Midnight Rider - Hardcover

Joan Hiatt Harlow is the author of several popular historical novels on the McElderry list, including Secret of the Night Ponies, Shadows on the Sea, Midnight Rider, Star in the Storm, Joshua's Song, and Thunder from the Sea. Ms. Harlow lives in Venice, Florida. For more information, visit her website at JoanHiattHarlow.com

Grade 5-8–Hannah, a 14-year-old orphan, becomes embroiled in the major events leading up to the American Revolution. Her heartless Aunt Phoebe contracts her out as an indentured servant at the home of General Thomas Gage, who is also royal governor of Massachusetts. At first her loyalties are divided, but she soon realizes that she favors freedom from England, even though she has affection for members of Gage's household. She also has a special way with horses and is devastated when her aunt sells her beloved horse, Promise, to a neighbor. She finds a way through a secret tunnel to get outside Gage's compound so that, disguised as a boy, she can ride Promise at night. This leads to her harassing British soldiers and earns her the name of the Midnight Rider, though her identity remains a secret. As Hannah becomes more and more dedicated to the rebel cause, she rides on a dangerous mission to Salem to warn the villagers that the British are coming to confiscate munitions there. Besides the Gages, there are other actual historical figures, including Paul Revere and Dr. Benjamin Church, a spy for the British. While this story covers some of the same territory as Johnny Tremain, it is easier to read and will have more appeal to girls. The historical information is dished out in didactic spurts, with a lecturing kind of style, but the basic plot has enough adventure and suspense to hold the interest of readers.–Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
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