Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson is a historical fiction that follows the experiences of 13-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper during the American Revolution and the smallpox epidemic in Boston. Although the setting is crucial to the plot, the story focuses more on the events in the life of an ordinary girl during this time in history.
I found the writing to be very compelling. It was exciting and, at times, emotional, and I felt invested in the characters.
I think this would appeal to fans of historical fiction. This would also be a great read in conjunction with a unit on the American Revolution, giving insight into the life of a young person students can relate to. This would be a great addition to any middle school library. Recommended for grades 5 & up.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Classic Laurie Halse Anderson: engaging writing, interesting characters, fantastic storyline.

Only positives with this historical fiction!
Love the entry into each chapter with information from actual documents.
Engaging plot line.
Accurate history with realistic fictional characters to bring the story to life.
So many details I had forgotten about that period of time

Great read! Must-add to any school or personal library!

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

With dawn of a new nation just on the horizon, Elsbeth Culpepper has more things to worry about than the signing of papers in her old hometown. Now a maid in the city of Boston at just thirteen years old (although she does look much older), Elsbeth has to fret about her father who lived in a boarding house near the docks and has suddenly disappeared after an argument, her best friend who keeps promising to sign up for Washington's army (if only he was old enough), the stability of her job now that her loyalist employer has been forced to flee the city, and how, oh how, she'll ever fulfill her dream of becoming a seamstress' apprentice.

And, of course, there's the smallpox epidemic that's threatening to lay siege upon the city; and while Elsbeth is now immune to the ravages of the disease that killed most of her family, that doesn't mean she can escape its ramifications.

Halse Anderson has once again delivered a middle-grade masterpiece. REBELLION 1776 was emotional, informative, action packed, and obviously thoughtfully researched; from the daily chores Elsbeth tackles under the scrutiny of Widow Nash, to the real-life war-time events unfolding around our heroine. This book will have a little bit of everything for everyone: war, (age appropriate) romance, mystery, and science... REBELLION 1776 is the perfect choice for the history loving advanced middle-grade reader in your life (or, you know, people who grew up with Halse Anderson's books and crave a simpler time).

This is a great add to a middle grade library for your historical fiction collection. Students will be able to connect to the character and empathize with their plight.

When I was still in the classroom, I loved teaching Laurie Halse Anderson’s Fever 1793 and her Seeds of America trilogy. So it’s no surprise that I would jump at the chance to teach/integrate her newest, Rebellion 1776. The beauty of Anderson’s books is that they are rigorous for early (and maybe even late) high school but accessible (and maybe best suited for) middle school. And they would be an ideal addition to a social studies classroom, too!

Rebellion 1776 starts each chapter with a small primary source excerpt—many are letters or journals from names you and your students will recognize. And then the story itself unfolds linking to key historic moments but emphasizing the everyday lived reality of the people. And this is where I think Anderson really shines. Readers are pulled into the history because it feels like it could happen today—spreading disease, war, and a changing America—are all recognizable, but it’s Elsbeth’s story of caring for the sick, worrying for the safety of her father and dear friends, and yearning for some independence that really connects to the adolescent reader.

There’s so much potential for her books because they serve both academic and joyful reading purposes. If you have an adolescent reader (or even a young reader you might read with), consider Rebellion 1776 and Anderson’s other historical fiction works. She’s a one-of-a-kind author that your kiddos deserve to know and love.

Elsbeth Culpepper is thirteen years old and hears cannons one morning in the spring of 1776! It's the Siege of Boston, where the Patriots try to force the Loyalists out of Boston! Elsbeth's father, a sailmaker, has gone missing. The man she works for has left Boston, Elsbeth is left alone to find employment so she is not sent to the orphanage.

The new family that moves into the house keeps Elsbeth as a maid. She is given enough time to look for information about her father.

Smallpox is rampant across Boston! Thousands of people are looking to leave or be inoculated.

Elsbeth is immune, since she had smallpox as a child. She is now responsible for caring for a large, wealthy family who has been inoculation.

Readers can feel Elsbeth's anxieties for living in a city under siege and terror of a epidemic. This focuses on peer relationships, death, indentured servitude, war, and conscription.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

Laurie Halse Anderson's new book throws you into the middle of a tough time in history. Thirteen-year-old Elsbeth wakes up to the sounds of war, and then her dad disappears, leaving her all alone. As if that's not bad enough, a terrible disease, smallpox, starts spreading like wildfire. People are terrified, and there's this new treatment, inoculation, that's supposed to help, but it's risky. Some people are desperate for it, while others are too scared to try.

Elsbeth is lucky because she already had smallpox as a kid, so she can't get it again. She uses this to her advantage and gets a job taking care of a rich family, but they have their own problems. All this time, she's still trying to find her dad while war and sickness rage around her. It's a story about survival, fear, and hope in a really scary time.

While the historical setting is inherently fascinating, I personally struggled to fully connect with the characters. I found myself wishing for a deeper exploration of the historical context, as some of the characters' actions and subplots occasionally overshadowed the powerful themes of survival and fear that the era naturally evokes.

Despite these personal preferences, the book effectively captures the anxieties of a city under siege and the terror of a widespread epidemic. Elsbeth's immunity to smallpox provides a unique perspective, and the story highlights the difficult choices people faced during this period.

Thank you to Laurie Halse Anderson, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for this honest review."

Excellent historical fiction. Halse Anderson does a great job of making you feel like you are in Boston during the Revolution.

This book was great! Once I got started, I couldn't put it down. The more I read, I felt like I was in the main character's shoes and I wanted her to be safe and accomplish what she wanted. I got mad on her behalf when things went awry. This would be great for a class discussion about history, the American Revolution, peer relationships, indentured servants, and conscription. I think this book would be great for a classroom read and also for the school library. It would help students see history from a more personal point of view.

Another amazing historical fiction title from the author. She always finds a way to make you feel like you are living alongside the characters and experiencing what they are. Tragedy takes a toll on those alive during this period but they find a way to persevere and make it through to the other side with a better circumstance than prior.

Middle grade at it's best. Great character development. Some predictability but that is welcome with this age reader. There is mystery, intrigue and the opportunity to discuss what life was like back in the time of the American Revolution.

The questions was asked if could be added to classroom curriculum. It is fiction so perhaps as a fictional story of the time or added reading.

I would recommend this book.

Elsbeth Culpepper lives in Boston, Massachusetts in the Spring of 1776. The Patriots have taken control over Boston and her father, a sailmaker, has gone missing. As a teenager without a guardian, she finds herself in a precarious situation. Luckily, she is employed as a housemaid for the Pike family. She takes care of their seven children and the household chores under the watchful eye of their odious housekeeper Widow Nash. She also becomes a companion to their ward, Hannah Sparhawk, a wealthy young lady whose elderly grandmother is unable to take care of her. A smallpox outbreak is occurring at this time and the family is inoculated against it. This means weeks of sickness during which Elsbeth is in the best position to help the family, as she is a survivor of smallpox. Many unexpected events happen one after another - Elspeth's search for her missing father, Hannah and Elsbeth trying to figure out how to free her from her terrible guardian, privateer Captain Hunter, the family suffering from smallpox, and other obstacles that Elsbeth has to face. There is an unexpected death in the book that is quite sad. Elsbeth does have a happy ending as shown in the final chapter that covers the 5 years after the last major event of the novel.

At the time of great significance in the country, Elsbeth, a kitchen maid, is using her wits and resources to get by. While Boston is under siege, her arranged master has to evacuate, and she is left to serve the new occupant of his home. Soon his family arrives and her tasks and responsibilities multiply exponentially.

Elsbeth uses her connections and relationships to maneuver herself into an acceptable albeit lower class situation. She even manages to help a friend and keep her hopes alive that she'll be reunited with her father.

This is a tale of class. It's also a tale of the roles women were assigned (regardless of class) during this time of great import to our country. I think students of history and the Revolutionary War will appreciate this perspective.

I liked Elsbeth from the very beginning -- she's got spunk! And she's a survivor. The chapter-opening quotes are a terrific addition; the librarian in me went fact checking, just because. As a result, I learned a bit more about the American Revolution, The smallpox epidemic plays big in this story which sets it apart from other historical fiction about the same timeframe. I found myself reading a chapter at a time until the climax shift at about the 65% mark -- then I couldn't put it down, Recommed for sure. Thank you NetGalley for the advance reading opportunity.

Great book for 4th to 6th grade girls who enjoy realistic fiction. Our heroine faces many trials and tribulations during the Revolutionary War when Boston goes into lockdown for voluntary inoculations against smallpox. Not recommended for whole class reading, but yes recommended for individuals who like reading stories about pioneers and individuals with grit and good survival instincts. Remember the setting is town life, not the wilderness, which is an entirely different set of survival skills. It's more about dealing with individuals rather than battling the elements. This story will be added to our classroom 4th quarter book selection list.

Rebellion 1776 is set in Boston and includes well researched information about the American Revolution as well as the smallpox epidemic. The method used for innoculations was accurately described. Thirteen year old Elsbeth Culpepper's father has disappeared. She is struggling to survive by working for a wealthy family so that she can stay in the Boston area in case her father returns and is looking for her. When the family who employs Elsbeth is innoculated, Elsbeth has her hands full with their care. Excellent read that will be of interest to ages 12 through adult. This would be a great read for a book club.

Laurie Halse Anderson has done it again! She’s brought us a historical fiction novel that reminds us of the times leading to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Elsbeth finds herself trying to survive during Smallpox which has taken the life of her mother and sibling. She becomes a house maid and her father goes missing.
So much takes place in a short amount of time. You’ll be rooting for Elsbeth the entire time! I have so much to share but it would lead to a spoiler. If you are a fan of LHA there are some hidden gems only you’d understand.

“However, dear reader, the lives of ordinary girls like me rarely unfold in such a predictable fashion.”
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It’s Spring 1776 and Elsbeth Culpepper wakes to the sound of the Siege of Boston, which turns her city into a war zone. Elsbeth’s father, her only living relative after small pox took her mother and siblings, goes missing, leaving Elsbeth alone. She doesn’t want to end up in an orphanage and can pass for sixteen years old, making employment easier to obtain. She gets a job as a nanny and maid, caring for young children just as a pandemic sweeps through the city of Boston, barring anyone from leaving. Elsbeth had small pox and is now immune so she takes on the task of caring for those who contract this deadly disease. In the midst of it all, she’s still hoping to be reunited with her father.
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I’ve had this on my radar since I attended a @simonandschuster author event at #alaac23 and spent some time with Laurie. Then I got to chat with her about it when I moderated a panel at #nttbf24 I’ve been dying for this MG historical fiction and it was worth the wait! Congrats on another home run, Laurie! This is going to be a great book to compare to current events, as well as learn from our history and potentially pair with Fever, 1793 that our 8th graders read. This novel releases April 1!

CW: death, illness, pandemic (theme), violence, child death, death of a parent, parental abandonment, emesis, war (theme)

I wanted a bit more on the war/action/adventure side and less of the smallpox side.

I’ve used Halse Anderson’s “Fever 1793” in my classroom for a number of years as the center of a cross-curricular Health/Social Studies project. “Rebellion 1776” is just as successful at transporting the reader to an earlier time while providing opportunities to examine struggles of the period, many of which are very relevant today.
I can’t wait to have this available for my middle school students to dive into. With action, romance, science, and history, there’s something for everyone.
I’d recommend it for 5th grade and up, as some background in the Revolutionary War is necessary, and there are some emotionally difficult events.
The only shortcoming I found was near the end of the book, where there was more telling than showing.

This is a lovely book centered around the Revoulutionary War. It would fit with Social Studies units and has a lot of information about the smallpox epidemic and vaccine. I enjoyed reading this book. I have read other books by Laurie Halse Anderson and they are always a great read for young adults. I did, however, find this book to be very slow moving in action at times. The storyline is not as fast-paced as some of her other novels, but it is historical fiction after all. Any student interested in this time period in history would enjoy the story.