Toliver's Secret

Set during the Revolutionary War, Ellen Toliver is the eleven year old granddaughter of a patriot who uses his haircutter's role to obtain information which he conveys to General Washington. Toliver's father was a patriot already killed in the war, so she and her mother return to live with her maternal grandparents in British-held New York. When the grandfather cannot carry out his planned information delivery, he turns to the reluctant Ellen whose hair he cuts and who is dressed as a boy in her patriot-brother's old clothes. Her task of delivering the message goes far from smoothly, and the story's adventure derives from Ellen's ways of addressing challenges from other youngsters, British soldiers, wary residents in occupied territories, unexpected arrival in unplanned locations, and her own fears and doubts. Ellen's adventures and problems keep the action going in ways that appeal to a young reader, as will Ellen herself as a character written well and with human strengths and weaknesses. That reader will also gain insight into the Revolutionary War and its times, and reap the benefit of accompanying Ellen as she faces her doubts and fears successfully and gains self-confidence. A good choice for that intermediate-grade reader, especially in his or her year of studying U.S. History (fifth grade here).

I am not a fan of abridged books, or highly censored ones like these. However, for what it is, it is a well made text...the content is nothing like the original.

This book kept my 10 year old's attention throughout. It was well written. I'm giving it four stars because the scope of it was quite limited. I thought we would learn more about the American Revolution. However, how much can one book really accomplish?

My kids and I loved this book! It is full of adventure and shows what life was like for people around New York City during the Revolutionary War.

My 8 yr old had to read this for summer reading. She typically reads graphic novels and actually enjoyed this; she said it was exciting.

I bought this for my son who is in 5th grade. It was a book suggestion by the homeschool curriculum we're using. He really enjoyed it. It was a fairly easy read for him but in good way.

One of the best historical fiction books for kids we’ve ever read. There is one scene where a soldier is killed right in front of the kids which was a little shocking but I felt my 11 year old was ok to read it - shows the true pain and hardship both sides endured during Revolutionary War.

Filled with suspense and great historical connections and excitement for young readers to learn about the American Revolution. Highly Recommend!

This review is written by my son, who read the book.I read this book for history. It is about a ten year old girl (disguised as a boy) who delivers a secret message to General George Washington. The message was baked into a loaf of bread. She faced many troubles along the way. These troubles caused her to become very brave. i highly recommend this book for kids who want to learn history and enjoy an entertaining story.