Give Me Liberty - L. M. Elliott

Thirteen-year-old Nathaniel Dunn grapples with the possibility of facing his closest friend in battle as the American Revolution explodes in Virginia. Elliott's gripping account captures the hopes and dilemmas of a boy caught in this crucial turning point in American history.

An exciting novel for tweens that captures the dawn of the American Revolution.

Life is tough for thirteen-year-old Nathaniel Dunn, an indentured servant in colonial Virginia. Then in a twist of luck, he meets Basil, a kind schoolmaster, and an arrangement is struck lending Nathaniel's labor to a Williamsburg carriage maker. Basil introduces Nathaniel to music, books, and philosophies that open his mind to new attitudes about equality.

The year is 1775, and as colonists voice their rage over England's taxation, Patrick Henry's words give me liberty, or give me death become the sounding call for action. Should Nathaniel and Basil join the fight? What is the meaning of liberty in a country reliant on indentured servants and slaves? Nathaniel must face the puzzling choices a dawning nation lays before him.

Filled with action, well-drawn characters, and a sympathetic understanding of many points of view. --ALA Booklist