Skip to main content

The Notorious Benedict Arnold

By

by Steve Sheinkin
Roaring Brook Press, 2010. 337 pgs. Biography.


Most of us know from Elementary School that Benedict Arnold was the great American traitor of the Revolutionary War, a man who would come to symbolize treason throughout the history of our country. But few know of General Arnold's extraordinary contributions to the Revolution before he turned coat. Sheinkin's biography for older elementary students and younger teens reveals how Benedict Arnold's courage and determination carried him and his bold though suffering soldiers into Canadian and northern States' campaigns which not only advanced but may have saved the Revolution. George Washington was one of his many admirers who relied upon his bravery and military judgment. Unfortunately, Arnold's flaws loomed as large as his virtues: he was justifiably angry with real and imagined slights from the Continental Congress; he was quick to anger and to take offense, and had no notion of politics or the need for diplomacy. In the end, his plan to surrender West Point and perhaps General Washington himself was foiled by a series of events that can only be attributed to either the hand of God or an inexplicable run of luck. In The Notorious Benedict Arnold . . . , Steve Sheinkin has not only written a solid historical account, but a suspenseful and heartrending story of good men, and a good man gone dreadfully wrong. An excellent choice for a reluctant upper elementary or early teen reader assigned to read a biography.
Labels:

Comments

lw said…
The guy was a traitor. If you want to glorify him then you are a total nutcase.
January 28, 2011 at 12:19 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Factory

By
The Factory By Catherine Egan New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2025. Fiction. 306 pages.  Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle has been invited to join the Factory, a secretive research facility in the desert which ostensibly extracts renewable energy from the electromagnetic fields of its young recruits. But Asher soon realizes something sinister is going on. Kids are getting sick. The adults who run the Factory seem to be keeping secrets. And the extraction process is not only painful and exhausting, but existentially troubling. Asher makes a handful of new friends who help him with an investigation that turns into a resistance, which turns into...a cliffhanger! The Factory is a page-turning sci-fi with multidimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and refreshingly straight-forward writing. Egan weaves in detail about climate crises and social unrest, making the story's dystopian setting feel rich and plausible. With its sophisticated themes and accessible storytelling, I would recomm...
Post a Comment
Read more

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

By
KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Finding Lost

By
Finding Lost By Holly Goldberg Sloan New York: Rocky Pond Books, 2025. Fiction. 208 pages. Middle schooler Cordy, along with her mom and little brother, Geno, are still learning how to adjust to their life after “The Accident,” a tragic boating accident that cost their father’s life. When Cordy is walking home from school one day, she finds a little stray dog who the family nicknames Lost, and as he joins their family, he helps them rediscover all of the beauty that life has to offer. Holly Goldberg Sloane delivers a heart-warming and poignant novel about loss, family, and perseverance. This was a well-written novel that could appeal to a wide range of readers. Any middle schooler will be able to relate to Cordy’s experience of dealing with change, and those who have experienced a similar loss will be sure to find solace in this beautiful story.
Post a Comment
Read more