From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5-A basic introduction to the man and to the idea that a revolutionary can support a cause through his writing. Waxman sketches out Paine's early life in Thetford, England; his desire for a more intellectual life; his employment as a tax collector; and his eventual journey to the American colonies with the encouragement of Ben Franklin. His outspoken personality, political development, and work as a printer and editor are also clearly explained, as is his famous publication, Common Sense. Readers will gain an understanding of the Revolutionary period and of opposing views. Full-page, black-and-white illustrations appear throughout.Rita Soltan, Oakland University, Rochester, MICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Card catalog description
Introduces Thomas Paine, whose interest in politics and adventure led him from England to the American colonies where the articles and pamphlets he wrote helped generate support for the Revolution.

ANNOTATION

Introduces Thomas Paine, whose interest in politics and adventure led him from England to the American colonies where the articles and pamphlets he wrote helped generate support for the Revolution.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Thomas Paine believed that American liberty was not only possible but worth dying for. Born in England in 1737, he was dissatisfied with his quiet life until he traveled to the American colonies. There, the cause of American freedom from English rule lit a fire within him. To inspire colonists to support and fight in the Revolutionary War, he wrote Common Sense and The American Crisis. Paine influenced others through written stories, debates, and pamphlets to bring about change. He was the first person to use the term the United States of America in print, and he helped transform an entire nation with the power of his words.

FROM THE CRITICS

School Library Journal