Fighting For Freedom and General Washington is a historical fiction paperback with approximately 145 pages. Young and old readers alike will enjoy this action-packed tale of brave 13-year-old twins, Amanda and Alexander Lee. This novel makes a fun family read-aloud and delivers a wonderful taste of American history in one story.

Both Amanda and Alexander were raised with strong patriotic spirits and a sense of adventure. Although too young to enlist, Alexander looks old enough, so with a little cunning, he joins the ranks of General Washington’s army. Not wanting to be left out of the battle for independence, Amanda works a little harder to make herself appear as a young man old enough to serve.

Alexander has no idea his sister has gone to great lengths for the cause, and through his story, we see the trials and tribulations the soldiers faced. At times, the odds were so stacked against them, Alexander felt like death was imminent. Miraculously, rescues would occur or a dramatic shift in the battles would land in their favor. He saw much bloodshed, disillusionment, and death, but he also saw strength and victory and met great historical leaders.

Amanda also saw battles, both victorious and defeating. She was tutored under great leaders and proved to be every bit the fighter as the male soldiers around her. Eventually, she faced intense heartache over the loss of a young man she cared deeply for, and then news of her brother’s death reached her. She asked for a meeting with General Washington himself. At this point, she revealed her true identity, her request to fight to avenge her brother was granted.

I’m not going to give away the ending, but it is a good one. These twins faced certain death, sustained many injuries, and fought bravely for what they believed in. I love stories that inspire us to greatness, and this one will definitely inspire your children. This is a story to add to your historical fiction shelves, whether you homeschool or not.

The book does have some editing issues, but they in no way detracted from the story. We found the story captivating and to be quite the page turner as we wanted to find out what would happen next to these two teens.

Fighting For Freedom and General Washington is available for $8, which I think is very reasonable for such a fun story. We loved it and recommend adding it to your collection.

-Product Review by Audra Silva, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January, 2015