Jim Murphy

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Published by: Scholastic Press
Release Date: December 1, 2010
Pages: 96
ISBN13: 978-0439691864

 
Overview

Junior Literary Guild Selection
Book Links Lasting Connection of 2010

“The only person uncertain about his appointment was George Washington himself. After the vote was taken, he turned to fellow Virginian patriot Patrick Henry and said, ‘Remember Mr. Henry…from the day I enter upon the command of the American army, I date my fall, and the ruin of my reputation.'”

Once the war had begun, the representatives of the thirteen original colonies at the Continental Congress were faced with a major decision. Who would organize the ragtag group of rebellious men into a real army and lead it in the fight against Great Britain? To answer that question, these representatives assembled in Philadelphia in June.

Everyone understood that the decision of who would command the American army was vitally important. The British forces had been whipped badly on April 29 and forced to retreat. But they hadn’t surrendered. They would fight back and they would seek revenge. The representatives in Philadelphia knew that the America commander would not only be responsible for the fate of the army and the lives of its soldiers, he would hold the entire future of the country in his hands.

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Praise and Awards

Junior Literary Guild Selection
Book Links Lasting Connection of 2010

“Murphy offers a refreshingly frank, vivid, well-researched account of a pivotal time in American history.”
—Booklist (starred)

“Murphy brings the winter of 1776 to life with powerful prose and captivating illustrations. ….A superbly written, well-researched and attractively illustrated account….”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Whereas purely chronological histories drag readers’ attention from one theater of war to another, Murphy concentrates on the troops directly under Washington’s command so that each step or misstep is as riveting as if readers were following at the heels of “the old fox.” When the tide turns in the Patriots’ favor, it is with a sense of relief rather than as a fait accompli. … A first purchase, even if your American Revolution shelves are packed.”
—School Library Journal (starred)

“Murphy (Truce) again digs into the well of history, this time emerging with a well-researched, absorbing account of the early battles of the Revolutionary War with Gen. George Washington at their center.”
—Publishers Weekly