93 pages • 3 hours read
Esther ForbesA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.
Short Answer
1. What were some of the key events leading up to the American Revolutionary War? Why did some colonists want independence from England? Why did some want to remain under British rule?
Teaching Suggestion: Students will likely be able to respond to the first two questions using their prior knowledge, but they may be less familiar with the Loyalists’ reasoning than with the Patriots’. You might give students time to consult the resources listed below to further develop their responses.
2. What was life in colonial America like right before the Revolutionary War? In particular, what was life like for young people and for those living in Boston?
Teaching Suggestion: Students might speculate and make predictions with these questions, or you could opt for investigation to prepare their responses. To provide context for this short answer question and the resources below, you may want to introduce the novel as historical fiction that features a 14-year-old boy living in Boston in 1773.
Action & Adventure
View Collection
American Revolution
View Collection
Books on Justice & Injustice
View Collection
Coming-of-Age Journeys
View Collection
Juvenile Literature
View Collection
Loyalty & Betrayal
View Collection
Memorial Day Reads
View Collection
Military Reads
View Collection
Newbery Medal & Honor Books
View Collection
Required Reading Lists
View Collection
Safety & Danger
View Collection
School Book List Titles
View Collection
War
View Collection