Patience Wright: America's First Sculptor and Revolutionary Spy

This book tells the story of an American patiot spy and entrepeneur, the little known Patience Wright. Girls will find a new role model from American history. Great artwork too.

Author Pegi Deitz Shea makes history come alive in this tale of colonial America. Patience Wright was a widow who supported her children by making wax sculptures. She was so good at it that she was even invited to Buckingham Palace to create wax busts of the king and queen. Perhaps the most intriguing part of Patience's story is that she gathered information from the British and sent messages hidden inside her sculptures to the Continental Congress. These secret messages helped colonists win the American Revolution. This book makes an interesting supplement for students studying the Revolutionary War period.

Patience Wright was born in 1735. From an early age she had a talent for art. When she grew up she and her sister ran a wax sculpting business. She was very successful and made great life like images of famous people such as Ben Franklin and the Queen of England. During the American Revolutions she was able to use the statues as spies. The head was made hollow so that a message could be hidden inside. I liked the books historical content. Yes It would be great for a read aloud during a unit on the American revolution