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America's Paul Revere
A vivid history of one of America's best-loved patriots.
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1946
1 person is currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Esther Forbes
48 books601 followersEsther Forbes was born in Westboro, Massachusetts in 1891, as the youngest of five children. Her family roots can be traced back to 1600s America; one of her great-uncles was the great historical figure and leader of the Sons of Liberty, Sam Adams. Her father was a probate judge in Worcester and her mother, a writer of New England reference books. Both her parents were historical enthusiasts.
Even as a little child, Forbes displayed an affinity for writing. Her academic work, however, was not spectacular, except for a few writing classes. After finishing high school, she took classes at the Worcester Art Museum and Boston University, and later, Bradford Academy, a junior college. She then followed her sister to the University of Wisconsin where Forbes wrote extensively for the Wisconsin Literary Magazine. After developing her writing skills, she returned to Massachusetts where she began working for Boston's Houghton Mifflin. As a reader of manuscripts, Forbes used this experience to advance her own writing career. Her first novel, O Genteel Lady! was published in 1926 to critical praise. With its selection by the newly formed Book-of-the-Month Club, the novel gained popular appeal as well. That year, Forbes also married Albert L. Hoskins, Jr., a Harvard Law School student.
As Forbes continued to write and gain notoriety, her marriage suffered because her husband disapproved of her career. They divorced in 1933. After several other novels, Forbes began her research of Paul Revere with her mother, who was then in her mid-eighties. When the historical biography, Paul Revere and the World He Lived In won the Pulitzer Prize in History, Forbes recognized her mother's immense contributions. During the process of researching Paul Revere, Forbes became fascinated with the large role young apprentices played in the war. Thus, she wrote Johnny Tremain, a historical novel of a young boy growing up in the time of the Revolutionary War. With poignant character development and a keen sense of history, it contained the elements for lasting popularity. It was published as "A Novel for Old and Young." In 1944, it won the Newberry Award, the top award for children's literature and became an instant children's classic. Forbes continued to turn out award winning books, most notably, The Running of the Tide, which was commissioned as a movie but never filmed. While working on a book about witchcraft in seventeenth-century Massachusetts, she died in 1967 of rheumatic heart disease.
Forbes literary achievements, awards, and recognition speak for themselves in regards her place in letters. Johnny Tremain is still read widely in schools and its popularity makes it one of the few lasting classics of American children literature.
Even as a little child, Forbes displayed an affinity for writing. Her academic work, however, was not spectacular, except for a few writing classes. After finishing high school, she took classes at the Worcester Art Museum and Boston University, and later, Bradford Academy, a junior college. She then followed her sister to the University of Wisconsin where Forbes wrote extensively for the Wisconsin Literary Magazine. After developing her writing skills, she returned to Massachusetts where she began working for Boston's Houghton Mifflin. As a reader of manuscripts, Forbes used this experience to advance her own writing career. Her first novel, O Genteel Lady! was published in 1926 to critical praise. With its selection by the newly formed Book-of-the-Month Club, the novel gained popular appeal as well. That year, Forbes also married Albert L. Hoskins, Jr., a Harvard Law School student.
As Forbes continued to write and gain notoriety, her marriage suffered because her husband disapproved of her career. They divorced in 1933. After several other novels, Forbes began her research of Paul Revere with her mother, who was then in her mid-eighties. When the historical biography, Paul Revere and the World He Lived In won the Pulitzer Prize in History, Forbes recognized her mother's immense contributions. During the process of researching Paul Revere, Forbes became fascinated with the large role young apprentices played in the war. Thus, she wrote Johnny Tremain, a historical novel of a young boy growing up in the time of the Revolutionary War. With poignant character development and a keen sense of history, it contained the elements for lasting popularity. It was published as "A Novel for Old and Young." In 1944, it won the Newberry Award, the top award for children's literature and became an instant children's classic. Forbes continued to turn out award winning books, most notably, The Running of the Tide, which was commissioned as a movie but never filmed. While working on a book about witchcraft in seventeenth-century Massachusetts, she died in 1967 of rheumatic heart disease.
Forbes literary achievements, awards, and recognition speak for themselves in regards her place in letters. Johnny Tremain is still read widely in schools and its popularity makes it one of the few lasting classics of American children literature.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 30, 2022
Okay, I think I'll DNF this inaccurate and whitewashed Americana myth-telling at the part where the author calls Native Americans "painted savages." Yikes.
June 8, 2022
My 6th and 8th grade kids and I read this book in our homeschool studies about the American Revolution. We loved it.
Beautifully written, lovingly illustrated. My kids were well prepared, especially with this book, when they later visited Colonial Williamsburg when they spoke with the tailor. The tailor was quite impressed.
Learn all about how Paul Revere influenced the American Revolution in the backdrop of his silversmith shop.
Also learn what happened to Paul Revere after the war ended.
Beautifully written, lovingly illustrated. My kids were well prepared, especially with this book, when they later visited Colonial Williamsburg when they spoke with the tailor. The tailor was quite impressed.
Learn all about how Paul Revere influenced the American Revolution in the backdrop of his silversmith shop.
Also learn what happened to Paul Revere after the war ended.
October 14, 2020
The kids and I just read this book in conjunction with Johnny Tremain (also by Forbes) over the course of 6 weeks and we really enjoyed it. Perfect combo! The illustrations are lovely, and the book is well suited for a Charlotte Mason style slow-paced reading.
April 11, 2024
We've all heard the name of Paul Revere, but few know about the man himself. This book tells us all the details about the person, his background, and his accomplishments. It packs a lot of information into a concise amount of pages. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
March 11, 2025
We read this for my son’s Beautiful Feet history program. So far this has been our least favorite. Flat, boring and we didn’t feel connected to the main character (aka Paul). Felt like a text book. The illustrations were beautiful though.
November 2, 2017
A wonderful historical account with beautiful illustrations!
April 3, 2020
I have started to read the books on my shelf that I have never read but had in the classroom. This was published first in 1946. Beautifully illustrated. A medal winner.
April 8, 2021
We appreciated the information in here, but this just wasn't a book we loved.
February 10, 2014
America's Paul Revere does a good job detailing the adult life of Paul Revere. It is, however, told with all the energy and excitement of an Encyclopedia. I doubt that many kids would read through it but they might use it as a reference for a report. It is definitely for older readers 5th grade and up. Once again, great info but very dry and there are better options out there that might hold the young readers interest better.
November 13, 2021
A good companion book to the Newbery Medal winner, "Johnny Tremain", also by Esther Forbes and Lynd Ward. This is very text heavy for a picture book, though there are fantastic illustrations on every page.
July 17, 2012
Really good!
July 6, 2014
Great read-aloud for the 4th of July! This 46-page book had beautiful illustrations and lots of American history details that we didn't know.
October 10, 2015
Glorious illustrations and very well-written appealing text.
January 11, 2016
A great bit of information about Paul Revere. I agree with some other reviews that it is a bit dry for a children's book, but I greatly enjoyed it as an adult!
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June 2, 2021CURRICULUM: BFB Early American History Intermediate
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews