Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Peggy likes school, which makes her smart, but not popular. When she reads about a contest for excellence in history, she knows she's going to compete for the award. When she chooses her topic from her teacher's list, she picks Molly Pitcher -- and has no idea how complicated her life will soon become.

There's not a lot known about Molly Pitcher and the details that are known are few and far between. Peggy researches her topic at the local library and finds a dead end. Her grandfather takes her to visit the local historian. Together, they come up with a plan to find out information and solve the mystery behind the identity of Molly Pitcher.

For the rest of the year, Peggy lives and breathes Molly Pitcher. At the end, she still doesn't have the information she desired. Disappointed, Peggy doesn't know how to tackle her paper, until she realizes that she's been looking at the paper in the wrong way.

The mystery surrounding the identity of Molly Pitcher will intrigue readers. This is a great tale for anyone interested in American History. ( )

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/04/12/005947.php ( )

Although an interesting concept, I found the book confusing and am concerned that the intended audience would not find it readable. Adults understand that history is messy and facts need to be checked and double checked, and that some historical figures are not who we think they are, but children would find it implausible that they couldn't write a report on anyone they choose. And the idea that an eighth grader turns in a 139 page report is just laughable. No index. ( )