Five 4ths of July

Gr 7—10—Jake Mallery is held to a high standard by his Patriot father, but he would rather be dreaming up pranks and daring escapades with his peers than running the family-owned ferry. He is certainly uninterested in training as a soldier on the remote chance that the British might attack their area of Connecticut. Jake's coming-of-age story unfolds in five lengthy chapters, from 1777 to 1781, that trace his trials and tribulations as a boy, rebel, soldier, prisoner, and, finally, Patriot. Hughes builds her exciting narrative through careful research, infusing her characters with idealistic sentiments that contemporary teens will recognize—youthful ambitions, bravado, and honest insecurities. Jake, presented as an argumentative, even jealous teen, indignant at how his Yale student brother is favored by his father, develops a sense of responsibility and maturity through his progressively dangerous circumstances and comes full circle as a prisoner of war. Hughes's often-gruesome descriptions of life on the British prison ships will leave readers with admiration for Jake's reversal of egocentricity as he quickly learns the rules of survival and deals with realistic outcomes, including the brutal death of a childhood friend, a love interest that results in a pregnancy, and an escape scenario. Jake's epiphany—that the ideals and life aspirations of Loyalists and Patriots can be one and the same the same—could have readers drawing parallels to today's global rebellions and often warlike freedom-seeking protests in the Middle East. A great adventure story with strong discussion potential for character study and democratic values.—Rita Soltan, Youth Services Consultant, West Bloomfield, MI