Katie's Trunk [Paperback]

Ann Turner (Author), Ronald Himler (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1997 | Age Level: 5 and up

An acclaimed author gives young readers a new perspective on the American Revolution in this thoughtful picture book. Katie, a child of Loyalists, is frightened by all the talk of independence that is igniting passions in her New England town. Then one day, when Patriot neighbors ransack her home, Katie finds that her very survival rests in the hands of the "enemies". Full color Ages 5-8. Pub: 12/97. .

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-5-- As she did in Dakota Dugout (Macmillan, 1985), Turner creates a moment in history with evocative words and poetic images. Here she turns her attention to the period between the Boston Tea Party and the battles that began the American Revolution. Katie, the middle child in a family of Tory sympathizers, senses the impending conflict. When a group of armed neighbors come to their home with the intention of stealing and looting, the family takes refuge in the adjoining woods. The child impulsively dashes back to the house to protect their valuable possessions. When one of the young rebels disturbs her hiding place, he calls off his companions, keeping his discovery a secret. This story presents another side of a moral issue. There were good people loyal to England before and during the Revolution; students should hear their stories as well as those of the more famous and celebrated rebels. Himler's muted watercolor and pencil illustrations convey the mood of the calm before a storm. The details of costume and furnishings further reinforce the sense of place and time. However, the artist gives little attention to individualized facial characteristics, making it difficult to distinguish one person from another. The text and illustrations do blend harmoniously, and together tell a tale of courage, fortitude, and loyalty from the Tory point of view. With spare but eloquent prose, Turner has created a thoughtful picture of a family confronting difficult choices in unsettling times. --Martha Rosen, Edgewood School, Scarsdale, NY
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (December 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689810547
• ISBN-13: 978-0689810541
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #424,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in a small town in Western Massachusetts to creative parents who always encouraged my writing and painting. I went to Bates College, majored in English, and spent a wonderful year abroad in Oxford, England, giving me a taste for neat Scotch, Evensong, and very old churches and buildings. I've been married long enough to break all records and have two grown children. I am especially drawn to telling stories about outsiders, rebellious girls, and people who don't fit in--as I didn't growing up. I was always a bit too loud, too passionate, moved too fast, made up too many stories, and thought that life moved just a tad too slowly for me. I love to cook, garden, swim, pet my wild Jack Russell terrier, talk to friends and my "kids," and laugh at my husband's wild, original stories. I also actually answer letters and emails sent to me by fans, and when I do school visits, I tell people--"Don't ever let anyone tell you you can't do it!"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Katie's Trunk, July 3, 2000

By 

Patricia A. Pinckard - See all my reviews

This review is from: Katie's Trunk (Paperback)

During the time of the Revolutionary War, Katie's family were loyalists and needed to hide when the Rebels come into their house to raid it. Katie hides in a trunk away from her family because she didn't want to leave the house. She is spotted by a Rebel who is their neighbor. Katie used to be best friends with his daughter, but now they are no longer allowed to see each other because their families disagree on England's rule over the Colonies. Katie is unsure what will happen now that she's been spotted. This book helps my seventh grade students (or any reader), clarify who are the Tories, Rebels, Loyalists, Yankees, Redcoats and Patriots. The book is based on a true story of one of the author's ancestors.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars .., July 12, 2010

By 

Ulyyf "Connie" (NYC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Katie's Trunk (Paperback)

You know, it's not often that you find children's books about the Revolution from the perspective of Loyalists. It's all the Patriots were heroes and the Patriots were right and the Patriots were great.

Of course, in a war, nothing is ever that simple. Not really, and as adults we probably know that, although it's hard to shake the simple truths we memorized as children.

This book is based upon a true event that happened to the author's ancestor when she was a child. As revolutionary sentiments ran high in their village, she and her family became more and more outcasts, until one day a band of rebels came raiding, with her trapped in the house, hiding in a trunk.

It's not clear whether she was lucky and wasn't found, or whether she was saved by a sympathetic Revolutionary who had no desire to harm a small child, but this was a very close shave.

It's a different sort of story, probably because it tackles a hard truth we don't always like to hear: Even our national heroes, the "good guys", did bad things at times. (And even the bad guys (as they were to Katie and her family) can do nice things.)

3.0 out of 5 stars A recommended short story, April 15, 2009

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Katie's Trunk (Paperback)

My favorite parts in the story are when Kattie runs to her house to protect her families stuff from the rebels, when she decides to hide from the rebels in her mother's trunk, when the rebels decide to look into the trunk, & best of all when her neighbor comes to her rescue. I think this is a good book you would enjoy.