Ariel Bradley: Spy for General Washington by Lynda Durrant (Vanita Books, 2013) is a historical fiction early chapter book based on a real experience. Since my son and I are learning about American history this year, I decided it would be a perfect choice for reading aloud together during our school time.
In many ways, Ariel Bradley’s story is a fun and exciting one. Ariel is a young boy, with two brothers who are a part of General Washington’s army. He wishes he could be brave, but his life is still at home. When his brothers come to visit, though, they have a special mission for him to perform for General Washington himself! As Ariel acts like a country bumpkin and stumbles in to the British war camp, he knows he can be a spy for General Washington and do his own part to help the country.
I liked the story. It showed how a child helped in the war effort. It showed my son the different way someone could help the Patriot cause. As we read, we looked up unfamiliar words and talked about what Ariel Bradley was doing. My son was very excited to see General Washington, and I believe he enjoyed the suspense of what would happen next.
It’s been a few weeks since we finished and my son tells me now that he does not remember it. I know he liked it, but apparently the story was not a memorable on. There are many historical fiction stories based on real events that relate to the American Revolutionary War. This may not have been the strongest choice out there, but he and I did enjoy it when we read it. We found it to be a fine book to tie in to our American history studies.
Note: I received a digital copy of this book for review consideration from the publisher via netgalley.com.
