JOHNNY TREMAINE: Amazon.ca: Esther Forbes: Books

Product Description

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This story of a tragically injured young silversmith who ends up hip-deep in the American Revolution is inspiring, exciting, and sad. Winner of the prestigious Newbery Award in 1944, Esther Forbes's story has lasted these 50-plus years by including adventure, loss, courage, and history in a wonderfully written, very dramatic package. It's probably not great for little guys but mature 11-year-olds or older will find it a great adventure. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

"This is Esther Forbes at her brilliant best. She has drawn the character of Johnny with such sympathy and insight that he may take his place with Jim Hawkins, Huck Finn and other young immortals." -- Book Week --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

211 Reviews

5 star:		(103)
4 star:		(44)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(29)

Average Customer Review

3.9 out of 5 stars (211 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging historical fiction for the late 1700s, Mar 14 2012

By

Darlene (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Johnny Tremain (Paperback)

I read this book aloud to my children. It won the 1944 Newbery Medal.

This is an historical fiction novel that takes place in Massachusetts in late 1700s before the American Revolution. Although the character of 14 year-old Johnny Tremain is a fictional hero, Forbes weaves many genuine historical figures throughout the story, including: Paul Revere, General Thomas Gage, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Doctor Joseph Warren, Governor Thomas Hutchinson, John Pitcairn, Francis Smith, Josiah Quincy II, and James Otis, Jr.

At the outset, orphaned Johnny Tremain is working as a silversmith's apprentice. He shows real promise and skill in his craft but, unfortunately, one of his hands is burned by molten silver. Unable to perform the delicate work any longer because of his injured hand, he is forced to find another trade that he can learn. He is steadfast in trying to find skilled labour but is unable to find someone that is willing to employ him, so he takes a job delivering newspapers on horseback for the Boston Observer which is run by the Silsbee family. He learns that secret meetings are being organized by the Silsbees and are being attended by local businessman known as the Sons of Liberty. Johnny participates in the Boston Tea Party which is organized by the Sons of Liberty, and he also aids Paul Revere in warning the Minutemen that the British soldiers are coming.

Forbes goes into great detail describing the Boston Tea Party, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Paul Revere's Ride, and the political differences between the Whigs and the Tories. For the most part, my 9 year-old remained engaged in the story even through the lengthy historical narratives. We all loved Johnny Tremain and the fictional story lines, and it was nice to see Johnny's growth in maturity as a result of what he went through.

Overall, we really enjoyed the story. Because of its historically rich content, the book is more ideally suited for an older reader.

MY RATING: 4 stars!! It was really good, and I would recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction!

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars More cons than pros, Mar 24 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Johnny Tremain (Paperback)

This story is set during the Revolutionary War and is about an apprentice to a silver smith. He injures his hand and thinks he will never work with silver again. He gets involved with the Boston Tea Party, the midnight ride of Paul Revere etc.
The book Johnny Tremain can be described in many ways. But 'a good book' is not one of them. I would definetly not recommend this book. It was good in the beginning, but after that,the plot went downhill. It took me a while to read this book because I was reluctant to read it. One good thing, however, is the details on the Revolutionary War.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars made death seem welcome, Feb 17 2004

By

"mrjibblets" (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Johnny Tremain (Paperback)

i grabed this book wanting to read an intresting story full of twists and turns when i was done i felt like i had been beaten with a baseballbat. it drags on repeating what it has already stated. it contains nothing to set it apart from a normal piece of blank paper the only good thing i have to say or think about this book is that it makes GREAT tinder for any fireplace!!!

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Historical Fiction For All Ages
Many are already familiar with the story of "Johnny Tremain", either through the book or the Disney movie. It is worth reading whether you have read it before or not. Read more

Published on Dec 26 2008 by James Gallen

4.0 out of 5 stars after watching Disney's Johnny Tremain
This was also required reading for our 5th grade curriculum. Daughter hated it, so about half way through to reinforce it we watched Disney's version of Johnny Tremain on home... Read more

Published on July 7 2004