What's Your Story, Paul Revere?: Book Review

Series: “Cub Reporter Meets Famous Americans”
What’s Your Story, Paul Revere?
Author: Krystyna Poray Goddu
Illustrator:  Doug Jones
Publisher: Lerner Publications Company, 2016
Book Reviewer: Sharon M. Himsl
Ages: 6 to 9, Nonfiction, Middle Grade
Pages: 32


Have fun imagining a live interview with an American patriot who fought in the American Revolutionary War. The series’ Cub Reporter, a cute bear cub holding a microphone, interviews Paul Revere. 

Asked what it was like living in America at the time, Paul Revere explains that the colonists were not free under British rule. Laws were oppressive and unfair, and the British had increased soldier surveillance. Even kids protested, calling the British soldiers in their red coats “lobsters.” 

Revere helped the colonists form the Sons of Liberty, a secret group that spied on British activity. He served as the group’s secret messenger, reporting conflicts and rebel activity, for instance, in 1773 when the colonists dumped a highly taxed shipment of tea into Boston’s harbor. In 1775, Revere’s midnight ride on horseback to Lexington, Massachusetts became legendary. He warned the colonists of imminent attack by the British. It was the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, which gave America its independence in 1776. 

Readers also learn about Revere’s life as a boy in Boston. He became a skilled silversmith and had talent as an artist. Live action illustrations in color of the Boston Massacre and Boston’s harbor with British ships arriving are two such scenes by Revere highlighted. Glossary, Timeline, Further Information, and Index are included as well. This is a good series for young historians interested in American history and Paul Revere's role in the American Revolution, and a great review for interested parents, teachers, and mentors.