First published 2017
Eleven-year-old Nathaniel Knox crouches behind a rock as gunfire erupts around him. His hands shake as he grips his weapon. Blood covers the battlefield while wounded soldiers cry out in pain. Nate never planned to be here. He was traveling to New York City to locate his missing father when he became trapped in fierce combat between American colonists and British forces. The thirteen colonies are fighting to break free from King George III and England's control. They want to form their own nation called the United States of America. But the king refuses to release his grip on the colonies. War has begun, and it brings nothing but death and suffering. The powerful British army is crushing American resistance. Thousands of colonial soldiers have died or now waste away on horrible British prison ships. General George Washington's forces are falling apart. Nate faces an impossible situation. He must somehow survive this deadly battle and continue his desperate search for his father.
Genres: historical-fiction, military-fiction, young-adult, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: coming-of-age, fish-out-of-water
Setting: New York City, United States of America
Period: 1776
144 pages · Paperback · Scholastic Paperbacks
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence, war