Product Description

Johnny Tremain, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught up in the danger and excitement of 1775 Boston, just before the Revolutionary War. But even more gripping than living through the drama of Revolutionary Boston is the important discovery Johnny makes in his own life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13375 in Books
• Published on: 1987-05-01
• Released on: 1980-04-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Amazon.com Review
This story of a tragically injured young silversmith who ends up hip-deep in the American Revolution is inspiring, exciting, and sad. Winner of the prestigious Newbery Award in 1944, Esther Forbes's story has lasted these 50-plus years by including adventure, loss, courage, and history in a wonderfully written, very dramatic package. It's probably not great for little guys but mature 11-year-olds or older will find it a great adventure.

Review
"This is Esther Forbes at her brilliant best. She has drawn the character of Johnny with such sympathy and insight that he may take his place with Jim Hawkins, Huck Finn and other young immortals." -- Review

Review
"This is Esther Forbes at her brilliant best. She has drawn the character of Johnny with such sympathy and insight that he may take his place with Jim Hawkins, Huck Finn and other young immortals." (Book Week )

Customer Reviews

BOOOOOOOOOOORING!!!
I had to read this book for school, and I didn't like it at all. I didn't even finish it! This is not a good book. DO NOT read it. I don't know how many times I fell asleap while reading. My brother had to wake me up several times. I read all the time, and have finished the 800 page books in about one or two days. This book took me like 2 months. This is the boringist book I have ever read.

Still a wonderful read for children and others
I suppose I had read other history books before I read this book at age 12. However, this is the book that hooked me on history.

Our media, books, television, films, are full of the American Revolution and its heroes and heroines now, but back in 1952, things were pretty quiet on the American History front. We were making our own history with WWII, the Marshall Plan, the Korean Conflict, the red scare et al. In spite of all that, this book set me on fire. I wanted to know more about the foundations of our country, and I went on to read everything I could set my hands to. I am still doing it, but that is another story.

"Johnny Tremain" is still a wonderful book. It tells the story of a teenaged apprentice who learns the hard way what is his real value to his country. Of course, you can't mention silver and the Revolution without bringing Paul Revere into the story. He and many other well known heroes are brought into the story along with the everyday people whose names never make the history books, but who are the real builders and heroes of any tale like this.

Read this book - I've read it a couple of times. Now I am buying a copy for my grandchildren who are just about the age I was when I first opened its pages.

"We give all we have, lives, property, safety, skills...we fight, we die for a simple thing. Only that a man can stand up."
And therein lies the premise for the colonial revolutionaries of the 1770s, as Forbes has written in her storied historical novel of Johnny Tremain.

Decidedly American, this story of the young protagonist Tremain in 1774-1775 colonial Boston could really be enjoyed by any reader who appreciates historical fiction. Though the story's premise is the beginning of the American War for Independence from England, the story has all the elements of a good book, even for those that may not have a stake or interest in the specific elements of American history or independence. There're also the traditional elements of just a good story: love and affection, espionage, conflict, loyalty, tragedy turned to fortune, suspense and a climactic point near the end of the book.

Written to a teen audience, Forbes demonstrates great skill (obviously, as this book has stood the test of time, being copyrighted in 1943) in writing a book easily read and understood by her intended audience, but still very enjoyable to the adult audience. I've now read this book three times (I think the only book I've ever read 3 times), and recently for the first time in 26 years. What impresses me most now is how Forbes doesn't display the colonial revolutionaries - the Sons of Liberty - and their renowned characters, men who became the Founding Fathers of America, as near perfect and saintly men. She developed them as men with flaws, wavering allegiances, questionable faculties, but also men resolute in their cause and demonstrating gifted leadership abilities. Likewise, the British army and occupiers of the colonies were displayed not as disdainful, brash and belligerent, but as men who did not wish for war against what they felt were their fellow Englishmen. Forbes put a face of humanity on the entire circumstance whereby the reader today, even 233 years after the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord, can be touched personally by the events in which Johnny Tremain found himself.