Lit Circles - American War for Independence

I finally have enough different books that I can have literature circles that deal with the American War for Independence. Since I have students who read at various levels this can get a bit tricky. But I found multiple copies of several books including the old stand-by that's still quite good Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. In addition I have Mr. Revere and I by Robert Lawson, The Fighting Ground by Avi, An Eye for An Eye by Peter and Connie Roop, and Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen.

Mr. Revere and I is interesting because it's told from Scheherazade's point of view - and she's a horse. The protagonist in An Eye for An Eye is a 13-year-old girl, Samantha, who does not allow herself to be defined by the social expectations of her day but chooses to fight to save her brother. The girls who read it liked Samantha's independent spirit even if they thought the book was too easy.

Woods Runner is a new book; the paperback version doesn't come out until January 2011. I scoured the libraries until I found six copies that I checked out for my students. This has a very interesting format. The story line is quite simple. A 13-year-old boy, Samuel, is very adept in the wilderness. His parents and other nearby settlers depend on his hunting skills for meat. One day while out hunting, the British come, accompanied by Iroquois, and kill most of the settlers, but take his parents captive. The story follows Samuel's journey as he attempts to save his parents. In between each chapter is a half-page to page and a half of historical information that relates to the previously read chapter. This causes a slight disruption in the flow of the story but the facts presented are quite interesting, not what junior high students usually learn while studying the American War for Independence.

Frankly, none of these books is difficult to read but Woods Runner and The Fighting Ground are quite descriptive in the death or dying scenes. The Fighting Ground is interesting in that it takes place over just a few days. The scenes are measured by time not dates.

I plan the literature circles so we finish these book studies just a few days before the history teacher actually starts teaching this part of American History. It gives the students a lot more background information than they realize and helps them relate to the information presented.