Author: Ann McGovern
Title: The Secret Soldier: The Story of Deborah Sampson
Illustrator: Harold Goodwin
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Year: 1990
Genre: Biography
Format: Hardcover
Reading Level: Independent reader
Interest level: Late elementary
Topics: women, history, soldiers, travel
Summary: This book takes place during the Revolutionary War where Deborah Sampson is a woman who wanted to travel but had no money to do so. The only way she could do this was to join the army. But she was a woman. They weren't allowed in the army back then. So, she dressed up like a man and started acting like one. It isn't discovered that she is a woman until she is hospitalized with a fever.
Extension Activity: Teach the children about the Revolutionary War and why only men were able to join. Discuss the responsibilities of men and women during that time period and what they were expected to do. Have them color a map of the states the armies went through during the war and where major battles took place. Deborah Sampson's story is similar to the story of Mulan. Have the kids compare and contrast both characters.
