(4) 4-6 Based on a True Story series. Illustrated by Clint Hansen. These historical fiction stories introduce middle-grade readers to the experiences of real children. Written under one pseudonym by different authors, the novels, accompanied by black-and-white drawings and archival images and photos, are accessible if not riveting entrées into their subjects' lives. (Jemison's use of savage, true to the times, would have benefited from some contextualizing.) Each entry includes an author's note separating fact from fiction. Clem and Jemison contain glossaries. Review covers these Based on a True Story titles: John Lincoln Clem, Mary Jemison, Nettie & Nellie Crook, and Sybil Ludington.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) K-3 Carolrhoda On My Own Books series. Illustrated by Ellen Beier. Ludington was only sixteen when, at the request of her father, Colonel Ludington, she rode to alert Connecticut colonists that British soldiers had attacked nearby Danbury. Ludington's daring nighttime ride will intrigue younger readers, while the muted illustrations evoke the colonial period. An author's note with biographical information is included, but no sources are listed.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) K-3 Sybil Ludington was sixteen when she made her brave journey to call the patriots of what is now Putnam County, New York, to join her father in repelling the British from Danbury, though the paintings in this book make her look younger and thus, even more courageous. The naïve style recalls colonial folk art, and the simple yet exciting text gives some sense of the Revolutionary War. Winnick provides a note and map but no sources.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt