Fritz does not simply idolize these men for their greatness instead she shows both how they were ordinary (stubborn, foolish, insufferable, laughable, quirky, selfish, etc.) and extraordinary. In both types of books, Fritz focuses heavily not just on historical events, but on the personalities of the key figures who contributed to the outcomes of these events.
In the last book, Shh! We're Writing the Constitution, Fritz tells the story of the difficulties and compromises that occurred among different historical figures as the U.S. For Sam Adams, it is his refusal to learn to ride a horse, for Columbus, his terrible sense of direction and tendency to stumble upon good fortune, and for King George, his blind paternalism toward the colonists, even when they have made very clear their disdain for him. For John Hancock, whose signature looms so large on the declaration of independence, this is his desire for attention and the ostentatious ways he went about trying to get it. In each biography, Fritz focuses on a representative quirk of each individual she profiles, which serves as a unifying thread for the important events of that person's life. Shh! We're Writing the Constitution illustrated by Tomie dePaola (1987)Īll of these except the last one are biographies of key figures in early America. Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus? illustrated by Margot Tomes (1980) Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (1976)Ĭan't You Make Them Behave, King George? illustrated by Tomie dePaola (1977) What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? illustrated by Margot Tomes (1976) Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May? illustrated by Margot Tomes (1975) Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (1974) In total, I read 8 titles:Īnd Then What Happened, Paul Revere? illustrated by Margot Tomes (1973) This month, while the Old School Kidlit Reading Challenge has been focusing on nonfiction, I decided to finally sit down and read a stack of the late Jean Fritz's books about the history of the United States.
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