiers]--every one!") revenge quest against his protective mother's pleas. This sub-plot alone may spark deep dialogue usually encountered in higher-level books.

Lobel, of Frog and Toad lore, illustrates with a smoky yet highly detailed pencil, and inks in a sparse amount of red and shades of ocher. His limited media and autumn palette connote the era's harsh agrarian lifestyle, and the stark "do-or-die" mentality of the colonists. Benchley douses his prose with rich poetic metaphors, describing the warring British troops as "a bright river of red," and deadly bullets that "buzzed about like bees."

The ending is abrupt, but Benchley's intention is to extend the conversation beyond the book's pages; quite likely to George the Drummer Boy, the companion piece to this book written from a British boy's perspective during the revolution.

Sam the Minuteman (I Can Read Book 3) Feature

ISBN13: 9780064441070
Condition: NEW
Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Sam the Minuteman (I Can Read Book 3) Overview

"Get your gun!" Sam's father said. "The British soldiers are coming this way!" Sam's father was a Minuteman. Sam was ready in a minute.

Father and son rushed to the village green. Other Minutemen were already there. Through the long night they waited and waited. Then, at dawn, the soldiers came!

In this exciting I Can Read Book, Nathaniel Benchly recreates what it must have been like for a young boy to fight in the Battle of Lexington. Arnold Lobel's vivid pictures give a poignant reality to the famous battle that marked the beginning of the American Revolution.

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Customer Reviews

way too EASY FOR 7 YEAR OLD! - M.F. - germany
This book claims to be a level 3. The book is a good book, my 7 year old read it in 15 minutes! So from that, i gather that 1) the book is way too easy for kids in 1st grade, which bummed me out that i wasted money on it! and 2) that the book had to have been very intriguing to my 7 year old boy (which made me OK that i spent money buying it even though it's too easy of a read for him!) I wasn't going to rate the book 3 stars because of it being too easy, so i gave it five, but wanted to put that warning out there. I am going to look for harder books for my little guy.

I really like this book! - -
This book is about when the British soldiers came over to Lexington, Massachusetts. The British soldiers started a war. Sam is a boy who becomes a Minute Man, like his dad. In a battle, the British soldiers kill 8 people, and hurt Sam's friend, John.
But in the next battle, Sam gets to shoot the British soldiers. He used to be scared, but then he becomes angry.
I really liked this book. I think other boys would like it, and maybe some girls, too.

Helpful - Jennifer Mcclellan - Georgia
This book helps children understand what the Minutemen did for the British. It gives explainations that young children can understand. It also keeps their attention in wondering what is going to happen next. Characters are great. My son was able to visualize himself as being Sam. Wonderful book.

Sam The Minuteman - Darrell Holt - THOMASVILLE N.C.
My eight-year old son has been reading Sam The Minuteman for several years. He loves the book so much. Although the reading doesn't challenge him anymore, he continues to check it out at our Public Library time and time again. I am glad that he has chosen a good wholesome book as one of his favorites. I have gotten this copy for him as a Christmas Gift. Hopefully, he will continue to enjoy it and pass it on to his children. Good reading material is getting increasingly more difficult to find for 4-6 graders.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jul 07, 2010 18:50:06

Children's Books

Wednesday, July 7, 2010