A review by speterson
Ashes by Laurie Halse Anderson

This book discussed the journey that Isabel and her companion Curzon to find her little sister Ruth who was taken from her. Once they are reunited, Ruth seems to be much more grownup and wary towards her sister. She refuses to talk and interact with her. They travel to safe places to find work, stay out of trouble, and avoid being slaves again or worse losing each other. The American Revolution brewing causes all sorts of problems for our band of travelers. I think this would be a great book to use in my classroom to show another perspective of the American Revolution. I think that too often history is only taught about one side and rarely goes into detail concerning other sides or how minorities were affected like this book does. I feel like this would give students another perspective on the American Revolution and how it affected everyone. I know it opened my eyes to the culture during this time and would do the same for students who read it.