I Remember the Alamo [Paperback]

D. Anne Love (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 8, 2001 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Jessie’s not surprised when her father says they’ll be moving from their Kentucky home to a better life in Texas. But there’s no work for her father in their new small town and Jessie doesn’t know how they’ll go on when tragedy strikes their family. Jessie’s only comfort is her new friend, a Mexican girl named Angelina. Their friendship must stay secret because Jessie’s father is joining other soldiers who are against Mexico in the fight for an independent Texas. When Jessie’s father and older brother leave, she and the rest of her family run toward the safety of the fort — the Alamo. What will become of the family now?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-Combining an action-filled plot and careful characterization, Love's novel is sure to win lots of fans among readers of historical fiction. Spirited and independent, 11-year-old Jessie is aghast when her impetuous father informs the family that he is uprooting them from Kentucky and moving to Mexican Texas to fight for Texan independence and claim their future in a "brand-new country." From the outset, things go inauspiciously: Pa loses money gambling aboard ship, coastal Texas is inhospitable, and, as soon as the family reaches San Antonio, the sickly toddler Callie dies. However, when Jessie makes her first friend, better days seem close, even though Pa-suspicious of Mexicans-forbids her to see Angelina. Soon, though, news arrives that Mexican general and president Santa Anna is approaching with his army. Pa and Jessie's older brother Yancy leave to join the Texan army of Colonel Fannin, and Jessie, her younger brother, and their mother take refuge in the Alamo with the few residents who have not fled the city. By thus inserting her characters into three central events of the Texas Revolution-the battle at the Alamo, the massacre of Fannin's men, and the "Runaway Scrape"-Love keeps the pages turning and gives a real sense of the tumult and the prejudices of the time. Often grim but never pessimistic, I Remember the Alamo is an interesting complement to G. Clifton Wisler's books about 19th-century Texas.
Coop Renner, Moreno Elementary School, El Paso, TX
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Love's latest, an account of the battle of the Alamo and the ensuing settlers' rout, explores ethnic tensions of the times while capturing a strong sense of place. Jessie McCann's dreams of a settled life vanish when her impulsive father suddenly announces that the family is moving to Texas. Scarcely have the McCanns moved into their new home in San Antonio than Father is off again, to fight Mexicans. Enter Santa Anna. With other women and children, Jessie takes shelter in the Alamo, witnesses the siege's bloody conclusion, then joins the people fleeing the oncoming Mexican army. Love, who uses encounters between Jessie and Angelina, a friendly San Antonian, to explore the mutual suspicion between Mexican residents and immigrants from the States, stays close to actual events and has several historical figures put in an appearance. Her ending is pretty pat after so much blood and tragedy, but readers of John Jakes' Susanna of the Alamo (1986) or Sherry Garland's Line in the Sand (1998) will enjoy her perceptive view of this American turning point. John Peters --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (May 8, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440416973
• ISBN-13: 978-0440416975
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,246,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Remember the Alamo, June 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: I Remember the Alamo (Paperback)

What an awesome story! I loved this book. It is a historical fiction book full of drama and suspense and very well written. I cried at least three times while reading this book. When I first picked it out, I wondered how good it would be, since I knew the outcome of the story, but Love kept my attention the whole way through. I highly recommend this book to children (or adults) who enjoy Texas History or is taking Texas History. It gives a very personal look into the lives of people who suffered for the rights and freedom that Texans now hold. A FIVE STAR BOOK!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book ever made, August 24, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: I Remember the Alamo (Paperback)

This book is so sad.I first read it at my school libary now my mom is ordering it for me.this book is sad and good.I love the story.It is the best book I ever read.I also like the way side school series.But this book is better than all of those put together.I reccommend this book to anyone who can read.I also reccommend the wayside school series to anyone who can read.But I still think that I Remember The Alamo is better than all of the wayside school books put together.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Remember The Alamo by D. Anne Love, November 7, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: I Remember the Alamo (Hardcover)

I read I Remember The Alamo by D. Anne Love. This book was about an eleven year old girl named Jessie. In the beginning of the book, Jessie's dad announces that he wants to move to Texas. The next day, they are on their way. When her family arrives, Jessie becomes friends with a Mexican girl named Angelina. However, they have to meet secretly due to the war between the Mexicans and Texians that is about to begin. One day,Jessie's father and old brother announce they are going to fight for Texas. While gone, the rest of the family hides in the safe Alamo. Suddenly, the family gets some shocking news, however, Angelina knows the truth! What happens next? I won't tell, you'll just have to read it.

I liked how the book was very exciting and really grabbed me into it. Especially towards the end of the story. I recomend this book to people who like to laugh, and yet learn. D. Anne Love definitly knows how to write great childrens books.

This book taught me a lot about friendship. It shows that no matter who you are, you can have a friend from a different culture.After all, the hand of friendship has no color. This book also shows that war doesn't solve problems. When you think about it today, you know it was wrong because a bunch of people from different races live in Texas. I would consider this book my favorite, not only because it is great, but how it has a moral too!