Krensky, Stephen. Paul Revere's Midnight Ride. Illustrated by Greg Harlin. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2002. ISBN: 0-688-16410-2.
Author website: http://www.stephenkrensky.com/
Illustrator website: None.
Media: Watercolor and pencil
Curricular Connection: California State Standards for Grade Five,
5.5: Students explain the causes of the American Revolution.
Annotation: Paul Revere played a memorable role during the American Revolution. On the night British troops planned to seize a stockpile of colonist ammunition, messenger Revere set off on his midnight ride to warn the colonial rebels.
Personal Reaction: This book is a perfect companion for Longfellow’s poem about Revere for fifth graders studying the American Revolution. Harlin’s watercolor illustrations set the mood for a dark ride late at night and Krensky doesn’t disappoint with his detailed recount of the midnight adventure. Longfellow’s poem provides the highlights, while Krensky adds enough detail to give students the facts leading up to Revere’s ride, the ride itself and the aftermath. This version of Paul Revere’s famous ride is helpful for giving students a balance perspective about Revere’s role in the American Revolution. Students will learn that there were many players involved on both sides of the war and come to understand why Concord was critical at this juncture in the war.
