2008 Notable Books for Children

The Many Rides of Paul Revere by James Cross Giblin is Paul Revere's biography. In this biography we find that his roots came from France with his father's name of Apollo Rivoire. Early in his life, Paul Revere's father was sent away to live with his Uncle Simon, who then sent him away to America. To make it easier for Americans to pronouce his name he changed it to Paul Revere. Here in America, Paul Revere (Sr.) married a woman named Sarah. Later, they gave birth to the Paul Revere we know and read about in books. Paul Revere was given proper education and became a great silversmith and engraver. Back in his days, if anyone wanted to see a photograph of anything, they must have bought an engraving of the event or person. This is another way Paul Revere made money. One of the most important things he engraved was the Boston Massacre on King Street where British soldiers massacred townspeople after a British soldier was accused of being a thief. Among other things he was also part of the Boston Tea Party incident, one of the fastest horseriders, gunpowder maker, paper money maker, and someone who was alive when our first U.S. President died.

This book contains pictures of some of Paul Revere's belonging such as his leather saddlebags, a silver spur made and worn by him, examples of paper money engraved by Revere, a gold urn made to hold a lock of hair from President Washington, and a poem written by Longfellow named "Paul Revere's Ride." At the very end of the book, one can find a Paul Revere timeline and a map of some historic sites to visit related to Paul Revere.

From this book not only do you get to read how many rides he did from city to city to warn people of British soldiers, but one can see the many other sides of him as a husband, soldier, silversmith, father, etc.

It was interesting to find out the many other things Paul Revere did other than just anything to do with the American Revolution.