Johnny Tremain

Johnny Tremain
Author: Esther Forbes
Genre: Historic Fiction
Grades: 5-7

14 year old Johnny Tremain was a gifted silversmith apprentice in revolutionary era Boston. Johnny works very hard because he is the breadwinner of the family, and because of his status he is arrogant. Johnny's fame as a silversmith is questioned when John Hancock orders an elaborate silver basin. His master questions the difficulty of the project, but Johnny rationally takes it. Johnny struggles with the silver basin and while making it Johnny has an accident that disfigures his hand. Without the use of his hand, he is no longer able to be a silversmith and loses favor with his master. Depressed and in need of a job Johnny finds his blood-relatives, but in a misunderstanding he is arrested. Later, Johnny becomes a newspaper delivery boy and slowly becomes a member of the Whig political party. This book talks about the revolutionary era and how the Whig political party began.