The Boston Tea Party

August 20, 2012
In this addition to Freedman's (Lafayette and the American Revolution) long-running Library of American History series, he again demonstrates his proficiency at distilling history with insight into both the events described and the individuals involved. Malone (Big Wig: A Little History of Hair) contributes evocative, gauzy watercolor paintings distinguished by meticulous period detail. The accessible text and sprawling pictures sweep readers into the fervor of Boston streets in December 1773, portraying the colonists' passion and determination to block British ships' crews from unloading tea to protest "the latest in a series of taxes that incited massive colonial opposition." Quotations from eager teenage participants give the story immediacy and relevance, and their voices help crystallize the protestors' enthusiasm and solidarity. "Wishing to have my share of the fun," a young mason's apprentice disguises himself as a "Mohawk" (like the other protestors), only to find himself working alongside his employer. An afterword on the Boston Tea Party's connection to the outbreak of the Revolution, a bibliography, and a time line conclude this smart, succinct book. Ages 7â10.

Starred review from August 1, 2012
It might be said that the American Revolution began with the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773. Crowds of protestors filled Boston's Old South Church. "Boston Harbor a teapot tonight!" someone yelled. And sure enough, that evening, thousands of pounds of tea from three merchant ships were dumped into the harbor. A wide range of Boston society--well-known citizens, carpenters, printers, blacksmiths and shipwrights, young and old--dressed up to resemble Mohawk Indians, their faces smeared with grease and lampblack or soot, turned out to protest the British government's tyranny. As always, Freedman demonstrates his skill at telling the story behind the facts, weaving a lively narrative out of the details and voices that shaped one episode of history. Drawing on primary resources as well as scholarly works, he smoothly melds quotations from eyewitnesses and other sources into a lively and engaging narrative. The volume has been lovingly designed, and Malone's memorable watercolor illustrations are beautifully wrought, adding much to the telling. The Boston Tea Party is often just one of several names and events that students have to memorize in school; here's a chance to read about it as an exciting story. This slim volume brings to you-are-there life a historical episode often relegated to a sidebar. (afterword, bibliographic essay, note on tea, timeline, sources, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

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October 1, 2012

Gr 3-5-Freedman tackles the Boston Tea Party with his characteristic energy and rigor and provides a gripping account of the nation-defining episode. He starts with a lucid, two-page introduction offering historical context-not stopping to get bogged down in the details of the Stamp Tax and its ilk-before he vaults into his story with a promising opening that mixes fact and suspense. From that page forward, he weaves together meticulously sourced quotations and information with engaging personal details to effectively enliven the tense, silent act of rebellion. Along with the usual heroes of the Revolution-Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, etc.-Freedman presents the actions of young men such as a rope-maker's apprentice who snuck out a window to join the mob and the mason-in-training who detoured to the protest on his way to a date. These charming and enlightening particulars, including many direct quotes, lend immediacy and emotional weight to the account, told in an effective but surprisingly casual tone. Freedman's absorbing and informative story is somewhat underserved by Malone's illustrations. A rich, earthy palette and period details, even with an occasional spark of humor, can't quite overcome the static feeling of the pictures, which resemble watercolor renditions of an American history diorama with their stiff-armed figures and blank faces. Fortunately, Freedman's text proves lively enough for both. Back matter includes a note on the importance of tea in colonial American life.-Robbin E. Friedman, Chappaqua Library, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 1, 2012
Grades 2-5 *Starred Review* After two introductory pages succinctly explain the historical background of the Boston Tea Party, including the protesting colonists' view of taxation without representation and the tea tax in particular, the curtain rises on Boston in 1773. The arrival of the Dartmouth, a merchant ship carrying tea, sparks an emergency town meeting of colonists, who vow that the tea will not be brought ashore. Governor Hutchinson insists that the tea must be unloaded and tax paid. As the deadline approaches and negotiations fail, a number of citizens disguise themselves as Mohawk Indians, board the ship, and dump the tea into the harbor. Quotes from participants and observers (several colonists, a mate aboard the Dartmouth, and Admiral Montagu) bring a sense of immediacy to the clearly written narrative. Lively vignettes include the story of Peter Slater, a 14-year-old apprentice locked in his upstairs bedroom that night for his own safety. Sliding down a rope made from his bedding, he blackened his face, boarded the ship, and recognized his employer among the Indians. Malone's distinctive watercolor paintings dramatize events in a series of beautifully composed tableaux, notable for their dramatic low-light effects and subtle shading. Informative and well documented, this handsome picture book offers a memorable account of the Boston Tea Party.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2013
With clear prose and an eye for telling detail, Freedman narrates the 1773 destruction of British tea in Boston Harbor. Quoting heavily from the firsthand accounts from younger participants, Freedman provides a young person's view of the protest (which is somewhat limited in showing the larger context). Malone's crowd-filled watercolors in a tea-brown palette establish the setting nicely. Timeline. Bib., ind.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2012
With clear prose and an eye for telling detail, Freedman (Lincoln: A Photobiography, rev. 3/88; Lafayette and the American Revolution, rev. 11/10) adds to his Library of American History series by narrating the destruction of British tea in Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773. Freedman quotes heavily from the firsthand accounts set down after 1827, perforce from younger participants, thus providing a young person's view of the protest -- appealing for its audience but somewhat limited in showing the event's larger context. (For older readers, Marc Aronson's The Real Revolution [rev. 1/06] is invaluable.) Freedman's telling reflects the current historical consensus with few missteps (young witness Joseph Lovering appears as Levering, and his master becomes his father). Artist Malone's crowd-filled watercolors on pages in a tea-brown palette include some anachronisms (uniformed sailors), but establish the setting nicely. Supplemental material includes a 1776 map of Boston (evocative but hard to read), a bibliography, note on colonial tea-drinking, a timeline, sources for quotations, and an index. j. l. bell

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)