In this you choose history book, the reader is taken back to the beginning of the American Revolution. It starts out by introducing what is going on with the riding tensions between the colonists and British soldiers in Boston. From there the reader is given three options to either join the British in the upcoming battle, join the colonists in the battle or sit back and be a citizen while the battle takes place. Each of the three scenarios had different outcomes and each affected the battle in its own way. Although the British won the battle, they suffered heavy casualties and didn’t take Bunker Hill until the rebels ran out of ammunition after the second British assault. I like this book because it offers varying perspectives and accounts during the Battle of Bunker Hill. All three accounts are written in first-person-narrative and this writing style allows the reader to be more engaged while reading. Although the reader chooses the path they want, the reader can go back and get more perspective by reading all three accounts and endings from the battle. Good history lesson from the American Revolution and the Battle of Bunker Hill.

One of several in the You Choose series, this book employs a choose-your-own-adventure style to make history appealing. At the beginning of the book, readers can choose to be a patriot soldier, a British soldier, or a bystander. From there, the stories each take a different path with many choices to result in many different endings. Readers make choices like whether to fight or run, whether to become a spy, whether to become a Loyalist or support the patriots... The book ends with a conclusion that sums up the information covered in the book. It includes a glossary, time line, index, bibliography, and it urges the reader to consider even more historical perspectives.

My one beef is that there's no choice that represents a woman's perspective. Even as a bystander, the reader is always male. At the end of the book, one of the different perspectives the author urges readers to consider is a female, but nowhere in the actual story is there a female point of view. That said, it's still a fun way to look at history and will appeal to kids looking for something a little different in a nonfiction book. ( )

Very unusual concept, that is for sure. There is currently a great deal of debate at my workplace over whether this counts as fiction or nonfiction. I admit it falls into a very gray area that makes most book people uncomfortable, but I really enjoyed it. I learned a good deal about the Battle of Bunker Hill, and had a great time making the various choices so that I could learn about the different experiences. (For instance, your first choice is whether to be an American soldier, a British soldier, or a civilian.)

For those that are a little nervous about the educational value of a "true" choose your own adventure type book, I would point out that the book has a great deal of solid info, lots of nice woodcuts and other such illustrations from the period, and really great back matter. Nicely indexed as well.

I'm still not sure whether the fiction or nonfiction crowd will win the argument over where this goes, but I do know it belongs on our bookshelf. Fun and learning go together perfectly in this "You Choose Book." ( )