This is an interesting book since it is set right in the middle of the revolutionary war and tells the story about a young house servant, turned lady’s maid, Elsbeth. Her journey starts at the beginning of the war serving a master loyal to England who must escape before they are arrested. Her father, who also lives in the same town, tells Elsbeth to stay behind and he will come for her soon, but he never shows up. Elsbeth is alone and abandoned, luckily for her the next family who comes to the house allows her to stay on and she fosters a relationship with the wealthy ward Hannah Sparhawk. Hannah is an interesting young lady, because she doesn’t really want to be with her host family, she just wants to go home to her grandmother. Both Hannah and Elsbeth are stuck in Boston surrounded by war and at the same time are fighting to survive during the smallpox epidemic. Elsbeth is safe because she had them as a child and lost most of her family to the horrible diseases. The family she works for though must be inoculated and then must remain in Boston till their symptoms subside.
This is an interesting book, because while you think that war would be more prominent in this story, it is secondary to the main battle Bostonians were handling at the time which was fighting against smallpox. I think that the way they portrayed how the epidemic was handled is well done. The quotes from historical figures also helped set the setting and portrayed what people were thinking and dealing with along side such a horrendous disease. I think this book is tastefully written and a great way to introduce middle readers to something they may the second half has a much faster pace.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s not have read about previously. The book is a bit slow paced at the beginning, but
and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

I appreciated a new-to-me look at the intervention of the Revolutionary War and small pox. It was fascinating to learn about how inoculations were done at the time! I did struggle to get into the book a little, but the second half was very intriguing and worth the read!

This is another excellent middle grade historical fiction read by this author. It’s obviously highly researched and packed with factual information delivered with emotion and thoughtfulness while being realistic and age appropriate. Definitely recommend for the middle grade reader in your life.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Would be wonderful to use in the classroom or library. Great pacing and great storytelling. Extremely informative and obviously well researched. I love this author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rebellion 1776 is a middle grade historical fiction book set at the end of the US war for independence. It's a timely novel, touching on pandemics, inoculations, and revolution for the sake of a government that serves its people.

The young protagonist is an example of perseverance and ingenuity in the face of adversity. I particularly liked how the novel was interspersed with the dates of real events in history. The chapter headings with quotes from real historical figures and documents grounds the story in the fabric of history.

The characters surrounding the protagonist are interesting and varied and add a great deal of color to the novel.

Overall, the novel is an engaging read, both for young readers and for those who enjoy reading historical books focused on young adults. I recommend this novel to those who like to read about historical events and the day to day lives of people in history.

Rebellion 1776 is another fine YA book from the pen of Laurie Halse Anderson. It is rooted is actual history with chapter openers from documents of the time. Well rounded characters demonstrate the harshness of the rebellion and the smallpox epidemic, though not without hope, And while the rebellion spoken of in the title refers to the rebellion of the Patriots, it could just as surely refer to Elsbeth Culpepper who must stiffen her backbone and rebel against conventions of the time to simply survive.

If you are not familiar with Anderson's books, do yourself a favor and remedy the situation by reading this one.

Once again, Laurie Halse Anderson demonstrates how to write historical fiction, with a novel that is engaging, comprehensible, and historically accurate - and given the publication date, eerily timely for a novel about the American Revolution.

Elsbeth Culpepper is a normal 13 year-old girl of her time; she has what is, for her time, a good job as a maid - a job she obtained by lying about her age (her employer believes her to be 16), but as the only surviving child of her father, a sailmaker, Elsbeth had to earn a living for herself, somewhere safe. In Boston in 1776, working for a judge and sleeping in his home was far safer than spending her days in the sailmaking loft with her father, or living in the boarding home where he slept. The streets of Boston were never that safe for a young teen girl alone, but the Revolution made it even less so. The judge is a loyalist, and when the fighting starts, he vanishes, leaving Elsbeth alone - but soon, another family appears, the Pikes, who move into the judge's house and retain Elsbeth's services, on the strength of her previous employment by the judge. In the midst of this upheaval, a smallpox epidemic begins, and disturbingly familiar discussions about inoculation and treatment begin - different from today only by virtue of the difference in medical understanding.

This is an incredible novel of perseverance and strength in the face of adversity, as well as being incredibly historically accurate. This novel is appropriate for all readers from middle school to adult; those with a background knowledge of the historical period will recognize details, while those without such background will have no difficulty understanding the events as presented by Elsbeth.

Historical fiction is not my preferred genre, but I will make exceptions for Laurie Halse Anderson; I read this nearly 300 page novel in less than 12 hours. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This middle grade fiction gives readers a glimpse into daily life in Boston during the American Revolution. Elsbeth is the main character, a girl who has lost all of her family, except her father, to the smallpox epidemic. Although sympathetic to the Patriot cause, she must work for a Tory family, until the Patriots capture Boston. Meanwhile, her father has either deserted her or gone missing or been captured by the enemy. Her loneliness is relieved only by one good friend who wants to be a soldier. And she may have an ally in the household, a seemingly spoiled wealthy heiress. With Covid still fresh in our minds, and a divisive citizenry today, there is much that seems relevant in this novel.

Fabulous story! Entertaining historical fiction. Anderson never misses! I loved Elspeth and the way the story weaves bits of the American revolution with the smallpox, epidemic, and the development of a vaccine as well as incorporating the cast system in place at that time.

Elsbeth's story of searching for her missing father, and trying to find a job, is told with the backdrop of smallpox epidemic, and the colonies' declaration of independence from England and subsequent Revolutionary War. She is taken in to work with a wealthy Bostonian family and helps them through smallpox, including dealing with Hanna, the ward she has become close to.

The author crafts Elsbeth's story with the plight faced by many during this time period. I found myself questioning character's actions and rooting for Elsbeth and Hanna.

I have recommended Elsbeth's story to some of my students interested in historical fiction, and the Revolutionary War. This is a little beyond the history i teach, but have recommended it to my coworker that teaches this time period in US history.

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

An excellent work of middle grades historical fiction. I especially appreciate the novel’s smart and courageous protagonist and how she navigates the class and gender conventions of the time. I’ll be recommending this book to teachers.

This was an interesting historical read, but I think the pacing is a little too slow for most of my students to keep reading past the first few chapters. I struggled and didn't really find myself enjoying the book until about the halfway point. Set in Boston during 1776, <i>Rebellion 1776</i> tells the story of Elsbeth Culpepper. She's got a lot going on. The Siege of Boston is happening, smallpox is running rampant through the city, and shortly after he suggests that they evacuate Boston her father vanishes. Left to care for herself, Elsbeth is able to find work as a maid for a wealthy family. I fear the problem this book has is that Elseth's struggles aren't action-packed and compelling. She is not present for the fighitng. She has already had smallpox, and is thus not at risk or in fear of getting the disease. She is not in a position where she can go and search for her father herself. Due to this, the story struggles to find pacing and move itself along. It's a shame because I found the second half compelling, but with most of my students struggling to stay focused on chapter books at all I would be reluctant to suggest this one to them. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the advanced review copy.

Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson
ARC provided by NetGalley

In 1776, Elsbeth Culpepper’s world is turned upside down when her father goes missing. With no sponsor to support her, she has no choice but to seek work as a servant while continuing her search for him. She finds employment with the Pike family, where she forms a friendship with their guest, Hannah.

As a servant, Elsbeth takes on a variety of tasks—cooking, mending clothes, wrangling the family’s rambunctious young boys, and accompanying Hannah on outings to town. She also witnesses firsthand the challenges of smallpox inoculation, caring for the Pike family as they endure the grueling effects of the procedure.

Rich in historical detail about the Revolutionary War and early medical practices (the smallpox inoculation process is especially fascinating), this book is a fantastic addition to any middle school library. Students will particularly enjoy Elsbeth’s engaging narration, as she frequently breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to them.

I’m disappointed. I was expecting a book about a girl taking some kind of active role in the American Revolution, or at least seeing it play out in front of her. This story takes its sweet time getting to any kind of action, and mostly ends up telling us in bits and pieces what’s happening elsewhere. There’s some action at the very beginning, a lot of housework, and then eventually smallpox finally shows up. It’s definitely a telling instead of showing kind of book and it didn’t grip me like I expected it to (based on the summary/blurb).

I think there’s definitely an audience for this, but a much younger me would have been disappointed not to see any of the promised rebellion.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the digital copy of this book!

My household is pretty fascinated with the American Revolution as a subject (my 7 and 10 year old are big fans of Hamilton and love to learn more about the time period!), so we were really excited to read this!

It was a slow start, and it took a lot to keep my 10 year old interested after the first few chapters. Some of the major issues, like the tension with her father and the exact historical circumstances of the first chapters are a little hard to get into.

However, once the section about inoculation begins, the book gets really interesting. It does a great job of making the history of medical science and disease accessible to a young audience. (I wonder if getting the next flu shot will be easier after comparing it to these inoculations!)

The historical quotes at the start of each chapter add great history and context!

There wasn't quite enough of the bigger picture history, battles, or political events to keep my 10 year old engaged, but the medical sections in the middle of the book led to some really interesting discussions.

Excellent perspective of the American revolution through the eyes of a 15-year-old aspiring seamstress working in Boston in the days of the British occupation and then the colonists’. Many interesting aspects of the war beyond Loyalists and patriots are on display, with a particular focus on the smallpox epidemic and the early days of vaccinations. Elspeth also has to contend with a missing father, loss of her immediate family a few years before in Philadelphia, a large family and unpleasant housekeeper, suspect people trying to bribe her, and a young heiress with her own ideas of independence. All this and more are woven together in a story that holds your attention from start to finish. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! I admit I requested this one based on the author first. I’ll read pretty much anything she writes. I also met her once, and she seems like a great person. That being said, this one didn’t disappoint. If you have read any of her other historical fiction, it has a similar feel and voice to it. Elsbeth, the main character, goes from young and naive and silly and kind of lost in the world to finally finding herself and working for what she wants. There are some other great friends and side characters that are written very well and make you love or hate them. The friendship that develops with Hannah is enjoyable to read. There was a bit of a twist in here I admit I did not see coming, and it was heartbreaking but fit in well. I can’t say the entire story is realistic, but there’s some good storytelling here that brings it all together. The history is rich, and the characters have great life to them. I will be recommending this one to students.

I want to start by saying that I read Laurie Halse Anderson's work all the time when I was a preteen/teen and she was one of my favorite authors. Speak and Fever 1793 were two of my absolute favorites and I still think about them occasionally 20 years later. Fever 1793 was truly terrifying at times as it was my first time reading extensively about yellow fever, whether it was fiction or not. By the description, I was really hoping that Rebellion 1776 was going to be as thrilling but I felt like it was a whole lot of nothing the entire time. I did appreciate the few moments that we got to see anything to do with smallpox but it was very few and far between. Most of it was about the main character being a maid for people she didn't know while waiting to hear from her dad. It felt, I don't know, it didn't really feel like Laurie Halse Anderson's work. I'm not sure if it was a ghost writer or what but it didn't catch and keep my attention like her other work. I didn't really feel any sympathy or empathy for any of the characters and I know I'm technically past the age range but that really shouldn't make a difference. While I couldn't connect to the main character, there were other characters that I SHOULD have been able to connect with. I wouldn't say don't read it because it wasn't bad but if you're looking for a period piece that gets your blood pumping, read Fever 1973 instead.

A very timely read about a young girl during the American revolution. She is a strong main character who you can easily relate to.

Laurie Halse Anderson’s Rebellion: 1776 offers a powerful, eye-opening look at the American Revolution beyond the traditional heroes. Focusing on the struggles of women, enslaved people, and Indigenous communities, Anderson brings history to life with her vivid storytelling and deep research. A must-read for those seeking a fuller, more inclusive understanding of America’s founding