George Washington's Socks (Time Travel Adventure)

Matt and his friends, Quentin (Q), Hooter and Tony, organize The Adventure Club. The object is to get together and talk about real adventures people have had in history. They are having an overnight camp out in Tony’s backyard, for their first meeting. There is only one downside — Matt’s 7-year-old sister is a tag-a-long.

The topic for the night is Washington and his crossing the Delaware. They decided to take a hike along the lake to get the feel of what it might have been like.

While hiking, they come across an old boat. Something about it draws them to it and then into it. From there they suddenly find themselves on a river in the middle of a harsh winter. Snow, freezing cold and strong winds surround them. They have somehow time show more travelled back to December 26, 1776, where Washington is to cross the Delaware!

They get a close-up experience of the harshness of the times, the meaness of the war and the fear that goes with it. What the rebels accomplished at the time may have been heroic, but the rebels aren’t always heroic in actions.

There are some difficult scenes involving war, conditions, people’s reactions, behaviours and death.

It is a good read, but one that is not all sweetness and light. Could be good for a group read when kids could discuss what they read as they go along. show less

I just needed a light quick read after the previous book and one of the books my kids had read was sitting around. It's a little dark at times, but probably not daunting for kids and there's some history threaded throughout.

The value of George Washington's Socks is not so much that it gives tons of information about our first president --it doesn't-- but that it really brings home the fact that the American Revolutionary War was real, and that people suffered for what they believed in.

In essence, it's sort of a Time Warp Trio/Magic TreeHouse adventure. There are four boys -- Matthew, Quentin, Hooter and Tony-- and the little sister, Katie, who leads them into trouble. The gang doesn't have a Tree House or Book to whisk them off, but a rowboat.

Talking Points:::
This is one of the books our school has chosen for all 4th Graders to read; and having read it, I can understand why. Elvira Woodruff makes the cold and danger of Washington's crossing palpable. And show more she doesn't shy from having good people die.

Generally pedestrian writing --from an adult's point of view-- but appropriate for kids.

George Washington is portrayed as a kind, fatherly figure; but the focus is more on common people.

AR -- 5.0

a mini-review
(booksforkids-reviews.com) show less

A group of kids find a mysterious boat and are transported back in time. They end up in the American Revolution where they are separated and encounter many different people, including George Washington, a young soldier, civilians, and even a Hessian. The kids get a first hand view of what life was like during the war. They come to respect the hardships, and realize that even the enemies were people too. They develop friendships that will withstand the test of time, and learn some hard lessons.

This book would be good to read when studying the American Revolution, if your students needed to get a more personal connection to life in the 1700s.

This is one of those books that the teacher assigned to us to read...the title alone captured my 8 year old mind and I delved into it. I'm now 25...and I have never forgotten the title. I confess I don't remember the entire story, but I remember enjoying it greatly and reading it again on my own, independent of a teacher telling me to. :)

This is one of those books that the teacher assigned to us to read...the title alone captured my 8 year old mind and I delved into it. I'm now 25...and I have never forgotten the title. I confess I don't remember the entire story, but I remember enjoying it greatly and reading it again on my own, independent of a teacher telling me to. :)

This book is good because of the history that it talks about. I only gave it two stars because I didn't like it that much because it was dull. The book was about a new history club that traveled in time to the Revolutionary War and met George Washington. They get a pair of George Washington's socks and stick them in a display case at their friend's house.