Thomas in Danger: 1779 (American Adventures) [Hardcover]

Bonnie Pryor (Author), Bert Dodson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: American Adventures

Thomas Bowden hates the Tories, the colonists who have sided with the English during the Revolutionary War. He especially hates their Native American allies who tortured and killed many of his neighbors in a terrible massacre.still, he and his mother, sister, and baby brother have reached the safety of Philadelphia-but not for long. When Thomas recognizes a Tory spy, he is kidnapped, made to join a wagon train bringing arms and supplies to the enemy, and then turned over to a group of Mohawk fighters.Thomas fears the worst. Instead, over a winter spent in the Mohawk village, he discovers that truth in his wartime world is far more complicated than he ever imagined.Thomas is back, in an exciting and thought-provoking American Adventure!

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Grade 4-6-This book picks up where Thomas (Morrow, 1998) left off. After their home is burned to the ground, Thomas Bowden, his mother, his sister, and his baby brother travel to Philadelphia, intending to stay with his mother's sister. Although his father has joined the Continental army, Thomas soon learns that many of his countrymen have taken the side of the British and have stood aside while Iroquois Indians (who also sympathize with the British) torture patriots. Upon arrival at her sister's home in Philadelphia, Thomas's mother discovers that her sister and her husband have been driven away because they are British sympathizers, but she has left behind an inn that Mrs. Bowden then runs. When Thomas overhears several men discussing Tory spy activities, he is kidnapped. Thus begins his adventure as he survives a severe illness, fear of being killed by his kidnappers, an attack by soldiers, and life as a captive in an Indian village. As in Elizabeth Speare's popular The Sign of the Beaver (Houghton, 1983), the main character discovers that the Indians are real people with sorrows, pride, and happiness just like his own family. He comes to respect and be accepted into their village. Eventually, he is given the choice to stay with his Indian family or return home. Ironically, the village is attacked and burned to the ground by soldiers who are friends of the boy's father. Pryor gives an honest glimpse into a young boy's maturing sense of worldview. She reveals his insecurities and the fear and apprehension felt during the Revolutionary War. The plot moves quickly and will hold young readers' interest.
Julie Shatterly, York County Public Library, Rock Hill, SC
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

In the sequel to Thomas (1998), Thomas Bowden, his mother, and younger brother and sister have made their way to Philadelphia after surviving an Iroquois raid that destroyed their farm. When they arrive, they find that their relatives, Tory sympathizers, have sold all their property except a ramshackle inn and fled the city. Mrs. Bowden reopens the inn, and life is returning to normal when Thomas stumbles onto a Tory plot, is kidnapped, and left, desperately ill, with the Iroquois. Thomas plans his escape for months, but during that time he learns that nothing is as simple as he once thought: war isn't glorious, the Iroquois are not demons and their culture has great value, atrocities have been committed by all parties in the conflict, and each group believes it has the right to protect its homes and way of life. The tone is never preachy, and the message is not heavy-handed. Thomas comes to his understandings gradually, even remaining conflicted about some issues. Pryor also packs lots of action into her story, and although she brings this chapter in Thomas' wartime adventures to a deft close, children will be eager to meet Thomas again. Part of the American Adventure series. Chris Sherman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (September 29, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688165184
• ISBN-13: 978-0688165185
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #798,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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