Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Ethan Allen: Green Mountain Rebel
Nonfiction Series
For ages 10 and up
Compass Point Books, 2005 ISBN: 075650824X
Ethan Allen grew up on the frontier in Connecticut with his many brothers and sisters, and like many children who lived on the frontier, he learned early on how to help with the farm chores, how to hunt, and how to survive in the wilderness. When his parents realized how intelligent their son was, they sent him to a school in a town so that the teacher there could prepare Ethan for college. This plan was scrapped when Ethan’s father died unexpectedly, and Ethan went back home to help run the farm.
In 1757 Ethan, who wanted “action and adventure,” joined the local militia. During his time with the militia, Ethan visited the country around the Green Mountains. He fell in love with this area and later, after he was married, he bought land and moved to what was called the New Hampshire Grants.
At this time in America, the boundaries between the colonies were not clearly defined, and there was a disagreement between the states of New Hampshire and New York. Unfortunately for Ethan Allen and his neighbors, the New Hampshire Grants was the area under dispute. Ethan and his neighbors decided that they were not going to let settlers from New York take away their land, and they took up arms, forming a group called the Green Mountain Boys. It wasn’t long before the Green Mountain Boys were considered outlaws, and they had to live apart from their families. No one dreamed that these outlaws would one day become heroes in the eyes of the nation, but this is exactly what happened.
This excellent biography tells the complete story of Ethan Allen’s life. Readers who have heard about how Ethan Allen captured Fort Ticonderoga in 1775, will find out why he was able to pull off this feat. They will also find out that this success was followed by many other adventures.
