Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? [Paperback]

Jean Fritz (Author), Trina Schart Hyman (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

In early America, when all the men wore ruffled shirts and rode grandly on horseback, one man refused to follow suit. He was the rebel leader Sam Adams, a plainspoken gent who scorned ruffles, refused to ride a horse, and had little regard for the King. This lively biography is a nice, personal look at a leader and his times.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Let the others wear the ruffled shirts and ride grandly on horseback; Sam Adams, Massachusetts rebel leader, was a plain and plain-spoken fellow, both in history and in Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? Adams, it turns out, was horseless for a good reason. On the way to figuring out just what that reason was, the reader gets a nice, personal look at a leader and his times.

In this book, as in the rest of her series of histories, Jean Fritz sneaks plenty of information into her story about Adams, the American Revolution, and the answer to the title question. (For ages 7 and up)

About the Author

Jean Fritz grew up in China. She was awarded a National Humanities Medal in 2003 and received a Newbery Honor for Homesick: My Own Story

David Small was awarded the 2000 Caldecott Medal for So You Want to Be President? He lives in Mendon, Michigan.

Tomie dePaola lives in New London, New Hampshire.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (September 9, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0698114167
• ISBN-13: 978-0698114166
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( F ) > Fritz, Jean
  • #79 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > United States > Colonial & Revolutionary

More About the Author

"The question I am most often asked," Jean Fritz says, "is how do I find my ideas? The answer is: I don't. Ideas find me. A character in history will suddenly step right out of the past and demand a book. Generally people don't bother to speak to me unless there's a good chance that I'll take them on." Throughout almost four decades of writing about history, Jean Fritz has taken on plenty of people, starting with George Washington in The Cabin Faced West (1958). Since then, her refreshingly informal historical biographies for children have been widely acclaimed as "unconventional," "good-humored," "witty," "irrepressible," and "extraordinary."In her role as biographer, Jean Fritz attempts to uncover the adventures and personalities behind each character she researches. "Once my character and I have reached an understanding," she explains, "then I begin the detective work--reading old books, old letters, old newspapers, and visiting the places where my subject lived. Often I turn up surprises and of course I pass these on." It is her penchant for making distant historical figures seem real that brings the characters to life and makes the biographies entertaining, informative, and filled with natural child appeal.An original and lively thinker, as well as an inspiration to children and adults, Jean Fritz is undeniably a master of her craft. She was awarded the Regina Medal by the Catholic Library Association, presented with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award by the American Library Association for her "substantial and lasting contribution to children's literature," and honored with the Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature, which was presented by the New York State Library Association for her body of work.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't Confuse Sam Adams' Opinion with the Author, January 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? (Paperback)

I liked this book, and found that what the previous review objected to was not the author's ideas, but Sam Adams. I think that it is important to remember that most of the Founding Fathers were not the idealistic gods that we hold them up to be. Many owned slaves, many beleived that as intellectuals, they were too good for battle. It's important that kids realize that not everything is black and white, and just because a book portrays a historical figure accurately, doesn't mean you're going to like them. While Sam Adams is an elitist full of quirks, he was a great thinker and an idealist, and Jean Fritz portrays him as such.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!, March 27, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? (Hardcover)

Many years ago I did a report on Samuel Adams for school. This book by Jean Fritz helped me get a high grade. It did not give me the impression that people who are smarter should be excused from being a soldier or any other ideas. In fact I enjoyed it so much that to this day I love learning about the American Revolution, because Jean Fritz made learning fun for me. I suggest that everyone read it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peculiar Guy, But..., January 13, 2006

By 

James Charnock (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? (Paperback)

Who's Sam Adams that someone would write a book about him? Well, he's the guy that pretty much started the Revolutionary War. How could a shabbily dressed fellow who refused to ride a horse (EVERYBODY who was ANYBODY rode a horse) start a war between England (the mother country) and us? There's only one way to find out: R E A D.

The Creative Teacher: Activities for Language Arts (Grades 4 through 8 and Up)