Customer Reviews

George Washington's Socks

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A great family read aloud! I read this book aloud to my three children each night after supper. They got so involved in the story, one night they forgot to watch their favorite TV show. This book makes an excellent read-aloud and is the kind of literature I want my children to be reading.It's exciting, full of humor and imagination. A great way to learn about history. But what I loved most about the book was that it was so full of heart and though the kids laughed alot in the funny parts the also grew very, very quiet suring the sad parts. The story opened up a lot of discussion about war and what happens when men choose to fight for their beliefs. My children and I are looking forward to sharing other books by this author.

I just finished reading this book to my fourth grade class. The students were so interested in it that they never wanted read aloud time to end! They learned a lot from this historical fiction piece, as well. Some of the people, places, and ideas have been seen in our social studies curriculum, and they REMEMBER them! This includes things like who the Hessians were, where Trenton is located, and Washington crossing the Delaware. Woodruff's writing has made this time in history so much more real for my students. They have a new understanding of what war is like and a new appreciation for history, unlike any they could have from reading a textbook.

I read this book when I was in the 5th grade. I've loved it ever since. The author writes with great detail and creates a beautiful illustration. It's easy to form a picture in your head of what the seenary looks like. This book can be funny in places, an heart wrenching in others. I'm sure you will love this book.

Should be on every 4-6 teacher's bookshelf. A time-travel adventure gimmick will get the kids to read it, and they'll relatively painlessly learn about some of the horrors of war, including cowardice, that all too many texts gloss over. And yet it's not "politically correct" - Washington is made slightly more human but still heroic, for example. Any kid who does read it will probably ace the test on the American Revolution.... As for the review "Caution Parents" - if you feel that you must keep your children in a bubble, then I'm sure you can talk to them about how foolish you believe the characters to be. Use the book to teach not only the Am. Rev., but also the need to make careful choices.

The only book I still remember reading from elementary school. Very fun and very engaging, good book to give your kids. I especallly like the part where the indians were looking for little man that fell out of the gamebody.

This book is a four-star book for those who agree with the following statement from the young hero: "I thought this was supposed to be one of the good wars. (The Revolutionary War) The rebels were supposed to be the good guys, but maybe there's no such thing as just good guys fighting bad guys. It seems like there's good and bad on both sides. And you know, the funny thing is that sometimes they're really fighting for the same things."

If you do not believe in cultural/moral relativism, or if you believe that the Revolutionary War was worth fighting, than this book has several flaws and rates only 2 stars. One, is that George Washington appears only briefly in the beginning and at the end, and is depicted as a kindly, rather distracted older uncle. Nothing new here, although George Washington was a complex, heroic figure who certainly merits an entire book for younger children. In this book his rather flat characterization pales in comparison to the three young soldiers who are killed. The second problem is the insistence on the part of the author that war is not justified and that recruits are duped into joining and then die tragic, unnecessary deaths. The deaths of Israel, Gustaf and Adam are depicted with extreme realism and are moving, yet very disturbing. This is probably what the author intended, and mirror some present day beliefs. If you want your child to believe that war is never justified, that soldiers are either callous thugs (the rebel soldiers) or innocent victims led to the slaughter (Israel), than this is a four-star book.

As for me, I will continue in my search for a book for 5th/6th graders on George Washington; one that depicts that great man in a more interesting and complex manner.

The value of "George Washington's Socks" is not so much that it gives tons of information about our first president --it doesn't-- but that it really brings home the fact that the American Revolutionary War was real, and that people suffered for what they believed in.

In essence, it's sort of a Time Warp Trio/Magic TreeHouse adventure. There are four boys -- Matthew, Quentin, Hooter and Tony-- and the little sister, Katie, who leads them into trouble. The gang doesn't have a Tree House or Book to whisk them off, but a rowboat.

Talking Points:::
This is one of the books our school has chosen for all 4th Graders to read; and having read it, I can understand why. Elvira Woodruff makes the cold and danger of Washington's crossing palpable. And she doesn't shy from having good people die.

Generally pedestrian writing --from an adult's point of view-- but appropriate for kids.

George Washington is portrayed as a kind, fatherly figure; but the focus is more on common people.

AR -- 5.0

a PamT mini-review
(booksforkids-reviews)

I would recommend Geoge Washingtons Socks because it is a good adventure book. It's full of cliff hanging moments. One was "Katie please don't be dead . Please ,kate, he sobbed, and once he begane crying he couldn't stop." Thats one of my most favorite parts of the book. If you want to find out what happeds to katie you'll have to read it.

I love to read and have read a variety of different books. George Washington's Socks was my favorie book in 5th grade when i first read it and it still is today. I loved the nonfictional plot that held historical relation. It was cool how the characters in the book were ordinary kids who went on a normal camping trip that turned into a coloneal times adventure. They met George Washington-that's awesome..and they even got a souvenir-see if you can figure that one out-well all in all, it was a GREAT book, a must read for kids everywhere. Even if you are old-no offense-read it b/c you've missed out if you haven't!

George Washington's Socks is a mixture of everything good that a children's book should have - some humor, some suspense, some drama and true friendships. As you read it, you learn a great historical lesson about the Revolutionary War and all of its hardships and tragedy. But it is also a story of 5 kids sticking todgether, helping eachother and others and learning the value of friendship. Since it has time travel in it, it should be of interest to a lot of readers. I would recommend it to any child and his/her parent who is 9-12 yr old. I am wondering if there are any other time travel adventures by this same author and involving this same group of 5 kids. I would be interested in reading any others!