Books with author Jean Fritz

The perfect chapter book biography for young fans of the Hamilton musical! Most people know that Alexander Hamilton was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr, and that his face is on the ten dollar bill. But he was much more than that! Born in the West Indies, Hamilton arrived in New York as an immigrant, an outsider. He fought in the American Revolution and became George Washington's most valuable aide-de-camp. As one of America's Founding Fathers, he was there for the writing of the Constitution and became the first Secretary of the Treasury. Jean Fritz's award-winning talent for bringing history to life shines as she shares the true story of Alexander Hamilton, a man of action who was honorable, ambitious, and fiercely loyal to his adopted country.

Newbery Honor-winning author, Jean Fritz, takes us on a journey to the Underground Railroad.Brady has never been trusted with secrets, until now. When he discovers an Underground Railroad station near his family's farm, he is forced to make his own decision about the slavery controversy. Whatever his decision may be, he knows that this is one secret that must be kept."A perceptive, satisfying story." --Booklist""Mrs. Fritz has written an exciting, yet tender, chronicle of the boy, his home, and his times." --Kirkus Reviews

This biography of Elizabeth Cady Stanton is as spirited as the women's rights pioneer herself.Who says women shouldn't speak in public? And why can't they vote? These are questions Elizabeth Cady Stanton grew up asking herself. Her father believed that girls didn't count as much as boys, and her own husband once got so embarrassed when she spoke at a convention that he left town. Luckily Lizzie wasn't one to let society stop her from fighting for equality for everyone. And though she didn't live long enough to see women get to vote, our entire country benefited from her fight for women's rights."Fritz imparts not just a sense of Stanton's accomplishments but a picture of the greater society Stanton strove to change. Highly entertaining and enlightening." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "This objective depiction of Stanton's life and times makes readers feel invested in her struggle." — School Library Journal (starred review) "An accessible, fascinating portrait." — The Horn Book

In a story that is as gripping as it is historical, Newbery Honor-winning author Jean Fritz reveals the true life of Pocahontas. Though at first permitted to move freely between the Indian and the white worlds, Pocahontas was eventually torn between her new life and the culture that shaped her."This book dispels myths and describes with immediacy the life of a girl whose active conscience made her a pawn, exploited by her own people and the white world." —Publishers Weekly"Jean Fritz removes the romantic varnish from the legend and turns history into engrossing reality." —The New Yorker

In the days before microphones and TV interviews, getting people to listen to you was not an easy task. But James Madison used his quiet eloquence, intelligence and passion for unified colonies to help shape the Constitution, steer America through the turmoil of two wars, and ensure that our government, and nation, remained intact. "An excellent, fascinating, indispensable resource." —Kirkus Reviews, pointer review "The book is rich in the sort of detail that illuminates the man, but is not limited to personal information; a great deal of government history is woven into the biography." —Horn Book, starred review "Fritz has given a vivid picture of the man and an equally vivid picture of the problems that faced the leaders of the new nation in the formative years." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children?s Books, starred review "Young readers will feel like they know the 'Great Little Madison' very well." —School Library Journal

The accolades speak for themselves:"Fritz draws the readers into scenes from her youth in the turbulent China of the mid-twenties. One comes to appreciate the generous affection of her nurse/companion Lin Nai-Nai, the isolating distance in her mother's grief over losing a second child, the dynamics of a suffering population venting its hostility on foreigners, and most of all, the loneliness of a child's exile from a homeland she has imagined constantly but never seen....A remarkable blend of truth and storytelling." --Booklist, starred review"An insightful memory's-eye-view of her childhood...Young Jean is a strong character, and many of her reactions to people and events are timeless and universal." --School Library Journal, starred review"Told with an abundance of humor--sometimes wry, sometimes mischievous and irreverent--the story is vibrant with atmosphere, personalities, and a palpable sense of place." --The Horn Book"Every now and then a book comes along that makes me want to send a valentine to its author. Homesick is such a book....Pungent and delicious." --Katherine Paterson, The Washington Post

Harriet Beecher Stowe grew up in a family in which her seven brothers were expected to be successful preachers and the four girls were never to speak in public. But slavery made Harriet so angry she couldn't keep quiet. Although she used a pen rather than her voice to convince people of the evils of slavery, she became more famous than any of her brothers. She firmly believed that words could make change, and by writing Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe hastened the Civil War and changed the course of America history. "Readable and engrossing." -- The Horn Bookn"Fritz writes with verve and wit....Many kids will be stimulated to go on from here to find out more." -- Booklist (boxed review)

Colorful Sam Houston leaps to life in the pages of this fresh and funny biography, set against the story of Texas's fight for independence from Mexico."Lively, readable, and solidly researched, this is the kind of biography every child needs." —Booklist, starred review"Jean Fritz has done it again. Her writing turns this larger-than-life character into a very real person." —School Library Journal, starred review"Young readers will find the book fast-paced and fact-packed." — The New York Times Book ReviewJean Fritz lives in Dobbs Ferry, New York.

Benedict Arnold always carried things too far. As a boy he did crazy things like climbing atop a burning roof and picking a fight with the town constable. As a soldier, he was even more reckless. He was obsessed with being the leader and the hero in every battle, and he never wanted to surrender. He even killed his own horse once rather than give it to the enemy. Where did the extremism lead Arnold? To treason. America's most notorious traitor is brought to life as Jean Fritz relays the engrossing story of Benedict Arnold -- a man whose pride, ambition, and self-righteousness drove him to commit the heinous crime of treason against the United States during the American Revolution.“A highly entertaining biography illuminating the personality of a complex man.” —Horn Book“A gripping story. . . As compelling as a thriller, the book also shines as history.” —Publishers WeeklyAn ALA Notable BookA New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the YearA School Library Journal Best Book of the YearAn ABA Pick of the ListsA Horn Book Fanfare Title

The accolades speak for themselves:"Fritz draws the readers into scenes from her youth in the turbulent China of the mid-twenties. One comes to appreciate the generous affection of her nurse/companion Lin Nai-Nai, the isolating distance in her mother's grief over losing a second child, the dynamics of a suffering population venting its hostility on foreigners, and most of all, the loneliness of a child's exile from a homeland she has imagined constantly but never seen....A remarkable blend of truth and storytelling." --Booklist, starred review"An insightful memory's-eye-view of her childhood...Young Jean is a strong character, and many of her reactions to people and events are timeless and universal." --School Library Journal, starred review"Told with an abundance of humor--sometimes wry, sometimes mischievous and irreverent--the story is vibrant with atmosphere, personalities, and a palpable sense of place." --The Horn Book"Every now and then a book comes along that makes me want to send a valentine to its author. Homesick is such a book....Pungent and delicious." --Katherine Paterson, The Washington Post