Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times bestselling author known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity. She's twice been a National Book Award finalist, for Chains and Speak; Chains also received the 2009 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Laurie was chosen for the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award and received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2023, presented to her by the Crown Princess of Sweden. She lives in Pennsylvania, and you can follow her adventures on X (previously known as Twitter) @HalseAnderson or visit her at MadWomanintheForest.com.
Anderson, Laurie Halse Forge. Atheneum, 2010 [304p] (Seeds of
America) ISBN 978-1-4169-6144-4 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr.
7-10 Curzon and Isabel, runaway slaves in Anderson's Chains (BCCB
11/08), have parted company--she is headed south to find her sister
Ruth, and he finds work driving a cart for Patriot soldiers. An
impulsive act of battlefield bravery leads to Curzon's enlistment
as a freeman with the 16th Massachusetts Regiment, and he's now a
tentmate with Eban Woodruff, the young man whose life he saved, and
John Burns, a sly bigot who waits for an opportunity to drum Curzon
out of the army. Personal animosity simmers as the soldiers encamp
at Valley Forge for the winter of 1777-8, but Curzon and his
comrades cooperate to make the best of dire circumstances. When
Burns rises to the rank of sergeant, though, and Curzon's legal
owner, James Bellingham, reclaims his service, Curzon begins to
plot yet another escape. His situation is immediately complicated
by the appearance of Isabel, who has been recaptured and sold to
Bellingham. Bellingham knows Curzon will withhold his labor, so he
threatens to punish Isabel, who already wears a locked metal cuff
around her neck, for each infraction he may cause. Desperate but
unable to plan a foolproof escape, Curzon and Isabel are blessed by
chance and the unexpected aid of Curzon's old comrades at arms with
some slim hope of freedom as the novel ends and they march out of
Valley Forge, protectively surrounded by decamping troops. The saga
that began as Isabel's tale loses none of its tension as it
switches to Curzon's plight, and the pair's situation at the
novel's conclusion is precarious enough to suggest--even
demand--another volume. Again Anderson crafts her source notes into
a reader-friendly Q&A discussion and appends a glossary of
eighteenth-century terms. As one of Curzon's mates observes, "This
camp is a forge for the army; it's testing our qualities. . . .
Question is, what are we made of?" Fork
Kidsreads.com FORGEby Laurie Halse Anderson Atheneum Books for
Young Readers ISBN: 9781416961444 Ages 10-up 304 pagesAbout the
BookRead an ExcerptAuthor Interview -- Month YYYY When Laurie Halse
Anderson's novel CHAINS was published in 2008, it became a finalist
for the National Book Award and won the Scott O'Dell Award for
Historical Fiction. The book introduced young people to an
important --- and often overlooked --- chapter in American history,
as Anderson told the story of the dawn of the American Revolution
through the eyes of a young slave girl. Anderson now continues this
work in FORGE, the second book of what will eventually be a
trilogy. Here the narrative shifts gears from Isabel to her friend
Curzon, a fellow runaway who becomes separated from Isabel but
finds safety --- of a sort --- when he enlists as a soldier
fighting on the American side during the Revolutionary War. As one
of the few black soldiers, he is disrespected --- and worse --- by
some of his peers and his officers. With his customary courage,
hard work and loyalty, however, Curzon gains the respect and even
the friendship of many of his fellow soldiers. All the young men's
fortitude is brutally tested, however, when they are told to report
to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, during the winter of 1777 and 1778.
As Curzon and his comrades struggle just to survive, Anderson
vividly brings to life the horrifying details of life in Valley
Forge, unflinchingly documenting the hardships that most high
school history books just gloss over. From surviving days without
food to digging trenches in frozen ground to trudging through
snowdrifts in just a pair of wet, stinking socks, Curzon's story,
and that of all the men, will both repulse readers and remind them
of the soldiers' remarkable fortitude and bravery. Besides being a
compelling, unfailingly realistic account of the winter at Valley
Forge, though, FORGE's story also serves as a powerful
metaphor:
Forgeby Laurie Halse Anderson, *STAR"Forge" is the sequel to
"Chains" (2008), but it can be read independently. Anderson has
done her research and accurately portrays the horrors of serving in
the first Continental Army at Valley Forge. The story within is of
slavery in a fledgling nation; the freedom that the founding
fathers were fighting for did not extend to their slaves. The hero
of the story, Curzon, has already served in the army, but in trying
to get away from a cruel master, he is re-enlisted. When his former
master reappears, his friends from his squad help him escape, along
with Isabel, the heroine of "Chains". The book contains an appendix
with glossary, further readings, and Q&A about the historical
background and primary sources used. Each chapter begins with a
quote pertaining to the war or slavery. While the details are
accurate, the book is not gratuitously violent. Curzon is an
empathetic character to whom most young people will relate. At the
end, when Curzon and Isabel escape, the reader can only hope that
all will end well in the next book. Laurie Halse Anderson has again
written historical fiction at its finest. --"Library Media
Connection", Jan/Feb 2011, *STAR
Forge. Anderson, Laurie Halse (Author) Oct 2010. 304 p. Atheneum,
hardcover, $16.99. (9781416961444). Anderson follows her searing,
multi-award-winning novel Chains (2008) with this well-researched
sequel, also set during the Revolutionary War and narrated by a
young African American. This time, though, her central character is
male, and the heartbreaking drama shifts from Chains' domestic town
houses to graphically described bloody battlefields. After a
narrowly successful escape from Manhattan, former slaves Isabel and
Curzon separate, and Curzon is once again on the run. He finds
necessary food and shelter as a private with the Continental army,
and through Curzon's eyes, Anderson re-creates pivotal historical
scenes, including the desperate conditions at Valley Forge. Curzon
isn't as fully realized here as Isabel was in Chains, resulting in
a less-cohesive and -compelling whole. Once again, though,
Anderson's detailed story creates a cinematic sense of history
while raising crucial questions about racism, the ethics of war,
and the hypocrisies that underlie our country's founding
definitions of freedom. Chapter heads excerpted from historical
documents and a long appendix that offers research suggestions and
separates fact and fiction add further curricular appeal." --
Gillian Engberg"
[STAR] Forge [Seeds of America] by Laurie Halse Anderson
Intermediate, Middle School Atheneum 297 pp. 10/10
978-1-4169-6144-4 $16.99 Chains (rev. 11/08) ended with slave girl
Isabel escaping from 1776 New York with fellow slave Curzon, who
takes over the narration in this sequel. Only fifteen, he enlists
in the Continental Army in late 1777. His experiences as a young
runaway slave during the American Revolution differ greatly from
Isabel's; though he lives in fear of discovery, he befriends a
white soldier boy named Eben and even gains a sense of patriotism
and camaraderie serving alongside other soldiers encamped for the
winter at Valley Forge. Unfortunate circumstances bring Curzon and
Isabel back together, and it is the struggle to mend their
friendship and continue their quest for freedom that drives the
latter half of the novel. Anderson seamlessly weaves her fictitious
characters into history in a cohesive, well-researched narrative
about the Revolutionary War that still focuses foremost on
developing characters and their interpersonal relationships.
Relevant historical quotes at the beginning of each chapter add
authenticity, as does Curzon's firsthand account of daily life at
Valley Forge; his detailed narration of privations, inequalities,
and hard work compellingly conveys the plight of the common
soldier. As one man in Curzon's regiment explains, Valley Forge "is
a forge for the army; it's testing our qualities. Instead of heat
and hammer, our trials are cold and hunger. Question is, what are
we made of?" With this riveting sequel, Anderson certainly passes
the test. C"ynthia K. Ritter --The Horn Book", Nov/Dec 2010 Issue,
*STAR
Gr 6-10-This sequel to Chains (S & S, 2008) opens with Curzon, an
enslaved teen who was freed from prison by Isabel, recalling his
escape and anticipating the future. After an argument with Isabel
about where they should go next, the 15-year-old battles the
British at Saratoga and winters in Valley Forge with the Patriots.
He reveals many details of the conditions endured by the soldiers
during the winter of 1777-1778, including the limited food supply,
lack of adequate shelter, and tattered clothing. When Curzon and
Isabel meet again, they have both been captured and must devise a
plan of escape once again. While the Patriots are fighting for the
freedom of a country, these young people must fight for their
personal freedom. This sequel can be read alone but readers will
benefit from reading the first book, which develops the characters
and reveals events leading up to the winter at Valley Forge. An
appendix clarifies historical facts and real-life characters. A
list of colloquial terms used throughout the novel is
appended."-Denise Moore, O'Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls,
SD""-SLJ Oct. 2010"
Forge. Anderson, Laurie Halse (Author) Oct 2010. 304 p. Atheneum,
hardcover, $16.99. (9781416961444). Anderson follows her searing,
multi-award-winning novel Chains (2008) with this well-researched
sequel, also set during the Revolutionary War and narrated by a
young African American. This time, though, her central character is
male, and the heartbreaking drama shifts from Chains' domestic town
houses to graphically described bloody battlefields. After a
narrowly successful escape from Manhattan, former slaves Isabel and
Curzon separate, and Curzon is once again on the run. He finds
necessary food and shelter as a private with the Continental army,
and through Curzon's eyes, Anderson re-creates pivotal historical
scenes, including the desperate conditions at Valley Forge. Curzon
isn't as fully realized here as Isabel was in Chains, resulting in
a less-cohesive and -compelling whole. Once again, though,
Anderson's detailed story creates a cinematic sense of history
[STAR] Forge [Seeds of America] by Laurie Halse Anderson
Intermediate, Middle School Atheneum 297 pp. 10/10
978-1-4169-6144-4 $16.99 Chains (rev. 11/08) ended with slave girl
Isabel escaping from 1776 New York with fellow slave Curzon, who
takes over the narration in this sequel. Only fifteen, he enlists
in the Continental Army in late 1777. His experiences as a young
runaway slave during the American Revolution differ greatly from
Isabel's; though he lives in fear of discovery, he befriends a
white soldier boy named Eben and even gains a sense of patriotism
and camaraderie serving alongside other soldiers encamped for the
winter at Valley Forge. Unfortunate circumstances bring Curzon and
Isabel back together, and it is the struggle to mend their
friendship and continue their quest for freedom that drives the
latter half of the novel. Anderson seamlessly weaves her fictitious
characters into history in a cohesive, well-researched narrative
about the Revolutionar
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