Rosenstock, Barb. Leave It to Abigail! The Revolutionary Life of Abigail Adams. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2020. 978-0-316-41571-2. 40 p. $18.99. Grades 2-5. 

From a young age, Abigail Adams was different from almost every other girl in the colony of Massachusetts. She blurted out questions, lost herself in the pages of books, and ran all around her family’s farm. Instead of marrying a prosperous minister, she insisted on marrying the man she loved: a poor lawyer named John Adams. While John built his law practice, Abigail managed their house and farm and raised their children. As John became increasingly involved with shaping the American colonies’ new system of government, Abigail took on greater responsibilities around home. She supervised farmhands, educated her children, and housed soldiers. She and John also exchanged countless letters in which she shared some of her revolutionary ideas. This lively biography chronicles some of the ways Abigail continued to surprise her contemporaries with her original ideas, strong voice, and constant courage. Baddeley’s pen and ink and watercolor illustrations are interspersed with cross-stitch needlepoint samplers that pay tribute to this popular colonial past time. The book’s final spread highlights other bold women such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Susan B. Anthony, Coretta Scott King, and Gloria Steinem who benefited from the strong foundation of Abigail’s inspirational, revolutionary ideas.

THOUGHTS: Share this with teachers and students to supplement Revolutionary War units. It will also be a good fit for President’s Day or biography projects.

Biography. Anne Bozievich, Southern York County SD