Buttons for General Washington » (Reprint)

Reconstructs a possible mission of the fourteen-year-old spy who carried messages to George Washington's camp in the buttons of his coat during the Revolutionary War.

Marilyn HershCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information. - School Library Journal

Gr 2-3
Take one brave young boy, encode a message and hide it in the buttons of his jacket, mix in the Redcoats and George Washington, and you have historical fiction perfect for early elementary students. Written by Peter and Connie Roop, the book (Carolrhoda Books, 1986) offers an account of a Quaker family who became spies for the American army during the Revolutionary War and the boy who carried messages to Washington's camp in the buttons of his coat. Jason Harris provides a measured, word-for-word reading, but doesn't change his voice for the different characters. There are minimal, unobtrusive sound effects, such as the occasional clip-clop of horses' hooves. The Author's Note explains the spy activities of John Darragh and his Quaker family and how they risked their lives for American freedom. A good way to introduce historical fiction in an easy-to-read format.