A story filled with danger and excitement, Johnny Tremain tells of the turbulent, passionate times in Boston just before the Revolutionary War.
Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught up with Otis, Hancock, and John and Samuel Adams in the exciting and dramatic operations and subterfuges leading up to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington. As Johnny is forced into the role of a full-grown man in the face of his new country’s independence, he finds that his relations with those he loves change for the better as well.
Winner of the Newbery Medal in 1943, the year of its publication, Johnny Tremain is historical fiction at its best, portraying Revolutionary Boston as a living drama, through the shrewd eyes of an observant boy.
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"This is one of those titles I've heard all my life and somehow never read. I read it this month in preparation for using it in a class this year, and was SO surprised how much I liked it! It's an oldie but a goodie, and a great way to combine literature and history."
— Kim (4 out of 5 stars)
“This is Esther Forbes at her brilliant best…Johnny may well take his place with Jim Hawkins, Huck Finn, and other young immortals.”
— Book Week“This introduction to American history is a classic.”
— AudioFile“To read Johnny Tremain is to live through two dramatic years of our country’s history, and to see these great events through the shrewd eyes of an observant boy.”
— Children’s Literature" Wonderful historical fiction, telling of the few years before the break of the Revolutionary War. Children and adults will love the powerful message of what freedom is and how no one is truly the "bad guy". "
— Mandy, 1/29/2014" Great paced historical fiction. "
— Brian, 1/29/2014" Two tries & I am DONE with this shitty book! If you aint a history fan you won't be a fan of this book! "
— Maysoon, 1/29/2014" My fifth graders finished reading this a few weeks ago. Perfect for teachers, 5th-7th, who are studying the American Revolution. However, remember it was written in 1943, and this makes it more of a challenge for today's kids. Also, the beginning has a lot of action, but then it starts to slow down. My students got bored with it until I showed the Disney movie also called "Johnny Tremain". Then we did some movie/book comparisons and it helped them along to finish the book. PS: there are tons of thematic unit lessons available online and in teacher stores to accompany the book. "
— Christine, 1/22/2014" A great read and a fast read! Wish I'd read it earlier in life, when I was reading a lot about the American Revolution. "
— Robert, 1/20/2014" I really enjoyed this book and thought it was well written. I liked that the story was told from an apprentice point of view. "
— Heidi, 1/18/2014" Great historical fiction book. "
— Abigail, 1/16/2014" The story of Johnny Tremain is actually a pretty interesting one. There were parts I liked and parts that I wasn't entirely crazy about, but overall, it wasn't so bad. This is the story of friendship, freedom, letting go and starting new, and a boy finding his roots so that he can live his life to the fullest without having to wonder anymore. "
— Monica, 1/14/2014" Kicked ass when I was 12. "
— Sean, 1/13/2014" I re-read this because I could not remember anything about it from my junior high days. Now that I'm finished, I'm not sure I read it at all. I enjoyed it as an adult! "
— Doris, 12/24/2013Esther Forbes (1891–1967) was born in Westborough, Massachusetts. After attending school in Wisconsin, she served on the editorial staff at Houghton Mifflin Company. She published a number of adult historical fiction books and two highly acclaimed young adult books: the Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Revere and the World He Lived In and the Newbery Medal winner Johnny Tremain.
Grace Conlin (1962–1997) was the recording name of Grainne Cassidy, an award-winning actress and acclaimed narrator. She was a member of the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, DC, and won a Helen Hayes Award in 1988 for her role in Woolly Mammoth’s production of Savage in Limbo.