Spitfire: A North Country Adventure

It's always great fun to find a book that can entertain and involve young readers and teach them some history at the same time, but it's an even greater pleasure when that book was written by one of my former students! Kate Messner has lived and worked in the Lake Champlain region of Vermont and has thoroughly researched a battle between American Revolutionary soldiers and sailors and the British fleet on the lake in 1776. The author has combined the actual exploits of Pascal De Angelis who lived though that battle and went on to become a leading figure in the early history of New York State, and the imaginary life of Abigail Smith, a twelve year old girl disguised as a boy so she can fight the British. Through the growing friendship of Pascal and Abigail we learn the importance of that naval battle to the eventual triumph of the Revolution. You can visit the author's web site at www.katemessner.com and I urge you to do so.

Disguised as a boy called Adam, Abigail Smith joins the American Fleet and the subsequent battle against the British Fleet on Lake Champlain. The alternating viewpoints of Adam and "his" new friend Pascal gives readers a sense of the commitment that new Americans had to their newly founded country. I found myself particularly interested in the details of battle and life aboard the Spitfire. The freezing conditions tempered with only a few blankets, the process of firing the cannon, and the act of sanding down the deck to absorb blood lost in battle brought the event to life and is sure to inspire students to learn more about our country's early history. Kris Bordessa, author of Great Colonial America Projects You Can Build Yourself

Abigal is a young girl who stowes on a ship posing as a boy during the American Revolution. It tells the tale of a little known battle between Quebec and New York under Benedict Arnold. This is a nice easy reading book for higher elementary grades on the American Revolution A nice introduction to historical fiction for kids.

Reviewed by Harold N. Walters (This book is illustrated with sketches by Martha Gulley and cover painting by Gail Smith Schirmer) It's October, 1776. Abigail Smith's father and her brother Nathan have died of smallpox since fighting at Ile aux Noix in Quebec. Believing her uncle Jeb is serving with the Continental Forces on Lake Champlain, Abigail runs away from Mrs. Dobbins' household to find him. Knowing it will be impossible to join the any ship as a girl, Abigail disguises herself in her brother's clothes before she launches her rowboat into the lake. When Abigail reaches the Congress, Pascal De Angelis, a boy on the cusp of his thirteenth birthday, pulls her aboard. He does so reluctantly, not because he recognizes her as a girl but because he fears she might be a British spy. Within days, however, Pascal is comfortable with his new shipmate -- Adam Smith. Aboard the Congress, Abigail meets the commander of the American Fleet, General Benedict Arnold, whose "features look like they were made of broken glass." A battle with the British is imminent, and every hand is needed, so General Arnold assigns Abigail and Pascal to the gunboat Spitfire. Hearing her orders, Abigail recalls fondly her father calling her a spitfire. She sees the irony in being assigned to the Spitfire. Despite the harrowing turmoil and slaughter they witness, Abigail and Pascal sense they are part of something much larger than the particular engagement near Valcour Island. As Pascal says, "Even if it feels like we're tearing things to pieces, perhaps we're building something." It's true. The revolution is forging a new nation. Abigail and Pascal narrate alternate chapters that allow for two points of view and interpretations of events. Pascal speaks as a boy who wishes to overcome any fear preventing him from becoming a full-fledged soldier. Abigail, although competent in battle, is more concerned with finding her uncle. This historical novel provides is an informative, exciting story about a significant military encounter during the American Revolution. In her "Acknowledgments" Messner says, "History is really about stories." Armchair Interviews says: The story of Abigail and Pascal and their adventures aboard the Spitfire, is a fitting tale.

A spirited girl who wants to do more than sit idly by during the Revolutionary War, Abigail Smith takes action. Determined to find her only living relative, Abigail cuts her long hair, sheds the frilly dresses she's been forced to wear, and puts on her brother's britches. Thus disguised, she presents herself to General Benedict Arnold and takes her place as a sailor aboard the Spitfire, a battleship in an American Fleet facing off against the British. Abigail, now known as "Adam," befriends another young sailor, Pascal de Angelis, and together they perform duties and follow whatever orders are assigned to them. A fascinating look at life aboard a revolutionary battleship, this book portrays wartime life in 1776, even things that would make grown ups gasp. Consequently, kids are sure to love it. This is a great story, accompanied by maps and drawings by Martha Gully and cover art by Gail Smith Schirmer. Reviewed by: Julie M. Prince