REVIEW: I Survived the American Revolution 1776

I Survived the American Revolution, 1776
Author: Lauren Tarshis

This series is historical fiction for kids. Each book features a child's fictionalized eye-witness account of a disaster or major historical event. From ancient history like the destruction of Pompeii to more recent events like the Joplin, MO tornado, the series mixes fact with fiction to bring history alive for middle-grade kids. There are 17 books in the series so far.

I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 is told from the perspective of 11-year old Nathaniel Knox from New York. Nathaniel runs away from the home of his Uncle, taking the blame for an injury to his uncle that a slave's child caused by accident. Nathaniel intends to join the crew of a ship and go to sea. He ends up in the middle of a Revolutionary War battle instead. His struggle for survival amid the cannons and gunfire brings the Battle of Brooklyn alive!

I really like this series. The mix of historical fact and a fictionalized story involving a child eye-witness really bring the events to life. The stories have a lot of action, so even reluctant readers will enjoy this series.

I listened to the audio version of this story. Narrated by Holter Graham the book is about 2 hours long. Graham reads at a nice pace with good inflection. I have hearing loss, but was easily able to understand his narration.

I Survived the American Revolution is the 15th book in this series. A new addition to the series, I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, will be published in September 2018.