Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
A Picture Book of Sam Houston
Illustrator: Matt Collins
Nonfiction Picture Book
For ages 7 to 9
Holiday House, 2012 ISBN: 978-0823423699
Sam Houston’s father was a farmer, and his mother was the daughter of a very wealthy Virginian gentleman. Sam lived in Virginia until he was fourteen, and then his family moved to a farm in Tennessee. Just a few years later, sixteen-year-old Sam went to live on an island in the middle of the Tennessee River, where he got to know and was befriended by the local Cherokee Indians. Sam learned a great deal from the Cherokee, and the skills they taught him stood him in good stead when he became a soldier during the War of 1812.
Sam’s courage in battle paved the way for him to build a career first as a lawyer, then as an attorney general, and later as a congressman. In 1827, he became the governor of Tennessee.
When the American people living in Texas decided that they wanted to be free of Mexican rule, President Jackson sent Sam Houston to support the American rebels. The rebels chose Sam Houston to be their general, and he led his forces to victory in a battle at San Jacinto. Texas won its independence from Mexico and Sam Houston became its first president, but he knew that there was still more work to be done.
David A. Adler and his son Michael S. Adler have created several excellent biographies for young readers over the years. Like the other books in this series, this title tells a story that is interesting; one that helps young readers to understand the role that Sam Houston played during an important time in America’s history
