Synopsis
Sterling North, author of the award-winning children’s classic Rascal, tells the tale of the Father of Our Country and how he became one of the greatest leaders of all time. Focusing particularly on Washington’s youth, North fully captures the spirit of the man as he examines his childhood in colonial Virginia, his early experiences as a member of the militia, and his many other adventures leading up to the Revolutionary War. The fully rounded person who emerges from this captivating portrait is uncomfortable with words, shy with women, totally at home in the outdoors, and deeply in love with the country he helped found.
Children's Literature
George Washington's youth through the American Revolution is the focus of this twelve-chapter, 176-page biography. Washington grew up along the Potomac River in Virginia. As a child, Washington did not like school very much, preferring to spend his time outdoors. In 1748, Washington traveled to western Virginia as a surveyor working for the Fairfax family; at the time Washington was sixteen. Three years later, Washington took his only long sea voyage, to Barbados, accompanying his older brother who was dying of tuberculosis. Chapters six and seven cover the troubles brewing between the French and the English and Washington's early experiences working with the Virginia militia. In 1755, Washington volunteered to serve as aide to General Braddock and the British forces as the French and Indian War formally began. Much of the book's content comes from Washington's own journal entries. Beyond Washington's actual experiences, the journal entries give readers information about Washington's personal life, his hopes, and what he saw as his shortcomings. In a classroom, the book would certainly work with curriculum addressing America's early history, and it would also be useful in studies about leadership and goal development. The book is in the "Sterling Point Books" series.