Acclaimed biographer Jean Fritz writes the remarkable story of Alexander Hamilton, one of America's most influential and fascinating founding fathers, and his untimely death in a duel with Aaron Burr.
Born in the British West Indies, Hamilton arrived in New York as an "outsider." He fought in the Revolution and became Washington's most valuable aidede- camp. He was there with Washington, Madison, and the others writing the Constitution. He was the first Secretary of the Treasury as the country struggled to become unified and independent.
Fritz's talent for bringing historical figures to life is at its best as she shares her fascination with this man of action who was honorable, ambitious, and fiercely loyal to his adopted country.
From the Hardcover edition.
From award-winning children’s author Jean Fritz comes the incredible true account of the Long March, a six-thousand-mile journey across China
In 1986, Jean Fritz went to China and talked to survivors of the Long March. It is from their recollections and her own broad, personal knowledge of Chinese history that Fritz has written one of the most compelling accounts of the incredible six-thousand-mile journey across China made by the Communist Army in 1934 and 1935.
Fritz takes us on the route of the sixty-mile-long First Front Army, the unit of Mao Zedong that wound its way through a terrain so perilous it was often more threatening than their battles with the enemy. The fear of a young soldier on Old Mountain afraid to go to sleep in case he might roll over and fall off the cliff is real to us; the drama and devastation that reduced the Red Army to twenty thousand men and women are immediate. And when the army crosses the thundering Dadu River on the threadbare remains of a bridge, we cross our fingers and hope to make it, too.
Skillfully placing events within the context of history, Fritz allows us to view them with the perspective of time, and, as she shares the memories of those she talked with, she brings humanness and intimacy to the participants and their unforgettable journey.
“By writing a narrative for young readers of the Chang Zheng, as it is called in China, Jean Fritz, the distinguished children’s historian, has performed a public service. The story of the Long March is one that every American should know and ponder.”—New York Times
This heartwarming fictionalized autobiography tells a story of what it is like for a little girl to be growing up in an unfamiliar place. While other girls her age were enjoying childhood in America, Jean Fritz was in China in the midst of political unrest. During this time, foreigners were becoming more and more unpopular, and evacuation at a moment’s notice was imminent. Although Jean appreciated the beauty of China—the mountains, the countryside, the sea—she knew she belonged in America, and longed to make her home there.
“Rich in the telling observations of sights, sounds, and people.”—Publishers Weekly
China Homecoming is the incredible true story of award-winning author Jean Fritz’s childhood in China.
Speaking Chinese, Jean felt welcome when she revisited China. Memories of her childhood washed over her as she visited her old home and the British School she had attended. Both had changed just as history had changed her hometown of Wuhan, but listeners will be moved at what it meant to Jean when she was declared an honorary citizen.
“An intriguing fusion of autobiography, history, and travelogue…A personal, and finally, moving book. It is also a vivid portrait of a developing nation and a reminder that history is people who live through events and then go on.”—Booklist
Pocahontas was the special favorite of her father, the great chief Pawhatan. And when the English settlers came to Virginia, she became a "sister" to Captain John Smith, who was "adopted" into her tribe. She was permitted to move freely between the Indian and white worlds, and her life seemed perfect. But soon there was trouble. Pocahontas was kidnapped by the settlers, who forced her to live like a white woman. She yearned for her father to meet the colonists' demands so all would be well again. But before Pocahontas made peace, she would be asked to turn her back on everything she loved-and to leave her Indian world behind forever. Highly acclaimed and winner of multiple awards, this book is recommended for Grades 4 and up.
