Rebellion 1776

by Laurie Halse Anderson

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?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Historical, Young Adult, American Revolution, Audiobook

412 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2025

About the author

UPDATE! Rebellion 1776 is out! The New York Times wrote, "Filled with immersive detail, expert delineations of complex characters, and both harsh and loving reality, Rebellion 1776 provides young readers with a true experience of a historic moment in time that resonates with today's world." Huzzah!

Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times-bestselling author of many award-winning books including the groundbreaking, modern classic Speak, a National Book Award finalist which has sold over 3.5 million copies and been translated into 35 languages.

In 2023, Anderson was named the Laureate of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, long considered to be the de facto 'Nobel Prize for Children's Literature.'

A passionate spokesperson for the need to combat censorship, she has been honored for her battles for intellectual freedom by the National Coalition Against Censorship and the National Council of Teachers of English. She lives near Philadelphia. Go Birds!

Follow Laurie on Bluesky at @halseanderson.bsky.social, Instagram at halseanderson, and Facebook at lauriehalseanderson, or by visiting her website, madwomanintheforest.com.

Reviews

[Amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

✰ 3.5 stars ✰

​​​ “​Broken mirrors, broken towns, shattered nations; they could not​ ever be the same.
However, they could be made anew, crafted into a​ different object or a different sort of place.​”

​​​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ It's hard to believe that amidst the glorious revolution that was sweeping the thirteen colonies, so, too was the smallpox pandemic that claimed lives without remorse without hesitation. And perhaps it is fitting to see that it was a point of history that didn't catch my eye, when thirteen-year-old Elsbeth​ Culpepper​ was faxing her own form of peril of trying to stay alive and out of harm's way when the threats she faces are those that come from within, ones out of bounds, and those she cannot see.​ 😢 For when her Pappa suddenly disappears, leaving her to have to lie her way into staying hired as the house maid to captain Pike and his missus with their six children and their ward, sixteen year old Hannah, unwanted helpless Elsbeth will have to rely on her wit, determination, patience, and most of all courage to brave the storms that endanger her during the ​​Rebellion 1776​, that is more than just a liberation for a nation, but a fight for her to prove that she can find a way to survive amidst the fears and longing that come her way.​ 💪🏻

​​​“​One of the many advantages of being a practiced liar was that my ears were sharply tuned to the falsehoods of others.”

​​​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ As the fate of America hung in the balance, it is easy to forget or even difficult to imagine that there were countless Bostonians who were facing their own form of rebellion that had nothing to do with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.. And yet, oddly enough, Elsbeth had to do very much that. And as much as at times I was frustrated and annoyed with her behavior, her frustration and annoyances felt all the more reasonable. 😤 I praised her for holding her tongue when a snarky retort was the only way those wretched souls needed to be treated, how they used her kindness towards them as a weapon. She was reproachful, spirited and calculated. It was awful to see that people she met in good faith took advantage of her. And it was here that Laurie Halse Anderson's latest historical middle grade fiction showed the different sides of the human spirit. During a time where young blood yearned to be a part of a nation's history, there were those fighting simply to survive the trials of their own personal history. 😔

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ So, the Goodread blurb is incorrect by stating it is Abigail Adams' family that Elsbeth is hired to work as a maid - a safe haven where despite the toils and troubles, it would be still easily convenient for her father to return to her - Abigail Adams does still warrant a mention, serving as the comparison that alludes to the malignant and turbulent time of the nation. 😟 And it is to those precedents that keeps the plot progressing forward at a steady pace, one which Elsbeth has to find a precarious balance between keeping her job, ensuring her safety, while also striking up a bond between Hannah - a kinship and camaraderie that likens them to being both in a similar state - 'unloved, unwanted, and helpless.' But, their pseudo-friendship truly laid the groundwork for the plot and the narrative. It was sincere and heartfelt - one which Elsbeth desperately aimed and hoped to protect and shelter from any harm. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

​​​“​What cannot be cured, Hannah Sparhawk, must be endured.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ It is impossible not to note how the war of independence greatly hindered decisions and choices. Hannah was everything Elsbeth was not, and yet, the only one who truly understood her. Their stories mirror each other in a strange way, but fittingly so that made my heart ache. 😢 For the injustice of both riches stolen and a life wasted; there is tragedy and sadness that binds the two, but also loyalty and understanding. too. As well as the rush of youth and a dream to be free of control and constraints, no longer at the mercy of an unfair and cruel system that cheated them that made their relationship truly mean something. 🫶🏻

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Elsbeth's greatest strength was despite the cruel spiteful insults she wished to hurl, she never forgot her place within the Pike family, no matter how kind they were to her, and even to recognize when to fold back or mold a situation to her favor. It was trying and taxing; not to mention, the swirl of emotions plaguing her - 'sorrow, hope, despair, frustration, gratitude, regret, pride (occasionally), and loneliness.' 😥 But, she still possessed a resilience far beyond her years - a violent patience that served as her strength at times. In her own way, she led a defiant rebellion of her own way to prove her place, as well as resist those wretched scoundrels who cheated and manipulated truth for their own twisted gain.

​​​“​But smallpox raised its monstrous head, and the events of our lives were forced onto an unexpected shadowy path.”

​​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ For when it does make its presence known, it reminded me of the COVID pandemic; there were those who scorned the vaccine, much like those back then disregarded the benefits of inoculation, while others shied away from treatment and prevailed in their symptoms. But nothing is for certain, life can be taken for granted. '... Smallpox interfered with death as much as life.' 🥺 And the six months that Elsbeth works for Pikes and Hannah, it reminds of her own family succumbing to the illness, how she tries everything in her capable hands to assist them, rebelling against Widow Nash and her supposed duties, in the efforts in trying to save as many lives as possible - believing that if even her own meager family back home in Philadelphia could have benefited from the luxuries and means offered to them - could there lives have been spared?

​​​“​As long as you want me,” Shubel said, leaning forward to whisper in my ear, “I shall always return to you, Culpepper.”

​​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ But, fret not, there is still a blissful light in her dismal struggle. There is still humor and life and the fight to ward off an illness that could consume them. There is also hope and love that quietly blooms amidst the eager, one that includes a beautiful and steadfast relationship between wayward waif and childhood friend, Shubel Kent and Elsbeth - one that stir within her those 'bewildering jumble of thoughts and sensations too confusing to sort through', ones which make her so very fervent and eager to keep him out of harm, yearn to be as close as she can to him, but unsure of what those feelings could possibly mean. 🤧 That gentle reminder of his appearance in her life & heart showed the softer side of her at how much she still wished for just a little more of a life that was simple and ordinary. Just a little chance to be happy and bereft of any fear or troubles. She and the turnip shared some tender and heart-warming moments that I could not help but smile at. 🥹

​*Thank you to Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This outstanding work of historical fiction is packed with details about life in Boston in 1776.
Elsbeth Cunningham is a rather tough 13-year-old child. She’s had to harden herself, because she has suffered much trouble and sorrow in her young life. As the tensions between the British and the American Patriots began to heat up in the spring and summer of 1776, Elsbeth finds employment as a housemaid to the large Pike family. As the months pass of waiting to hear from her father, who disappeared suddenly during the Siege of Boston, she grows quite fond of the family. When a smallpox epidemic breaks out in the town, Elsbeth’s testimony about the horror of losing her own family to the illness convinces Missus Pike to have her loved ones inoculated, preventing further needless tragedy in their lives…
This novel was researched and written about events that occurred decades ago. Eerily, however, in today’s society, the medical practice of vaccination against contagious diseases has come under fire. The author did a truly masterful job of detailing the origins of this practice to protect against smallpox, a dreadful virus that killed thousands, agonizingly, before doctors began convince people to inoculate their loved ones.
This book should be in every middle-grade and young adult classroom, everywhere.

* I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

[Sarah Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

So terribly disappointed in this one. How can Anderson write historical fiction for young readers SO brilliantly in Fever, 1793 and The Seeds of America trilogy and completely miss the mark on this one?! I didn’t develop any care toward Elsbeth and the narrative style of having her sometimes talk directly to the reader was disjointed and weird. (As was the use of period language.) All the historical bits were there but they could have had more of a staring role. There were a few positives, but overall, not my favorite.

[Dawn Michelle]

*NO RATING*

While I commend the author's research for this book [and it was extensive; see the author's note at the end of the book], and the look into the smallpox epidemic that was both interesting *AND* timely [given recent events with the current measles outbreak and people's stupid, ignorant hesitation around vaccinations], overall, this book just did not work for me [nor, do I think it would keep the attention of many middle-graders I know], and I spent much of wishing I was reading somethiing else, ALL while hoping it would get better [I will say that the last hour of the book was the best of the whole experience and left me wishing the whole book had been this good]. I didn't enjoy the narration much either and that added to the disconnect I already felt with the writing.
Having read [with several others sitting staring at me from my physical book pile] this author before [Fever 1793 was absolutely stunning and shows that the author is a magnificent writer], my expectations were very high, and unfortunately, I was left very disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing/Antheneum/Caitlin Dloughey Book for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[BooksNCrannies · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rebellion has begun...

✏️ Review ✏️

'Twas a struggle to get into this story at first. The characters are average, the plot is ok, the writing style's decent enough. The narration did feel somewhat disjointed at times due to the FMC directly addressing the reader.

Alas, what made Rebellion 1776 mediocre and hard to get into was the fact that the FMC lies so many times without even thinking about it. Ugh! Although near the end she chides herself a bit for lying so much.... Yeah, so that that's. Don't get me wrong, though. I still think this story appropriately and effectively depicts the many facets of this time period; I just would be hesitant to recommend it to MG readers because of the FMC lying so much. Rebellion 1776 still is an interesting historical read.

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📊 A Quick Overview 📊

👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The effective depiction of this historical time period.

👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The disjointed narration (a few time it's really jarring).
• The FMC's constant lying.

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❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓

— Would I recommend this book? Yes.*

— To whom? To those who enjoy middle grade historical fiction reads that effectively depict their historical setting.

*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)

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📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 3/5)
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3/5
— 📝 Writing: 3/5
— 👥 Characters: 2.5/5

~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)

— 🤬 Language:

• A few instances of mildly crude humor.

• Several uses of mild swear words (vocabulary mostly used during the 1700s).

— ⚔️ Violence: 1/5

• Trigger warning: A scene of death and subsequent grief.

— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5

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📣 Random Comments 📣

• Content notes: (1) One of the minor characters is mentioned as visiting a soothsayer. (2) One of the minor characters proclaims that "Owls take messages to the dead." (3) As I mentioned in my review, the FMC tells falsehoods repeatedly throughout the story. The only time she regrets lying is towards the end of the story.

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💬 Favorite Quotes 💬

• (None)

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 10 hour audio middle school historical novel well suited to holiday listening time. Elspeth is a 13 year old, newly arrived in Boston from Philadelphia. Her father, a sail maker, wanted to leave the memories of their Philadelphia life after Elspeth’s mother and younger siblings die in the beginning of the great smallpox epidemic that crossed the American contingent 1775-1782. Elspeth works as a maid, first for a British loyalist judge and then for the family of a newly released patriot when the British evacuate (and kidnap her father). The main plot of the story revolves more around the inoculation of the family against smallpox — at that time inoculation was a new and scary practice in America since its milder version of smallpox was still led to sickness and a rare death. Elspeth is a smallpox survivor and helps nurse the family. Hannah, the lively 16 year wealthy orphan ward of family, thinks she too survived smallpox as a small child but instead comes down with the community spread full version of the disease and her suffering emphasizes what a truly dangerous disease smallpox was.

Excellent author’s note at end of book described the extensive sources used and how the idea of novel began from perusing the letters of Abigail Adams who came to Boston with her sister to have all their children inoculated during this period. Each chapter begins with a quote from a primary source and the story itself seems well grounded in history. Elspeth and Hannah seem a bit too feisty thinking for their times but story shows how confined the expectations were for them during these times. I read this for my own enjoyment and to learn more about Boston’s Revolutionary War history. 3.5

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Revolutionary War was my favorite historical period as a kiddo, and this only reinforced that, lol. The second half was definitely stronger than the first, but I enjoyed it overall. 4 stars from me!

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have enjoyed this book when I was younger, but it’s obviously hard to listen to and judge a book written for early middle school readers (that’s not to say that I don’t read kids books, because I so do, but these jokes felt very juvenile and I knew the whole plot). I will say I did learn a lot about the siege of Boston and the smallpox epidemic. The old English was silly, “mayhaps” was my fav and I might need to incorporate that in my normal vocab. There were some interesting themes about women’s independence but then her dad (the real villain, he was my opp) came back and it felt deflated.

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

*audiobook

[Jerry Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson (2025) is a fictional middle grade (ages 10 to 14) historical tale. The main character, thirteen-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper, is a diligent kitchen helper who eventually takes on the role of nanny. Elsbeth stands out for her resourcefulness and quick-thinking, relying on her intelligence and determination to navigate the dangers of wartime while caring for those around her. As she faces the turmoil of the era, her resilience and compassion make her a compelling and relatable protagonist.

The story takes a time rich in Boston’s history. In April of 1775, the British began a long siege on Boston try to take control. Fighting a war in 1775 and 1776 across the ocean from their homeland made it so the British soldiers were often without food, fuel, and supplies. The American colonists to a lesser and were close to other colonists. Thus, in March of 1776 the British gave up on fighting for Boston and boarded ships to return to England and burnt much of Boston as the left.

Elsbeth worked in the kitchen for a Judge until the British left in March of 1776. The Judge was a loyalist - those were the 20% of Americans who were loyal to the British – and he left with this British. At the same time Elsbeth’s father went missing. Elsbeth was a child alone in a war torn and burnt city. A city where there were very few jobs.

Elsbeth said she was sixteen and got hired in the home of the Pike family with five children and a wealthy ward.

A smallpox pandemic and the smallpox vaccine also were present in Boston.

This novel tells of Elsbeth’s journey during these challenging times as she focuses on surviving and attempts to learn the circumstances of her father’s disappearance.

Anderson is accomplished in both in developing great characters and putting them into a time and setting that is historically rich. If the idea of reading a story with a deep plot, strong characters and full of American history sounds good to you - I recommend this book to you.

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elspeth Culpepper is a 13-year-old girl living in Boston during the Revolutionary War, who survived the smallpox epidemic that killed her mother and siblings. Her father, a sailmaker, wants to send her to overseas relatives, but mysteriously disappears, leaving Elspeth to survive on her own. She manages to work for a Patriot family because of her ability to get along with the numerous kids, while battling a long-tenured housekeeper who does not like her at all. Elspeth befriends a ward of the family, as her grandmother recuperates from an illness. I liked Elspeth relationship with another boy without a family as they looked out for each other. However, I was disappointed that the book was more about the smallpox epidemic than about the war for independence.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It kind of felt like nothing much was happening. It was a good slice of life novel, but I wanted a bigger/more involved conflict because I just kept waiting for something to happen.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have loved Anderson’s books on similar historical events so I was excited to have a chance to read this book about the revolution in Boston. It started right in the middle of the action and hooked me immediately. I absolutely fell in love with the characters, especially the main character Elsbeth. She was fiesty and smart. This book had everything for me- fighting, romance, close relationships, and wholesome life lessons. Absolutely a must read.

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Enjoyable, good writing, interesting but not compelling. I never felt excited about getting back into it and rather read it because I felt I should finish. The Smallpox epidemic was a fresh topic to read about, and Elsbeth's life as a non-enslaved, technically, servant interested me some. Readers will learn about medical practices of the Rev War (although not so much of the really interesting crazy home-remedies that I learned about in Salem, MA), how unfairly women were treated during that time, and will be entertained by a story. It wasn't my favorite of Anderson's, and I think I enjoyed Chains much more. Author's Note worth reading!

[Jennifer Mangler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was completely engrossed in Elsbeth's story. This was the best historical fiction I've read about smallpox. Just reading the symptoms doesn't always give you a sense of what it was really like. This book does, which is so important now that we live in a time when people dismiss horrifying diseases as "not so bad." I love Anderson's historical fiction. It feels so real and lived-in.

[Anne Osterlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurie Halse Anderson is such a wonderful writer, it is a joy just to sit within the words.

Elspeth is on her own in Revolutionary-War era Boston. Her mother and siblings died of smallpox. Her father disappeared with the British evacuation of the city. And Elspeth's employer--a Tory judge--has evacuated himself.

Now you might think this would leave a working-class teenage girl in dire straits, but really not so much more that the rest of Boston. So when Elspeth is hired on by a formerly well-to-do couple now scraping by and trying to wrangle a passel of uncooperative children, she knows her worth and steps into the breach. A good thing too because the father--a released prisoner of war--is soon off to sea, the housekeeper is a regular tyrant, and the city is about to go into quarantine as the bulk of the populace tackles wartime inoculations in the face of an epidemic.

Plus the children really need someone with a sense of humor.


A strong spunky heroine in the midst of Revolutionary-War Boston, sign me up. Combine that with Anderson's writing, and there was probably zero chance that I would not love this book.

In addition, this was one of those wonderful historical fiction books that made me research for more information.

As a child in school, I had learned that the early smallpox vaccine used a sample of cowpox--a more mild disease--in order to protect people. Watching the John Adams mini-series, I also learned about the smallpox epidemic & inoculations in Massachusetts during the Revolutionary War. But I did not realize that the inoculations during the Revolutionary War occurred prior to the discovery of the cowpox vaccine. Instead, people of the time had inoculations using the actual smallpox virus. (A small sample was scraped into the skin). This reduced the death rate from 30% to only 2%. However, it required a lengthy period of quarantine as recipients did develop a typically milder form of the disease and could spread that disease to others who were not protected. Also people afraid of getting smallpox would sometimes inoculate themselves and fail to quarantine, which could be very dangerous for others. Hence, Boston elected to tackle the problem as a city, inoculating everyone who wished to be so all at once and likewise quarantining them all at once. People from the country moved into the city in order to be inoculated, and those who did not wish to be or who were already protected and did not wish to be quarantined moved out for the duration. Interesting.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stellar historical fiction for grades 5 and up, set in Boston, Massachusetts just prior to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Focus is on the survival and culture of families and individuals during this tumultuous time with a bit of wartime weaponry and tactics and the effect of the Declaration on the spirits of Patriots in the city.

Elsbeth Culpepper and her sail-making father have relocated to Boston after the loss of mom and all her siblings to smallpox. Elsbeth is in her teens and is acting as live in maid to a well to do Loyalist while her dad works long hours stitching sails and sleeps in a run down boarding house. But Elsbeth has dreams of apprenticeship to a seamstress and the gumption to get there if only things would break her way, however, times are tough and about to get worse.

Readers will warm to plucky Elsbeth quickly and wish for her luck to change, but every time life seems to be headed in a positive direction, a new challenge arises-her father disappears after they have a disagreement, Loyalists are evacuated from Boston leaving Elsbeth jobless, her best friend joins Washington’s army, plus smallpox and difficult inoculation procedures strike hard among the townspeople and those she loves. As always, Anderson combines a wonderful story with real life events into a narrative that is sure to engage those interested in history as well as readers who enjoy a character-driven tale with a strong female lead.

Text is free of profanity and sexual content with very little violence. High page count means that younger middle grade readers may have a difficult time finishing, but the vocabulary should not be daunting. With the history, a bit of romance and well-developed characters, junior high and even high school students will find something to love.

Thanks for the print ARC, Simon & Schuster/Atheneum Books.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews...

An interesting and insightful read that taught me a lot about what life was like in Boston in 1776 as the tide turned in favor of the Patriots in the Revolutionary War and the smallpox epidemic swept the city. I really enjoyed following Elsbeth and the Pike family through the unpredictable ups and downs of the time. As always, Laurie Halse Anderson does an excellent job creating well rounded characters you can connect with, and she maintains good pacing and manages the many plot threads well. There was a moment that, while honestly inevitable, still emotionally gut punched me. All in all, a great historical read that will embed you in the time period.

[J. S. Seebauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, incredible. Love Anderson's historical fiction!!!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this on July 4th. I adore Laurie’s historical middle grades because they are filled with history and life lessons.

[Maggie Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I've read any other books that were set around not only the fighting and revolution but also while smallpox was also raging and how communities were trying to get ahead of it. Although this book was middle grade it did not gloss over the brutality of the disease in any way. This book would be an excellent addition to any history lesson set around the 1770s.

[Jessica Fogarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Laurie Halse Anderson so much! This read was a different journey for me as I don’t typically gravitate towards historical fiction but I carried on. I think the story paced ok and I liked Elspeth as a main voice for the story. The chapter starter pages with the title, date and a quote was lovely and helped me keep track of where and when we were! I found myself checking the map during the read which was fun! I appreciated the added visual aid. Overall the story was gritty and hopeful as most stories involving smallpox, war, and a young protagonist tend to be.

Finally, thank you so much for this ARC copy to read and review!

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, I find myself falling in love with Laurie Halse Anderson's writing. Elspeth Culpepper is a 13-year-old girl living in Boston and a survivor of the smallpox epidemic that took her mother and siblings. Her father, her only living relative, has gone missing, and she has to figure out a way to survive on her own, even while relationships between the Colonies and Great Britain degrade and smallpox continues to spread. During a time when there is a strict divide between the servant class and the gentry and where the patriarchy rules, Elspeth faces a grim and uncertain future. But with her wits and willingness to do what it takes; she is able to work for a Patriot family even though she was originally working for a Loyalist judge. Also living with the family is a sharp-tongued housekeeper who has been with the family for years, and a gentry girl who is temporarily living with the family as her grandmother recuperates from her illness.

I loved Elspeth's voice as she narrates her daily trials and tribulations and shares with us her keen observations of everything going on around her. It was clear that Anderson did her research about the time and place, and she included events that happened in history, including Abigail Adams bringing her family to Boston for the smallpox inoculations in an effort to stem the spread of the horrendous disease.

This story brought forth a wide range of emotions, including laughter, frustration, anger, and tears of sadness and love. Anderson did not sugarcoat anything, but she did give us an ending that was both realistic and hopeful. I highly recommend this story and will be recommending it to my students as well as middle school teachers. This would be a great book to use as a crossover between history, English, and science!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and the publishers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true joy to read! Great pacing and storytelling, while still learning new things about 1776 in Boston. Laughed a lot, cried just the right amount, and ended with a smile.

Well done, LHA!

[Brandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson is a historical fiction that follows the experiences of 13-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper during the American Revolution and the smallpox epidemic in Boston. Although the setting is crucial to the plot, the story focuses more on the events in the life of an ordinary girl during this time in history.
I found the writing to be very compelling. It was exciting and, at times, emotional, and I felt invested in the characters.
I think this would appeal to fans of historical fiction. This would also be a great read in conjunction with a unit on the American Revolution, giving insight into the life of a young person students can relate to. This would be a great addition to any middle school library. Recommended for grades 5 & up.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fever 1793 is one of my favorite books of all time, and getting an exclusive (& signed!!!) sampler at ALA of this book was sooo exciting to me!

Loved every page, and can’t wait for the full book, coming in April of 2025!

- - -
Now I’ve had the luxury to read the entire book (in advanced form) and it’s wonderful, as predicted. Huzzah!

“Rebellions are unexpected, violent things, dear reader, filled one moment with terror and another with joy. If you ever wind up in one, know that most days, you'll be swimming in uncertainty. That is why you must equip yourself with the tools of courage: a strong body, a quick mind, and good friends. Thus armed, you will weather any storms that the Fates send your way.”

[Skye Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is phenomenal!
The way it’s written to the plot is amazing!!
This is definitely one of my favorite books!!!
Definitely recommend this!!

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elsbeth Culpepper has a job as a servant for a rather curmudgeonly British Judge. She’s just biding her time there until her Papa can get back on his feet and find more stable employment so that she can finally get an apprenticeship with a seamstress. But as the revolution comes to Boston, the British evacuate, and Elsbeth’s father disappears, she has to find a way to survive until she can find him. Mister Pike takes over the Judge’s house, and Elsbeth manages to keep her role as a servant in the household, but it isn’t stable. The Pike family housekeeper doesn’t like her, her best friend and fellow co-worker (possible beau?) is kicked out and signs up for the army, the city shuts down as everyone gets vaccinated against smallpox, she has to deal with a family of rambunctious kids down with the after-affects of the vaccine, and someone has information about her father but is trying to blackmail her for it. As the years roll by, can a single young woman survive in such a tumultuous world ravaged by war and epidemics and uncertainty?

I picked this up thinking it would be a middle grade book about life in the Revolutionary War, but it is actually much more YA. Elsbeth is essentially on her own, she only has herself to rely on for employment and care. She has a beau who isn’t just a passing fancy, he’s someone she’s considering for marriage after the conflict dies down. She is dealing with keeping a household running, caring for children, and more. She has adult responsibilities and even if she is a young teen at the outset of the novel, it reads as a more YA book because of the weight of her responsibilities and worries on her mind. It is also just as much about the smallpox epidemic that went through the Americas in the 1770s as it is about the Revolution. Boston quarantined for a summer when most of the town was vaccinated in 1776, and Anderson used Jane Adam’s and others’ journals and correspondence about the experience as a basis for this novel. So there’s more about dealing with disease at this time and the Revolution is mostly happening in the background. It was obviously well-researched, and you understand how vulnerable young women who didn’t have family around could be in this time period. (This is also echoed in the plot line about a young woman of means who is staying with the Pikes and hasn’t come of age to inherit yet.) It’s sobering. So this isn’t necessarily a fun read, but it is an informative and thought-provoking read, and an inspiring story of survival and resilience in the face of harrowing circumstances.

Notes on content:
Language: There might have been 1 or 2 minor swears (or period swears).
Sexual content: Nothing beyond a kiss.
Violence: Deaths and injuries in the war, local violence between desperate people in the background, and deaths from smallpox are all part of the story.
Ethnic diversity: Mostly white American and white British/Irish with some Black Americans too.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified.
Other: Lack of agency for young women of the time period, class/social prejudice, grief from losing family and friends to war and disease.

[Anabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

With dawn of a new nation just on the horizon, Elsbeth Culpepper has more things to worry about than the signing of papers in her old hometown. Now a maid in the city of Boston at just thirteen years old (although she does look much older), Elsbeth has to fret about her father who lived in a boarding house near the docks and has suddenly disappeared after an argument, her best friend who keeps promising to sign up for Washington's army (if only he was old enough), the stability of her job now that her loyalist employer has been forced to flee the city, and how, oh how, she'll ever fulfill her dream of becoming a seamstress' apprentice.

And, of course, there's the smallpox epidemic that's threatening to lay siege upon the city; and while Elsbeth is now immune to the ravages of the disease that killed most of her family, that doesn't mean she can escape its ramifications.

Halse Anderson has once again delivered a middle-grade masterpiece. REBELLION 1776 was emotional, informative, action packed, and obviously thoughtfully researched; from the daily chores Elsbeth tackles under the scrutiny of Widow Nash, to the real-life war-time events unfolding around our heroine. This book will have a little bit of everything for everyone: war, (age appropriate) romance, mystery, and science... REBELLION 1776 is the perfect choice for the history loving advanced middle-grade reader in your life (or, you know, people who grew up with Halse Anderson's books and crave a simpler time).

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

“However, dear reader, the lives of ordinary girls like me rarely unfold in such a predictable fashion.”
🇺🇸
It’s Spring 1776 and Elsbeth Culpepper wakes to the sound of the Siege of Boston, which turns her city into a war zone. Elsbeth’s father, her only living relative after small pox took her mother and siblings, goes missing, leaving Elsbeth alone. She doesn’t want to end up in an orphanage and can pass for sixteen years old, making employment easier to obtain. She gets a job as a nanny and maid, caring for young children just as a pandemic sweeps through the city of Boston, barring anyone from leaving. Elsbeth had small pox and is now immune so she takes on the task of caring for those who contract this deadly disease. In the midst of it all, she’s still hoping to be reunited with her father.
🦠
I’ve had this on my radar since I attended a @simonandschuster author event at #alaac23 and spent some time with Laurie. Then I got to chat with her about it when I moderated a panel at #nttbf24 I’ve been dying for this MG historical fiction and it was worth the wait! Congrats on another home run, Laurie! This is going to be a great book to compare to current events, as well as learn from our history and potentially pair with Fever, 1793 that our 8th graders read. This novel releases April 1!

CW: death, illness, pandemic (theme), violence, child death, death of a parent, parental abandonment, emesis, war (theme)

I wanted a bit more on the war/action/adventure side and less of the smallpox side.