Nathan Hale: Courageous Spy

Children's Literature

Part of the "Leaders of the American Revolution" series which brings key people of the American Revolution to life, this book begins with the exciting moment of Nathan Hale's capture and then tells the rest of his heroic story in flashback. Chapters include information about Hale's boyhood, his early patriot activity, his various spying missions, and his capture and execution. The book is written at a fourth-to-fifth grade reading level with many graphics and relatively few words per page. This makes this series particularly helpful for struggling readers who are studying the regular fifth-grade social studies curriculum of United States history. The book contains numerous research tools, such as a chronology, chapter notes, bibliography, ideas for further reading, and an index. These are all written in a simplified style with the budding researcher in mind. The chapter notes, which are written in proper research format, will be especially helpful for young people first learning to write in research style. Though the book is ostensibly about Nathan Hale, it also contains much peripheral information about the American Revolutionary War. Actual drawings and paintings from the period enliven the text. Sidebars dealing with tidbits of information, such as flags of the U.S and how to make invisible ink, also add interest. Each chapter closes with a short quiz. This book will complement any elementary classroom library focused on United States history. 2006, Chelsea House, Ages 9 to 12.
—Sheryl O'Sullivan