For kids, reading history as facts can be dull, but add a story that they can get immersed in, and they are more willing to read it. The Redcoats Are Coming, by Marianne Hering and Nancy I. Sanders, does just that.

Patrick and Beth are cousins, and are preparing to go on vacation to Boston. After telling Whit, he lets them experience some of the Revolutionary War history of the city using the Imagination Station. They get to see first hand some of what happened just as the war begins, and they get to help the Patriots.

The Redcoats Are Coming stays true to what kids learned in school about the time period, but adds a fictional story line to help kids stick with reading it. It also goes further by including obeying God’s will into the plot, which is often left out when the stories are told.

The book is easy for younger kids to read; most would be able to read it on their own. It can be used to teach other things besides the start of the Revolutionary War. Beth and Patrick have to work together and with others. Their reactions to the situations they find themselves in, like being accused of spying, can be used to teach kids a better way to handle conflict.

I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for reading it and giving an honest review.