This historical fiction book is told in the form of a journal. William Thomas Emerson is a 11 year old boy recounting the daily happenings of his life in Boston leading up to the Revolutionary War. It has large text and short journal entries which makes this story great for late elementary students. It is in the "Dear America" series. This book would be a good gateway into the genre of historical fiction for young readers. There is some derogatory language that is authentic to the period in time that the story takes place.

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I don't remember much of these books as individual books, but I remember reading them all as a young, avid reader. I think that ultimately these books are the reason why I love historical fiction novels so much. They all did such a great job of taking me to a different time and place and making it come alive, seeing the world through an older, historical lens. I highly recommend any of the Dear America books to younger readers who love history and need to get hooked on reading!

This entire series is a wonderful way to learn history or teach it to adolescents. I find today's generations seem to recall more when they learn through other people (pop songs, celebrity gossip, etc.), so what better way to teach history than through someone else's perspective? Yes, "authentic" diaries would be "better", but would the language really hold the modern student's attention? Did the diary writer know what WOULD be important in the context of history? Probably not. ( )