November 15, 2022
A portrait of a woman whose search for self-identity led her to disguise herself as a man to fight in the American Revolution. Portraying Deborah Sampson as someone whose "spirit was always a little too large" (presumably to conform to gender expectations), Anderson follows her independent-minded subject from youthful chores in which she discovered "pieces of herself" to life as a "masterless woman" operating a loom in a public house, enlistment--after one false start under another name--as "Robert Shurtliff," and military career. Despite being wounded in battle, she was able to conceal her sex until after the war, when she fell ill on duty...but thanks to a sympathetic doctor and commanding officer, rather than being forcibly ejected she was granted an honorable discharge. Her legacy as a feminist icon and the rest of her long life, which included lecture tours as well as marrying and raising a family, are left to a long afterword in which the author describes her own fruitless search through scanty primary and secondary sources for insight into Sampson's character and motives. Lambelet likewise adds vignettes and larger scenes of a tall, generic figure working busily at various tasks or, switching from period dresses to breeches, marching and fighting redcoats along with a mix of light- and dark-skinned comrades. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An admiring, if distant, feminist character study. (bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 7-9)
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November 1, 2022
Grades 2-4 Born in Massachusetts before the American Revolution, Deborah Sampson had an independent streak. When she was five years old, with her father away at sea and her mother unable to provide for her children, Deborah and her older siblings were hired out as indentured servants until they turned 18. While serving in Master Thomas' household, she listened as he raised his sons, educating them and teaching them about the Patriot cause. She absorbed those lessons, and later, steeped in the revolutionary spirit, she disguised herself as a man, enlisted in the army, and served courageously despite a serious wound in battle. After a military doctor discovered her secret, she received an honorable discharge. In the book's informative back matter, the author discusses primary and secondary sources, pointing out, for example, that even notes for speeches attributed to Sampson during her lifetime may have been largely written by someone else. The illustrations, pencil drawings with painted textures and digitally added colors, have a lively, rather quirky look that suits both the topic and the period.
COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
December 1, 2022
Gr 2-6-Deborah Sampson was a woman who declared her own independence and then proceeded to fight for the independence of her country. This picture book biography of the heroic American Revolutionary soldier starts with her early childhood and continues through her life of servitude as a young person followed by her determination to enlist in the army fighting for American independence. Sampson was able to conceal her gender despite a serious bullet wound suffered during battle as an elite soldier. Known as Robert Shurtliff when enlisted in the Continental Army, she became seriously ill after the war ended and her gender was discovered by a physician. She was then discharged honorably. Back matter not only adds to the story of this fascinating patriot but also addresses the challenges of researching with primary and secondary sources from the time period. These final pages broaden the audience for this title to middle and high school students and their teachers looking for insight into the process of historical research. VERDICT This biography of a lesser-known American hero and look into the process of researching historical sources is an essential purchase across several age ranges.-John Scott
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