School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-This first installment in the series takes place in Boston, 1775, in the days leading up to the American Revolution, where two children aid the Rebel cause. Nick helps Paul Revere alert the Rebels of the British advance, Penny foils the attack on Bunker Hill, and both of them encounter Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and George Washington. Endnotes sort the fictional events from facts, but readers unfamiliar with the history may be confused. The whimsical illustrations are drawn in shaky, cartoonish scrawls, printed in full color on glossy paper. One of the book's strengths lies in the inclusion of a strong female character, and the story often comments on the limited roles available to women at the time. The portrayal of the Tories and Rebels is not terribly nuanced, however. All of the Tories are bullish, unattractive louts, in contrast to the sensitive, handsome Rebels. This is an amusing piece of historical fiction with plenty of appeal to children, but it should be read by those with some background in history, or in conjunction with a more straightforward account.-Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Launching the planned Cartoon Chronicles of America, this spirited graphic novel opens with a prologue recapping the events leading up to the American Revolution and spotlighting key individuals involved (it refers to Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Dr. Joseph Warren as "talented troublemakers"). The story of the months preceding the war and its preliminary battles unfolds at a fast clip in comic book-style panels featuring veteran cartoonist Mack's plenty of slapstick action. The book stars Nick, a rambunctious orphan who makes his living stabling horses and picking pockets; and Penny, whose father is a tavern owner and best friend is Paul Revere's daughter. The banter between the young heroes is lively, and the crucial roles they end up playing will help readers get into the story-there's a lot of fictionalization at work. The broader characterizations of the Tories and British military are far from nuanced; a (much needed) epilogue sorts out fact from fiction. Still, reluctant readers will find this account entertaining. Ages 10-14. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Two fictional young Bostonians are swept up in actual events that culminate in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Speaking in modern idiom, ragamuffin Nick and Penny, a taverner's daughter, find themselves in the right places at the right times to pull pranks on arrogant Tories and lobsterbacks, overhear plans to march on Lexington and Concord, send a certain signal from the Old North Church's tower and witness or participate in several pivotal clashes. They also meet an array of Patriots, from Paul Revere and Dr. Joseph Warren to George Washingtonall portrayed as ruggedly heroic figures in Mack's finely inked and colored sequential pictureswho state the case for independence in oracular snippets. Nick and Penny are too much like modern younger teens in costume to let an authentic sense of period develop, but the quickly paced plot in this opener for a projected Cartoon Chronicles of America, lightened by banter and occasional sight gags, will put visually oriented learners in the thick of the action. The comic is sandwiched between prose analyses that separate fact from fancy. (Graphic fiction. 10-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Mack, who pioneered historically themed graphic-format work with books like the Story of the Jews (1998), uses an old-school approach for a quick-moving story of the American Revolution. Introduced to two young adults, Nick and Penny, who serve as point-of-view characters for interactions with historical personalities like Samuel Adams and George Washington, readers get both a lesson in the beginnings of the Revolution and an exciting series of historical adventures. As Nick assists Paul Revere with his crucial midnight ride and Penny engages in dangerous spy work, young readers will get a powerful sense of the high stakes of these pivotal events. Mack's art, clean and uncomplicated, renders period details and emotions quite evocatively and goes a long way to putting a human face on history. With an introduction, character list, map, and epilogue that separates fact from fiction, this will function beautifully on its own or in concert with other winning graphic takes on American history, such as C. M. Butzer's Gettysburg: the Graphic Novel (2009).--Karp, Jesse Copyright 2009 Booklist
