Patsy and the Declaration

Patsy and the Declaration is an historical fiction novel set in Philadelphia during the summer of 1776. The main character is Patsy Black, a twelve year old girl who is the daughter of the local tavern and inn owner. One afternoon, Patsy meets a red-haired stranger. As a result of his pecular behavior, Patsy comes to the conclusion that he is a British spy. That same day, the local blacksmith's shop is set on fire. Patsy is convinced the fire is the work of a British spy and is determined to find him. Patsy and the Declaration provides a fairly even balance between historical fact and fiction, especially concerning the atmosphere of Philadelpia during this time period. It clearly describes how confusing and scary these events would be to a child. The main character, Patsy, and the secondary characters tend to be flat, static charcters. Patsy does not seem to change muich from from the beginning to the end. She does not learn any new lessons, except that people who seem to be friends may really be an enemy. However, this concept was not emphasized much in the book. The plot of the story seems more important than the actual characters. The story is told in limited third person. The reader knows what Patsy is thinking and sees most of the events through her eyes. Consequently, the reader is kept in suspense, along with Patsy, about who the real arsonist is. If the reader had known from the beginning, the story would not have been very interesting.

This book is about two girls, Barbara and Patsy, who live in Philadelphia during the American Revolution. They try to find out who burned down the blacksmith shop. Is it the mysterious red-haired stranger?