Redcoats and Petticoats
by Katherine KirkpatrickIllustrated by Ronald Himler
Holiday House
Ages 6 and up
When the American Revolution arrives in Thomas Strong’s sleepy Long Island village, his life is turned upside down. His church becomes a fort for the British, and a company of Redcoats are quartered in his family’s home. But worst of all, his father is arrested as a traitor and taken away. It’s no wonder that Thomas’s mother seems to have been affected in the head. She washes and rewashes handkerchiefs and petticoats so that her clothesline is continually full of laundry. The errands on which she sends Thomas are not only peculiar but dangerous, since they take him right past a Redcoat encampment. At first Thomas doesn’t know what to make of his mother’s behavior, but as he keeps his eyes and ears open, he begins to suspect that things are not necessarily as they seem.
Katherine Kirkpatrick’s captivating story is based on the Setauket Spy Ring that operated on Long Island from 1778-1784, carrying crucial information from British-occupied New York City to Patriot-held Connecticut. Ronald Himler’s dramatic watercolor illustrations bring this pivotal period of U.S. history to life for contemporary readers.
Author’s Note:
“I grew up near Setauket, in Stony Brook, New York, so all the places in this book have been part of my life as long as I can remember. The patriot’s church in the book is my parents’ church. I wrote about the Anna Smith Strong and Setauket Spies for a fourth-grade project. How lucky I was to live in a community full of history, legends and historical landmarks and have a mother who was keen on introducing them to me at a young age. It’s not by chance that I’m interested in history.”
A Junior Library Guild selection
Featured by Scholastic Book Clubs
Featured by the New York Times, Long Island section
“[An] alluring glimpse at a fascinating episode in America’s past.” –Booklist
“Will intrigue those interested in leaning about the strong men and women who were instrumental in changing the nation's history. –Kirkus