Benjamin Russell lived in Boston as a boy, witnessed the Boston Tea Party, and helped with the war effort when the British took over Boston. The story is historically accurate and focuses on New England grit when faced with oppression, but more than that I like how the "enemy" was humanized. For example, "The boys cheered when most of the British soldiers fell down, but there were also tears in Ben's eyes. He remembered that winter day when a British officer had kindly fixed the boys' sledding run, and Ben didn't want that officer to die."

His apprenticeship with a newspaper was more interesting to me, though, especially since he became one of the leading newspapermen of his time. Children today might not realize that newspapers and letters were the only way people got their news, so newspapers were of vital importance.

Wendell Minor's art adds rich detail to the story and I love his dedication: "To every young reader who discovers that the pen is mightier than the sword." ( )