The Scarlet Stockings Spy (Tales Of Young Americans)

The Scarlet Stockings Spy (Tales of Young Americans)

From School Library Journal Grade 3-5-Noble's story, well told in simple descriptive language, shows both the prevalent mood of anxiety in Philadelphia in 1777, as the American colonists awaited the British attack, and the realistic side of war, the pathos of young lives lost, and the stubborn persistence and faith that helped the colonists win. Maddy Rose, the plucky young daughter of a widow whose earnings come from spinning flax, spends her days sewing seams in the linens her mother supplies to a local upholstery shop. At night, using her own hand-knit scarlet stockings and white petticoats, the girl leaves weekly signals on a clothesline, pointing out the location of suspicious ships in the harbor for her beloved brother, serving in General Washington's army. Several nights after she spies a British man-of-war, another boy comes in Jonathan's place, bearing her brother's blue coat in a bundle. After the British defeat, Maddy hangs an American flag made from that coat and her scarlet stockings and white petticoats on the clothesline. Papp is a master of portraiture. His soft, realistic, full- and double-page oils are finely detailed and appear to have been painted from live models. The action, facial expressions, and scenic detail keep many illustrations from appearing staged and static. Children with little knowledge of this period in American history will gain some background from Noble's story.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright