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My Brother Sam Is Dead

by James Lincoln Collier, Christopher Collier

3.33 · rating details · 5,090 ratings · 639 reviews

Family Listening -- Ages 10 and up

The Revolutionary War A war with no clearcut loyalties -- dividing families, friends and towns. A story rich in historical detail and action as told from the viewpoint of young Tim Meeker. 4.5 hours

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Published by Audio Bookshelf (first published 1974)

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Oct 24, 2011

Bird Brian rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, kids

I hadn't thought about this book in thirty years, but I saw it in Barnes and Noble last week, and was wondering whether it is too advanced for my nephew, who is seven. Probably. I know I read it in 5th grade (so that's more like 10 years old, right?). I don't remember big chunks of the story, just a few main points I'll discuss below, but what I remember well is the purchase of the book, and some vague impressions the story left me with... So yeah, it's going to be one of those reviews again. If...moreI hadn't thought about this book in thirty years, but I saw it in Barnes and Noble last week, and was wondering whether it is too advanced for my nephew, who is seven. Probably. I know I read it in 5th grade (so that's more like 10 years old, right?). I don't remember big chunks of the story, just a few main points I'll discuss below, but what I remember well is the purchase of the book, and some vague impressions the story left me with... So yeah, it's going to be one of those reviews again. If you want any substantive discussion of the book and its merits, move on to the next review, because the rest of this sucker is going to be me subjecting y'all to my nostalgic waxings about random things only tenuously connected to this book, if at all.

I bought this book when I was in fifth grade. My elementary school went from K-5 (I think some go to 6, but ours only went to 5), so I was among the oldest kids in the school. This was one of the few books at our school's "book fair" which didn't seem childish to me. A book fair- in case you didn't know- was basically when they filled up the gymnasium with tables of cheap books, and let the kids loose to buy them, hoping that a love of reading might spontaneously emerge as a side effect of our blossoming and unrelenting consumerism. I don't know how the school came across the books so cheap.. was it some book distributor unloading inventory he couldn't sell? I can imagine selling at a loss to a public school would have to result in some sort of tax write off.

It was 1978, so Star Wars was still going strong with the kiddies, and I was no exception. I was doing everything I could in my little 5th grade income bracket to push George Lucas higher on the Forbe's list of young (then) millionaires. Amidst all this Star Wars craze, our teacher had the good sense to tell my class before the book fair: "If you buy any books, you must buy at least one non-Star Wars book". So once I had a few Star Wars books, I started walking around, looking for my one non-Star Wars book. Most of the books at the fair were for younger kids, and didn't interest me much, but then I spotted my brother Sam is dead. The cover art had a picture of a kid with a gun, running away in the night from shadowy figures, which seemed kind of cool. And I must admit: I was very taken with the edgy, subversive refusal of the publisher to capitalize "my" in the title. (karen is edgy and subversive in this way too, which is why I am taken with her as well). So I bought the book. Here's what I remember about it:

It is somewhere in New England, at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The narrator's older brother (Sam) joins the war, on the side of independence, which totally freaks out the rest of the family, who are British loyalists. That was kind of cool to me- the idea of the brother asserting his own independence like that within the family.. something which was pretty much unthinkable to me at that age. Even the idea of having informed and independent thoughts about anything going on in the world seemed very adult and far-off. I can remember back about the time I was reading this book, some heated (relatively speaking, not all that heated in absolute terms) discussion at a family gathering about some political thing... and I just remember thinking to myself that it must be cool to not be totally clueless about the world and history, and actually have an idea or opinion about things like who you want to be President in the next election, etc. It seemed like it must make life more exciting and dramatic, because my family was very much blue-collar right-wing Republican stock, so I grew up hearing a lot of bits and pieces of conversation about the Communists in VietNam, and then when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979, they of course went crazy over that... from afar, it all seemed very exciting.. like tuning into the nightly news to hear about Afghanistan (and also the hostages in Iran) was akin to tuning into AM sports radio to hear about how the Buffalo Bills were doing against our favorite villains (the ones you love to hate): the Miami Dolphins. Naturally, some of these family tendencies became embarrassing later on, like when a cousin declared to the family that he wished America had nuked VietNam back to the Stone Age.. and then turned to my (Japanese) wife and told her "No offense intended."

But I'm going off on tangents now. my brother Sam is dead seemed very adult to me, back when I read it. There was a decapitation somewhere in the story, although I don't remember who or why, but that too seemed to suggest that this was sophisticated and gritty in a way that other of my books weren't.

The other thing I remember about this book is that the older brother, Sam, quit college at Yale to join the war. At that age, I didn't have any sense that Yale was a prestigous institution, with all its attendant connotations of elitism and priviliege. The tragedy being communicated here (unsuccessfully to me, at age 10) was that Sam laid down his life for the revolution, when he could have enjoyed a life of ease and plenty if he had just sat back and supported the British with the rest of his family. Naturally that makes his sacrifice all the more meaningful to those of us who enjoy the benefits of the American Constitution, and independence from the British crown. Oh well... I guess I missed the point of a lot of stuff at that age. In fact, one thing I do remember well was that our garage door had a lock on it which said YALE in big letters (Yale being a lock manufacturer with no ties to the university ,[Reference])... so when I read about Sam at Yale, I thought he might be studying locksmithing or some other lock-related profession. As I kept reading on, I expected that this very prominently-dropped piece of information was going to make its way into the story... like maybe at some crucial scene, Sam would pick a lock or crack a safe to steal secret British documents that would save the day for the revolution. Imagine my disappointment when that never happened.

Well, that's about all I have to say about this book. Thanks for taking this walk with me down memory lane. (less)

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Oct 21, 2007

Adam rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: no one

This book is about a guy who's brother, Sam, is dead. Wait, he's not dead yet. He dies on the very last page of the book. Another title for this book could very be something along the lines of "My Brother Sam is in the Army and he's not Coming Home Until He Dies." That just about sums the book up. This book doesn't really have a plot. It's really about a guy (who's name I can't remember) who's brother goes off to fight in the army. After that, the guy talks to Sam's old girlfriend, get...more

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Jan 13, 2008

Stephanie Holmes rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone who likes American history

Recommended to Stephanie by: social studies teacher

My Brother Sam is a story that takes place during the American Revolution. It is the story of a boy named Sam who decided to join the Rebel army. His family owns a tavern and do not agree with Sam’s decision to join the army because they support the British government. There is additional conflict when Sam needs a weapon before he leaves, so he makes plans to steal his father’s gun. Sam’s journey is a long one with many difficult times. He quickly grows up because there is no longer ti...moreMy Brother Sam is a story that takes place during the American Revolution. It is the story of a boy named Sam who decided to join the Rebel army. His family owns a tavern and do not agree with Sam’s decision to join the army because they support the British government. There is additional conflict when Sam needs a weapon before he leaves, so he makes plans to steal his father’s gun. Sam’s journey is a long one with many difficult times. He quickly grows up because there is no longer time to act like a child when you are fighting a war. He experiences the excitement of winning a battle, but at the same time learns and experiences the tragedy of war and sees many friends die. It is story that brings to life the history of America, while making it a personal journey of one boy fighting for what he believed was the right thing to do for America.

The tone of the story is a mixture of excitement for the possibilities of what America can become, but at the same time there is a great deal of tragedy in Sam’s experience. He and his family experience many difficult times just as families did at that time. The characters in the story, Sam, his brother Tim, his mother and father, and his girlfriend Betsy, would seem to be the members of any family living in America at the time of the American Revolution. They each have their own belief about what is right and wrong, and if the fighting between the colonists is good or bad for the country. There is conflict as well as the support for each other that families provide. It was a difficult time, but the story is well told with the theme of the American Revolution and the lessons learned from it. By providing images of real battles and places you get a better understanding of how difficult life must have been during that time in America.

I would suggest this book to everyone. It is probably most interesting for someone who enjoys American History. It is also a good read for anyone who doesn’t normally like history because you can learn a lot about the American Revolution by living it with Sam. Although it is fiction, the writer has used real battles and real places in history to tell the story which make it interesting and educational at the same time. This book offers the excitement of a mystery, in what will happen next. The joy of love and the tragedy of death, with the details of the history of our country are all in this book. I give this book 4 stars!
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Jan 15, 2009

Sunny rated it

· review of another edition

My Brother Sam is Dead by Collier and Collier
Newberry Honour Book
Rating: 9/10. I love anti-war books.

Basic plot: Tim, the narrator, is a preteen boy who idolizes his brother. But when Sam defies his father and leaves Yale to fight in the American Revolution, Tim is torn between loyalties. Tim's father is captured by "cow-boys" (men who steal cattle for the Patriots/Rebels) but Tim manages to get home to his mother. Father, who was against the war from the beginn...more

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May 29, 2011

Josiah rated it

· review of another edition

I'm always eager to get new perspectives on the Revolutionary War, to hear the story of fledgling America's fight for independence told with a new twist from someone who has a good story to relate. Authors James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier certainly have a unique and sobering story to tell through the characters of the Meeker family, and the enormous effect that the American Revolution ultimately had on their small, simple family in the United States of 1770s colonial times.
...more I'm always eager to get new perspectives on the Revolutionary War, to hear the story of fledgling America's fight for independence told with a new twist from someone who has a good story to relate. Authors James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier certainly have a unique and sobering story to tell through the characters of the Meeker family, and the enormous effect that the American Revolution ultimately had on their small, simple family in the United States of 1770s colonial times.

Tim's older brother, Sam, is completely opposed to their father when it comes to the issue of American independence that has become such a hot-button topic of the day. Great Britain and young America are edging closer to a war that appears more and more unavoidable with the passage of time. England is never going to willingly give up its rights to its overseas territory, and the residents of American soil, fed up with the paying of exorbitant taxes to a monarch living a thousand miles away over the Atlantic, will not take much more of being pushed around.

When the pressure of the issue between Sam and his father comes to a boiling point, Sam runs off to join the new Continental Army, proud to be able to do something to fight for the freedom of his homeland. Tim takes on the added responsibilities of his brother around the tavern that the family owns, and their father pretends that Sam never even existed, but the rift in the family is ever-present, and Tim is unsure on which side of the conflict he really wishes to be. Is he a loyal Tory like his father, willing to accept the overseas rule and taxation of the British crown, or does he value freedom above all else, like his brother, and want to make the British pay for having oppressed America for as long as they have?

Further complications come into play when a group of thieves masquerading as anti-British Patriots harasses Tim and his father on their way to sell beef at a trading post in a far-off town. These cow-boys aren't real Patriots, but they carefully watch the pass where trade traffic flows, in an attempt to catch anyone who might be planning to sell food products to the British; if they find a local Tory going to trade, then they can steal his wares under the guise of patriotism and likely go unpunished for their crime. They aren't about to let a prominent Tory such as Tim's father go by unchecked, and though he makes it through the first time, he isn't so lucky on the return trip. Tim's father disappears with hardly a trace into the wintry night, toward a fate that no one can guess for certain.

Sam's return to town and news of their father's fate find their way home eventually, but Tim is still just as confused as ever about what he really believes is the right direction for his country. When the terrors of a faraway war finally strike home in a way that is impossible to ignore, Tim realizes the price of war, a price that goes beyond what is right and wrong to strike at the heart of every man, woman and child on whose behalf the price has been paid.

My Brother Sam Is Dead takes a whole new angle on the American Revolution as we know it. The plot has little to do with the suspense and drama of combat, focusing more on the stress that war places on the families of those who are out fighting, and how the physical manifestation of wartime aggression can be the catalyst for a family to be torn apart by the seams. There is some sense of the horrors of war given in the book, but the story is driven mostly by the family drama of Tim and his parents not knowing where Sam is at any time, of constantly being unsure whether he's even alive or dead.

My Brother Sam Is Dead is a powerful novel, unexpected and thoughtful in its final delivery. It's more than just your typical story about the American Revolution; it is at all times a moral quandary posed as to how one should react under painful and difficult circumstances, and a call to ask ourselves how we would act if placed in the same situation as Tim, or Sam, or their father. This is a fine novel with much historical and philosophical value, but also filled with plenty of action. I would recommend it as one of the best books about the Revolutionary War that I have read. (less)

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Jun 09, 2010

BJ Rose rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, history-usa, newbery, young-adult, american-history

This is apparently an often-banned YA book. Since it was written in 1975, it has appeared on many annual banned-book lists. The reasons are varied, and IMO mostly ridiculous. One reason given was 'foul language' - the word damn was used once or twice, and perhaps even bloody, a British cuss word. Another reason given was 'extreme violence' - the Revolutionary War was going on, and descriptions were given of what had been seen in battle, including a beheading during a fight between British soldie...more

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Feb 14, 2009

LeeAnn rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

I had been told by authoritative sources that this was an excellent book to add to our collection of American historical fiction. I did not like it because I found it unbelievable. Their is one young lady in particular that had a mouth and manners that would have been regarded as tremendously rude and uncouth in a young lady at that time. (I think would be equally so in today's world but unfortunately more common.)

This book has the distinction of representing the Loyalist point ...more

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May 10, 2011

Patrick rated it

· review of another edition

This is a work of historical fiction that revolves around the foundation of America. The reader follows Tim Meeker's account of events at the beginning and through the Revolutionary War. It is a coming-of-age tale for both Tim and an infant America as the pains of trying to grow and maintain order becomes the strange focus at the end of the novel. The ending seems a bit out of place, certainly not the path for the story that is set up by the title and the content.

You meet Benedi...more

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Feb 25, 2009

Jessica rated it

· review of another edition

this is one book that i enjoed that is historical fiction.

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Jan 12, 2009

Andy258 rated it

· review of another edition

This book is the best.

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Jan 12, 2012

Peter Roy rated it

· review of another edition

My Brother Sam is dead written by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier followed Timothy Meeker and his family who lived in Redding Connecticut. The book starts out as Tim's older brother, Sam returns from college, even though he is 16, and informs his family of his bold decision of joining the Colonial Army in fighting off the British during the Revolutionary War. The Meeker parents do not believe in this choice because they still consider themselves loyal to the British Rule. This caus...more

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Nov 06, 2011

Melissa Diplacido rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: junior-chapter

My Brother Sam is Dead
By: James Lincoln Collier

Genre: Historical Fiction

A. Young Tim Meeker learns to grow up quickly when his brother Sam runs off to the Rebel army and his father is kidnapped during a trip to buy supplies in New York. There is a lot of tension among towns people due to the war. Some agree, others are completely against it. This is an excellent tale providing factual information about the Revolutionary War but gives excellent story line to make it inte...more

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Nov 03, 2011

LoRee Thomas rated it

· review of another edition

LoRee Thomas
11-3-11
Block 2

Book Review
The book I read was My brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier, and Christopher Collier. The main characters of this book are Tim Meeker, Sam Meeker, and the Father who’s name is not mentioned. The story takes place in Redding, Connecticut during the early 1970‘s.The story is told from the perspective of Tim Meeker in first person.The genre of this book is historical fiction and contains two hundred and sixteen pages. The ...more

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Mar 31, 2011

Pete R rated it

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Shelves: finished-irp-books

My brother same is dead is based on the life of a young boy named Tom Meeker. It takes place in Connecticut during the Revolutionary War when the Patriots were fighting the British. Tim has an older brother named Sam who decides to join the Patriots to help fight off the British. Tim's father who is Anglican which basically means he is loyal to the Church of England. He became very upset to hear that Sam wanted to join the Patriots and fight against his homeland. And to make his father even more...more

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Oct 15, 2010

Andy Lee rated it

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Shelves: young-fiction

Based on the title I figured I would know the plot of the story and that it would be very predictable, but I couldn't have been more wrong, although another title might have better suited the story.

The story is very well-written and easy to read. It flows quickly covering a lot of ground as it captures the lives of the Meeker family during the Revolutionary War.

This book does what a textbook could not, which is capture the life accurately of a family living during the ...more

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Sep 15, 2010

Aziza rated it

· review of another edition

In the book “My Brother Sam Is Dead” the main character is Tim. He is a trader, doesn’t know what he is, and doesn’t believe in his mom, dad and brother. His very curious but always worried about others. Always once act like his big brothers. He proved to himself that he will never be like his big brother. Now I want you to meet Sam. Sam is determent always wants freedom from others, fight for his life. He doesn’t care about his family. He says that his country is first. He is very...more

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Jun 03, 2010

Tatyana rated it

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My Brother Sam is Dead is a tragic, yet educational book. While the main characters face problems with family and friends, readers not only experience conflict throughout the story but they also learn about life at war and many historical events that took place in the past. This particular book is half true and half made up. Reason being: the author(s) mixed real life happenings with fictitious happenings to make a well-developed story. It is about a teenage boy, Sam, who wants to fight in the w...more

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Jan 06, 2010

Mary added it · review of another edition

A terrible, brilliant historical novel about the reality of war on the homefront, how it disrupts and destroys families and how it forces young people to grow up quickly. Tim, the narrator, is 13, the son of a tavern owner in Connecticut, when the American Revolution begins.

"So there were a lot of changes in our lives, but the biggest was the one that was happening inside myself. Ever since I had got the wagon home by myself I hadn't felt like a boy anymore. You don't think that t...moreA terrible, brilliant historical novel about the reality of war on the homefront, how it disrupts and destroys families and how it forces young people to grow up quickly. Tim, the narrator, is 13, the son of a tavern owner in Connecticut, when the American Revolution begins.

"So there were a lot of changes in our lives, but the biggest was the one that was happening inside myself. Ever since I had got the wagon home by myself I hadn't felt like a boy anymore. You don't think that things really happen overnight, but this one did. Of course I was dead tired when I went to bed that night, and Mother let me sleep late in the morning. And when I woke up I was different. I noticed it first at breakfast. Usually I sat there over my porridge moaning to myself about the chores I had to do or having to go to school or something, and trying to think of some way to get out of whatever it was. Or when Mother turned her head I'd scoop up a fingerful of molasses from the jar and stir it into my milk. Or I'd eat breakfast slowly so I could stall off going to work.
"But that morning after the terrible trip home, right from the first moment we got finished saying grace, I began planning the things I had to do - which things had to be done first and what was the best way to get them done. It was funny: it didn't even cross my mind to stall or try to get out of the work. I didn't wait for Mother to tell me what to do: I brought the subject up myself. ....
"We discussed it all, and about half way through breakfast I began to realize that I had changed. I wasn't acting my usual self, I was acting more like a grownup. You couldn't say that I was really an adult, but I wasn't a child anymore, that was certain. I thought about showing off in front of [my older brother:] Sam when he came home. I'd say things like, 'Well, Sam, we've decided not to put in oats this year, we're going to use the space for corn.' Or, 'We're not keeping the kitchen fire going all the time - I haven't got enough time for woodcutting as it is.' I would be the one who knew about things, not him." pp. 132-133(less)

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Apr 15, 2009

Max rated it

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Shelves: advisory-2

My Brother Sam is Dead has got to be the most overly exaggerated (until it bores the crap out of the reader) book in the history of the U.S. It is also claimed to be a children's book. Parents have to be careful of what they show to their children, due to the fact I'm pretty sure no parent would show their 4 year old kid a pornographic magazine, why would he/she show the kid a book where so many people die. Even the title is self-explanatory. The fact this book won an award makes me question...more

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Oct 27, 2009

Marco De La Rosa rated it

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Shelves: first-quater

This story is about a young boy named tim who went thorugh a lot and tried to keep his older brother sam from any danger of harm that can cause to him by the indepence war but as tim and his dad tried to take that special england gun from sam to use at war, sam finds out that they are trying to hide it from him.Sam always gets mad when tim tries to help him from getting away from war but he is already adapted to the war so there is nothing tim can possibly do chang his brother opinion abot quiti...more

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Nov 10, 2010

Autumn El rated it

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My Brother Sam is Dead was a personal favorite of mine. Every detail of this book kept me desirous. It recounts the hardships endured by Tim and his family during the Revolutionary War. When Tim's older brother Sam joins the rebel forces, it impacts the rest of his family who wish to avoid war with England. Tim's family is Anglican and thus loyal to the Church of England; a split with England would greatly affect them. What surprised me about this book was that if it wasn’t forced upon me, I d...more

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Feb 01, 2009

Katie rated it

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I didnt like this book, too graphic.

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Jun 02, 2009

Christina rated it

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Shelves: 9th-grade-advisory

by James Collier total pages:216

The book My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier takes place during the time of the Revolutionary war. Tim and Sam"s father Tory is on the British side although he against the war. Tim isn't sure what side he is on. On the other hand Sam is a rebel and decides to fight on the American side. After time passes Sam leaves to go fight in the war and Tory died because one day he was coming home from buying cattle and he gets cap...more

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Dec 26, 2010

Sarah111 rated it

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Even after my mom had let me borrow her own copy of this book, I had done a historical fiction book report on this. Even after I had found out my teacher had recommended one of her copies of the book.

Adventurous. It really gets me into the feeling of the Revoloutionary War. Feeling of War, family and friends getting killed,... SHOCKING!!!!!!!!! After I read the book, I felt like crying. (Even in the beginning, I was speeding through the book!!)

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Oct 23, 2011

Katlyn Campbell rated it

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Genre: Other- Historical Fiction/Non-fiction
Summary: This book is set in the time of the Revolutionary War, following a Tory family through the majority of the war. The youngest child of the family, 12 year old Tim is caught in the midst of the war and his families quibbles as he turns from a child into a man. The family is divided during the war, going through many struggles and losses.
Critique:
a. The emotional detail is the strongest aspect in this title.
b. This book h...more

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Aug 11, 2011

gina rated it

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Recommended to gina by: Santino

Shelves: historical-fiction, history, young-adult

My Brother Sam Is Dead is an interesting piece of historical fiction written for young adults. Full of the mundane details of everyday living of the colonial period, it explores the philosophical struggles of the people dealing with the American Revolution. The first part of the book focuses on the details of colonial life, while in the last 80 pages or so, this book becomes quite a page-turner. The book as a whole is a coming of age story about our hero, Tim Meeker, who is forced to grow up ...more

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Sep 16, 2011

Jocelyn rated it

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This Book Is Outstanding! (: I Fell In Love With It The Story And Everything !!!
The book is based on,Tim Meeker he is a who young boy who lives in the town of Redding, Connecticut around the time the American Revolution begins. Tim does not care much about politics, but his father is a loyalist to Great Britain.Like the rest of the town. His family welcomes his brave brother, Sam when he returns from Yale. However, his father gets angry when he learns that Sam has joined the Continental Ar...moreThis Book Is Outstanding! (: I Fell In Love With It The Story And Everything !!!
The book is based on,Tim Meeker he is a who young boy who lives in the town of Redding, Connecticut around the time the American Revolution begins. Tim does not care much about politics, but his father is a loyalist to Great Britain.Like the rest of the town. His family welcomes his brave brother, Sam when he returns from Yale. However, his father gets angry when he learns that Sam has joined the Continental Army to fight against the British.!

Unlike Tim, Sam is not afraid to state his opinions, and this causes him to be trown out from the family tavern. After Sam steals his father's Gun to use as a weapon during battles. Sam leaves Redding to fight, and things become harder for the Meekers. Sam returns, although when this happend, Tim is the only one who talks with him. At a point, Tim delivers a "business letter" to New York for a neighbor named Mr. Heron, behind his fathers back, since he does not trust Heron. Betsy Read, Tim and Sam's friend opens the letter, only to find it is a test note that says: "If you receive this message, then the messenger is reliable," They finally find out the meaninng of it ..............

Meanwhile, prices of food and drinks go up and the redcoats even show up in Redding to take weapons and fight the few Patriots there. After the bloody battle, in which Tim's friends, an innocent slave named Ned are killed, and an innocent child named Jerry Stanford is captured by the British!!!Tim begins to have feelings about the patriots. After on a trip with his father to sell beef to loyalists in New York, they are stopped by a band of cowboys who abduct his father! Tim goes home, and the next year they find his father, Eliphalet, has died on a prison ship due to an outbreak of cholera. After this, Tim's mother, Susannah begins to drink heavily. Sam returns to reveal he has been framed for stealing cattle and he is going to be executed by his own army in a warning to soldiers who may do the same thing if faced by extreme hunger. Sam is executed, despite Tim's efforts to prove him innocent...........
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Jul 29, 2010

Jim Thomsen rated it

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Another of my favorite childhood books. I'm not usually one for period pieces, but this Revolutionary War tale sneaked under my radar because the kids — Sam Meeker and his younger brother Tim, the book's narrator — were so relateable. They were scared, they squabbled, they put up brave fronts and occasionally surprised themselves and each other with real bravery.

The story: All his life, Tim Meeker has looked up to his brother Sam. Sam's smart and brave — and is now a part of the Ame...more

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Jul 05, 2010

Andrew Palmer rated it

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Shelves: read-teen-fiction

I read this as a possible book to incorporate with my students next year in my classroom. I was really disappointed in this book. First off, the book has very weak vocabulary. It is often times recommended for 7th/8th grade reading. While a student at this level could enjoy it, I don't believe that it challenges them in any way. The book focuses a lot on the Tory side of the Revolutionary War. At the end of it leaves the reader with a feeling of sympathy for the British and actually creates a qu...more

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Jun 08, 2010

Megan rated it

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My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier goes back in time to the Revolutionary War where families are often split apart by their decisions to either join the Rebels or the Loyalists. This historical fiction was really interesting and full of adventures. While learning about the events that the colonists went through, this book gives us a glimpse of what a regular family might have gone through, especially since many families got separated due to different beliefs in power. My Broth...more

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About James Lincoln Collier

James Lincoln Collier (born June 27, 1928) is a journalist, author, and professional musician.

Collier's notable literary works include My Brother Sam Is Dead (1974), a Newbery Honor book that was also named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and nominated for a National Book Award in 1975. He also wrote a children's book titled The Empty Mirror (2004), The Te...more

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Books by James Lincoln Collier

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With Every Drop of Blood: A Novel of the Civil War

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My Brother Sam Is Dead

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