Historical novelist Howard Fast brings the past colorfully to life with his powerful stories. In his best-selling April Morning, he portrays a young man's introduction to the harsh realities of war during our nation's fight for independence. Fifteen-year-old Adam Cooper is anxcious to join the excitement and action of the Revolutionary War. On the morning of April 19, 1775, he stands beside his Massachusetts farmer father to face the redcoats marching out of Boston. But suddenly, his father falls on the village green, and Adam's hands are shaking as he shoots at columns of marching men. With realistic drama and riveting suspense, Howard Fast brings the glory and the agony of the colonial battlefield vividly to life.
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"Man, why do schools ruin books for kids? I read this book on my own as a teen because I wanted to read it. I honestly believe it helped to establish some of my ideas about war and the idea of "justifiable" war. But, why are there so many negative reviews on this site? Because teachers feel a need to force feed the kids every tiny piece of this book. Don't let them think for themselves. Make sure you discuss each and every word. Every nuance. Every thought. Every action. So by the time you have finished this unit, they wish the "shot heard round the world" had been aimed at Howard Fast. Such an excellent book told from the perspective of a young man who is basically a child. He thinks war is going to be exciting and glamorous. Instead he sees it in all its bloody gore and horror. He instantly becomes a man and learns what it means to fight for what you believe in and to fight against an injust government. What a tremendous book."
— Barbara (5 out of 5 stars)
" A historical fiction April Morning takes you throw life as a young boy fighting in the war. Loosing famy and friends and being left to care for the rest of the family will he reup to fight again? "
— Gabrielle, 2/15/2014" i didnt really like this book. i did enjoy how the author broke it into groups though. "
— Susannah, 2/3/2014" I know I had to read this sometime in high school. Pretty sure it was my junior year. If memory serves I relied heavily on cliffs notes to pass the test. "
— Tina, 1/29/2014" Sensitive outlook of a 15 year old boy at the start of the Revolutionary War "
— Joan, 1/27/2014" Very believable account of the first day of the American Revolutionary War. I do like Howard Fast's novels. 3.5 stars. "
— Martha, 1/25/2014" A historical fiction story surrounding the "shot heard around the world" told through a young boy who participates in the attacks. This book is one of my favorites! "
— Pam, 1/20/2014" another had-to-read-for-school book. meh....i wasn't a fan. the only thing i remembered liking about it is that the narrator was a kid about our age (middle school i think) at the time. "
— SunnyD, 1/14/2014" Good read - especially if you like history. This was a convincing perspective of the Battle of Lexington, through the eyes of a young man - who is forced to grow up in a day. I came to really connect with the young hero of the story and to empathize with his vacillating feelings and emotions. "
— Patty, 1/13/2014" I'm due for a re-read. This book amazed and horrified me as a child--an anodyne to the notion that wars are romantic and bloodless affairs. "
— Claire, 1/9/2014" How a young boy can grow up in a single morning that changed the history of the world. A good quick read. Easy way to pick up some early American history by a master writer. "
— Ginny, 12/19/2013" I love this type of novel.They also made a movie of this book,very good also!! "
— Paul, 12/10/2013" Another school book.. I haven't gotten far into it but its ok so far.. "
— Grayson, 11/25/2013" Even Though we read this in school, I kinda liked it. "
— Emily, 11/21/2013" I was force-marched through this in eighth grade (it was accompanied by a packet of long-answer questions so thick that kids were staying home "sick" from school to work on it). Not an auspicious beginning. I sure I would have loved it had I not read it at blunderbuss-point. "
— Dixie, 10/26/2013" I really enjoyed this book...from the first time that I read it in junior high to the last time I read it....I enjoy it so much. This boy's life, when the revolutionary war comes knocking at his door, will definitely move you! "
— Kathy, 10/24/2013" Very boring, about the revolutionary war. But it's not that horribal if you're into that stuff. "
— Haley, 10/2/2013" i remember reading this for 8th grade history summer reading. i remember little else... "
— Sarah, 8/19/2013" Fictional take on the Lexington Alarm at the start of the American Rev. "
— Linda, 8/9/2013" AHHA THIS BOOK IS SOOOO BORING!!! We have to read it for Core, so I guess it might be a decent book if not for that, but we have to dissect it so thoroughly it kills what little enjoyment could be had of it. "
— Jenna, 7/19/2013" This is a book that will make you forget you are reading a fictional story and transport you back into to a crucial turning point in American history. The narrative flows effortlessly. "
— Archie, 6/5/2013" Great book until after Lexington. It then becomes a bit more conventional and certainly less evocative. The first half though is masterful. Do yourself a favor though, and find a copy of "The Unvanquished." Still the best historical fiction book on the American Revolution. "
— Sean, 4/28/2013" good civil war read. "
— Allison, 4/25/2013" Compelling story about the battle of Lexington and Concord "
— Todd, 3/13/2013" An interesting little read about the first day of the Revolutionary War, seen through the eyes of a 15 year-old, written by the author of Spartacus and The Immigrants. Fast "
— Terry, 3/11/2013Howard Fast (1914–2003) was one of the most prolific American writers of the twentieth century. He was a bestselling author of more than eighty works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenplays. The son of immigrants, he grew up in New York City and published his first novel upon finishing high school in 1933. In 1950, his refusal to provide the United States Congress with a list of possible Communist associates earned him a three-month prison sentence. During his incarceration, he wrote one of his best-known novels, Spartacus. Throughout his long career, he matched his commitment to championing social justice in his writing with a deft, lively storytelling style.