13th out of 16 books
—
5 voters
Toliver's Secret
When her grandfather is injured, 10-year-old Ellen Toliver replaces him on a top-secret patriotic mission. Disguised as a boy, she manages to smuggle a message to General George Washington....more
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
October 19th 1993
by Yearling
(first published 1980)
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I read this book aloud to my children. It is an historical fiction adventure set in New York in the 1700s.
Ten year-old Ellen Toliver is a meek and mild girl, who is often bullied by another girl named Dicey. Grandfather encourages Ellen to stand up for herself and talk back to Dicey, but Mother is against the advice reminding Ellen that her late father would not approve because he wanted his daughter to be ladylike. Grandfather huffs that Ellen can still have pretty manners while being bold when...more
Ten year-old Ellen Toliver is a meek and mild girl, who is often bullied by another girl named Dicey. Grandfather encourages Ellen to stand up for herself and talk back to Dicey, but Mother is against the advice reminding Ellen that her late father would not approve because he wanted his daughter to be ladylike. Grandfather huffs that Ellen can still have pretty manners while being bold when...more
Aug 17, 2009
Caralyn
added it
Paul-man and I sent this book to Rae for her birthday. It was recommended by another library school student, and I got it from the library so I could read it, too. It was a charming story about being brave even when you think you don't have it in you to be brave. Plus, it gives a palpable sense of what it may have been like to have been a child in an occupied city.
One of my favorite scenes took place between Ellen Tolliver and Mr. Higgins, a kindly British soldier who befriended her while crossi...more
One of my favorite scenes took place between Ellen Tolliver and Mr. Higgins, a kindly British soldier who befriended her while crossi...more
This book is about a kid toliver who's dad got killed by the brittish and toliver had to go on a ship with the british he was not thrilled about it. It talks about a snuff box and it tells you when he gives it back to him there is a locket necklaces.It was a great book but i wish it talked about the snuff box a little bit more. Other than that i would totally recomand this book.
This book has alot of supence. There's this girl named Ellen Toliver, and she is 11 years old. her grandfather is a sp...more
This book has alot of supence. There's this girl named Ellen Toliver, and she is 11 years old. her grandfather is a sp...more
It was a wonderful book it kept me on the edge of my seat and also it was pretty good for a story about war and spies. I think Ellen was a brave girl for acting as a spy and to deliver a secret message inside a loaf of bread. She was also brave because she fought off big strong soldiers and a pig,boys, and saved the bread from getting eaten by a pig. Next, she saved herself from a old lady trying to take her pants off, she fought her off so she wouldn't find out she was a girl and get her grandf...more
I read this book and thought it was great. It was about a girl who was afraid of standing up for herself especially the bully that yells at her everyday at the water pump.
Her grandfather is a spy for Washington during the war. He has baked a special message inside a loaf of bread and is going to send it to Washington. When Ellen's grandpa twists his ankle, Ellen is the only one to deliver the message...
Her grandfather is a spy for Washington during the war. He has baked a special message inside a loaf of bread and is going to send it to Washington. When Ellen's grandpa twists his ankle, Ellen is the only one to deliver the message...
May 28, 2009
Mrs. Bahns
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
3rd and 4th graders
Recommended to Mrs. Bahns by:
Lit study
Shelves:
taylor
This book is about a young girl who has to dress up like a boy and deliver asecret message for her grandfather(who twisted his ankle and can't do it himself) and for Gen. Goerge Washington.This book is very exiting and I would recomend this to 3rd & 4th graders because it wasn't very chalenging for me and we could have done something a bit more chalenging.-Taylor
Gripping Revolutionay War story of young Ellen Toliver who, disguised as a boy, acts as a courier to deliver a secret message for the Patriots. Written on a 4th grade level, there is a lot of action to keep reluctant readers interested. It is also quite informative, detailing the sparse lives, fear, and bravery of the people at that time.
I read this book to the kids, and it only took us a few days because the liked it so much they just wanted me to keep reading! It was supposed to take 3 weeks. It's a great story about finding out you're braver and more capable than you think. That's something kids really need to know. Good, clean, uplifting book.
Another read-aloud that my son and I read together for his History. I am really enjoying the fact that along with reading the history of the US, my son gets to experience what he's learning through the eyes of a child in this book.
The bravery and courage that little Ellen Toliver somehow finds through the course of the story is a timeless lesson for every child (and maybe some grown-ups, too). This was yet another book that my son was begging me to read more of at the end of each chapter!
The bravery and courage that little Ellen Toliver somehow finds through the course of the story is a timeless lesson for every child (and maybe some grown-ups, too). This was yet another book that my son was begging me to read more of at the end of each chapter!
Fun and informative story about a timid 10-year old girl, Ellen Toliver, who has to run a message across enemy lines during the American Revolution. She runs into quite a few problems but gains confidence as she figures out how to handle them and accomplish her mission. A little history, a little suspense, fun and easy to read. I think it would be great to read with a girl who may struggle with assertiveness, as she could relate to Ellen's feelings and perhaps be inspired by her courage.
Nov 13, 2012
Kort
marked it as to-read
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Mar 03, 2013 08:06am