Audiobook Review: Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Rebellion 1776
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Narrator: Phoebe Strole
Published: April 1, 2025
Audiobook: 10 hours 00 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: April 5-12, 2026
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
A historical fiction middle grade adventure about a girl struggling to survive amid a smallpox epidemic, the public’s fear of inoculation, and the seething Revolutionary War.
In the spring of 1776, thirteen-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper wakes to the sound of cannons. It’s the Siege of Boston, the Patriots’ massive drive to push the Loyalists out that turns the city into a chaotic war zone. Elsbeth’s father—her only living relative—has gone missing, leaving her alone and adrift in a broken town while desperately seeking employment to avoid the orphanage.
Just when things couldn’t feel worse, the smallpox epidemic sweeps across Boston. Now, Bostonians must fight for their lives against an invisible enemy in addition to the visible one. While a treatment is being frantically fine-tuned, thousands of people rush in from the countryside begging for inoculation. At the same time, others refuse protection, for the treatment is crude at best and at times more dangerous than the disease itself.
Elsbeth, who had smallpox as a small child and is now immune, finds work taking care of a large, wealthy family with discord of their own as they await a turn at inoculation, but as the epidemic and the revolution rage on, will she find her father?
Jessica’s Review:
We have a middle grades historical fiction novel taking place in 1776 Boston. In addition to the war for Independence, the city of Boston is dealing with a smallpox epidemic. Our MC is 13-year-old Elsbeth whose father disappears and she ends up working as a ‘serving girl’ for the Pike family and their ward 16-year-old Hannah.
The listener or reader goes along with Hannah over a short time period and experiences many activities with her. At times Hannah addresses the reader/listener directly. We experience 1776 in Boston and the effects of smallpox, including the inoculation process. As the listener we realize how serious smallpox is and all of its effects. We also see how the town feels for or against the vaccine.
The novel takes place over a short time period, March 4- November 29, 1776. At the beginning of each chapter we are given the date(s) for the time period, but with the audiobook I had issues remembering how long of a piece of time each chapter was. I did not realize how important this was until I met with my book club. Reading a physical book/ kindle you could go back and look at that again. That isn’t really possible with an audiobook. Other than this issue, the narrator is a good job portraying Elsbeth.
This is a good YA novel that shows the time period and the everyday person’s struggle to survive war and disease.
Book Review: Tyrannosaurus Wrecks by Stuart Gibbs
**Please note that this is Cristina’s last review with us. She was only temporarily with us, and we have enjoyed having her! She brought more children’s /middle grades books to our attention! Many thanks for sharing your reviews with Jessica’s Reading Room Cristina!**
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks
Series: Fun Jungle #6
Author: Stuart Gibbs
Published: April 7, 2020
336 Pages
Reviewed By: Cristina
Book Description:
In the latest novel in New York Times bestselling author Stuart Gibbs’s FunJungle series, Teddy Fitzroy returns as FunJungle’s resident sleuth to solve his most improbable mystery yet—with a victim that’s 65 million years old.
Teddy was all set for a campout at his friend Sage’s family ranch—but then Sage gets terrible news: The skull of a rare dinosaur that was being excavated on his property has mysteriously vanished overnight in the middle of a rainstorm, even though it weighed 500 pounds. Not a single footprint has been left behind. Since the dinosaur was top secret, the police don’t believe anyone outside the dig could have stolen it.
A T-rex skull can sell for millions of dollars, and everyone is a suspect—including J.J. McCracken, the owner of FunJungle.
Meanwhile, Teddy’s old foes, the Barksdale twins, have gotten into trouble with an illegally purchased anaconda, and Teddy’s girlfriend Summer wants to find out who’s behind the local trade in black market reptiles. The two cases will drag Teddy into more danger and chaos than ever before, in this mystery that’s stranger than fiction.
Cristina’s Review:
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks by Stuart Gibbs is the 6th book in the Funjungle novel series, but it can be read as a stand-alone.
Teddy Fitzroy is a pretty average 12 year old guy–except for the fact that he lives in a Zoo/Amusement Park that his parents work at, and he solves mysteries that pop up around the park. The latest problem? A T-Rex skull on his buddy Sage’s ranch has disappeared, and his girlfriend’s father (and owner of Funjungle) is a suspect. Oh, and the local bullies have managed to buy an illegal anaconda. And alligator. Where are these black market reptiles coming from? It’s up to Teddy to figure out what really happened to the T-Rex skull and catch an illegal animal dealer in the act. What could possibly go wrong?
Stuart Gibbs has found an ingenious way to teach readers about serious topics like the illegal animal trade and the ethics involved in dino-digs in this book. His entire Funjungle series deals with being environmentally aware, but it doesn’t feel like a lecture. The humor and mystery elements are well done and keep the informational pieces . My only hard thing to swallow is that Teddy and his friends feel older than 12 in their interactions–but that’s a minor thing. I recommend this book for readers especially between 5th-8th grade, but if you have an advanced 3rd grade reader, it’s appropriate for them too, as long as they can handle some hand holding and a kiss on the cheek. Enjoy reading this one. I was laughing out loud at the anaconda in the truck scene. I think you will too.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Book Review: The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
The Wild Robot
Series: The Wild Robot #1
Author: Peter Brown
Published: April 5, 2016
279 Pages
Reviewed By: Cristina
Book Description:
Can a robot survive in the wilderness?
When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is–but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants.
As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home–until, one day, the robot’s mysterious past comes back to haunt her.
From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide.
Cristina’s Review:
What would happen if a robot with AI (artificial intelligence) capabilities was washed up on an island with no humans? It would become a WILD robot, naturally! ROZZUM unit 7134–Roz for short–finds herself in a world unlike the one she’s been programmed for. Roz must learn how to communicate with all the animals on the island in order to survive. She eventually becomes part of the island family, but Roz knows something her animal friends don’t. She knows that the factory that made her will eventually figure out she’s missing. And they will send something to find her. How will Roz protect her new family and keep her freedom? Read The Wild Robot to find out!
I really enjoyed this story. Peter Brown did a great job of exploring two really thoughtful topics: community and self-awareness. Roz is originally viewed as a monster by the animals on the island, but as she helps the various animals in different ways, they slowly change their opinions. There are some moments of humor, like when Roz first meets Pinktail the opossum. There are some incredibly tender moments, like when Roz explains to her adopted goose son what happened to the rest of his family. And throughout it all, there is a sense of wonder and discovery as Roz learns and grows.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK