Johnny Tremain - by Esther Hoskins Forbes (Paperback)

About the Book

This is historical fiction at its best, portraying Revolutionary Boston as seen through the shrewd eyes of a young apprentice silversmith. Features an Afterword by the author.

Book Synopsis

A classic of children's historical fiction--now with a freshly designed cover! Johnny Tremain is a thrilling Newbery Medal-winning novel about the Revolutionary War.

Fourteen-year-old Johnny Tremain, an apprentice silversmith with a bright future ahead of him, injures his hand in a tragic accident, forcing him to look for other work. In his new job as a horse-boy, riding for the patriotic newspaper The Boston Observer and as a messenger for the Sons of Liberty, he encounters John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Dr. Joseph Warren.

Soon Johnny is involved in the pivotal events of the American Revolution, from the Boston Tea Party to the first shots fired at Lexington. Powerful illustrations by artist Michael McCurdy help bring this classic novel for middle graders to life.

Review Quotes

"This is Esther Forbes at her brilliant best. She has drawn the character of Johnny with such sympathy and insight that he may take his place with Jim Hawkins, Huck Finn and other young immortals." -- Book Week

"This sweeping tale of redcoats and revolutionaries has a lot to offer. Forbes, a historian, writes with detail and precision, imbuing historical events with life and passion that is often lacking in textbooks." -- Common Sense Media

About the Author

Esther Forbes (18911967) garnered a Newbery Medal and an enduring place in children's literature with the publication of Johnny Tremain. Her adult novel, Paul Revere and the World He Lived In, won the Pulitzer Prize for history in 1943.