Abigail's Drum

Abigail's Drum by John A Minahan, illus. by Robert Quackenbush, Pippin Press, 1995, hc, 64 pp. Ages: 9-12.

It is September 1812. America is at war with England in the War of 1812. Rebecca and Abigail are sisters living with their father in a lighthouse. Their mother has left to help an ailing relative in Boston. In this hard-to-out-down story ("Mom, did I hear you call me?"), the British have come secretly ashore under the cover of night and want to use Rebecca and her father as hostages for food and supplies. Rebecca escapes into the woods, but worried about her sister and father she returns. Together Rebecca, 11, and Abigail, 8, fear the worst. Will the British soldiers kill their father, steal all the town's food, and burn the town down? What can they do? Although shaking with fear, they come up with a clever plan to outwit the British to save their father and the town without anyone getting hurt. In this remarkable true story, two little girls use their imagination and courage to save the day.