Sons of Liberty

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Overview

Nobody knows the American Revolution better than Rock Kindle. He takes pride in his patriotic forefathers and believes that he too could brave any combat. But when he helps his best friend run away from home, Rock begins to question the bonds that hold his own family together.

When thirteen-year-old Rock helps his friend Liza run away from home, he wonders whether escaping from his own troubled family would be an act of patriotism ...

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Sons of Liberty

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More About This Book

Overview

Nobody knows the American Revolution better than Rock Kindle. He takes pride in his patriotic forefathers and believes that he too could brave any combat. But when he helps his best friend run away from home, Rock begins to question the bonds that hold his own family together.

When thirteen-year-old Rock helps his friend Liza run away from home, he wonders whether escaping from his own troubled family would be an act of patriotism or of treason.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Rock Kindle, a seventh-grade history buff, is fascinated by war but is blind to the one that is brewing under his own roof. His older brother, Cliff, is getting fed up with their militant father's belittling remarks and harsh punishments, which include waking the boys in the middle of the night to do calisthenics and chores. Rock, on the other hand, admires and defends his father's toughness "All he's doing is trying to improve us, as a family. And I think that's wicked decent, actually". Rock thinks his life is easy when compared to that of his best friend Liza, who gets beaten by her stepfather. But after Liza runs away, Rock begins to notice how his own family is crumbling. In a gripping climax, he is forced to do some quick soul-searching, and choose whether or not to join the rest of his family in abandoning his father. Griffin's Split Just Right pointedly jarring dialogue and keen ear for adolescent jargon have a magnetic quality few readers will be able to resist. Pulled into Rock's nightmarish existence as an abuse victim, they will witness a heartwrenching example of split loyalties. Rock's "wake-up call" does not necessarily provide a happy ending or clear solution. Reflecting on the casualties of his shattered home life and his betrayal, he acknowledges that "revolution is a strange and complicated thing." Ages 10-up. Sept.
Children's Literature - Gisela Jernigan
Child abuse, both physical and emotional is the theme of this rather stark, but ultimately hopeful young adult novel. Rock and his older brother Cliff are tired of losing sleep because of their father's periodic "interrupted nights," when he loudly wakes them in the middle of the night to work on home repairs. They are also worried by their Mother's agoraphobia and by the emotional abuse of their little sister. They long for change but lack the courage to seek freedom until they are inspired by their best friend Liza's escape from her physically abusive stepfather. The relationship between Cliff, Rock, and Liza seems unbelievable yet realistic.
School Library Journal
Gr 6-8--The Kindle family--abusive, manipulative Dad; agoraphobic Mom; sons Rock and Cliff; and little sister Brontie--live in a rundown summer cottage where Dad can keep them relatively isolated as they try to cope with his tantrums and hostility. Cliff seems to have some understanding of what is going on, while Rock attempts to bury his "disloyal" thoughts in his obsession with the American Revolution. When the boys' friend Liza, herself the victim of an abusive stepfather, has finally had enough, the brothers help her run away to New Haven, where she disappears. Cliff works with his mother to help her overcome her fear so that she can drive the car when they are ready to escape their situation. Clueless adults abound in this depressing mix of angst and abuse. Rock verbally lashes out at his mother as his sense of frustration and despair grows. Readers are given to believe that her anguish over Rock's contempt provides her with the impetus she needs to confront her problem and overcome it in a remarkably brief time. Chapter titles such as "The Sugar Act," "Without Representation," and "Midnight Ride" attempt to relate the brothers' situation to that of the historical Sons of Liberty. Rock is the focus of the story, but it's difficult to feel any sympathy for him; his vacillation at the end of the book over whether to stay or run is simply annoying, not climactic. This book has neither drama nor insight to offer in exchange for readers' time.--Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA
New York Times Book Review
A finalist for the 1997 National Book Award in children's literature, this accessible novel is about Rock Kindle, a 13-year-old boy whose comprehensive knowledge of the American Revolution is no emotional defense when his best friend decides to run away from home. -- New York Times Book Review
Kirkus Reviews
A knot-in-the-stomach of a good book, as true and real as any this year: Griffin (Split Just Right, p. 555, etc.), in her disturbing portraits of adults as authoritative, abusive, and ineffectual parents, casts a dark shadow over the story of two teenage brothers leaving the safety of childhood.

Intelligent writing and thoughtfully drawn characters amplify the process of two boys wending their way through the complexities of family relationships that are often beyond the scope of their understanding. Rock, 13, is a history buff, an American Revolution aficionado who understands loyalty and conflict. Griffin cleverly draws parallels between the private family war of two sons rebelling against their regimented, fiercely controlling father, and the large-scale revolt of young colonies against the parent country. Rock's relationship with his brother Cliff is mostly intuitive, marked by petty jealousies and competitions as well as shining moments. As Cliff and Rock toy with the notion of escape, the suspense is exhausting; Rock's anguish is achingly realized, and the final outcome is no black- and-white happy ending, but a gray realm: They choose the temporary pain of breaking away in the half-uttered hope of finding a better life. It will make readers wince in discomfort, and long to know how it all turned out.

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780786813001
  • Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
  • Publication date: 9/28/1998
  • Edition description: FIRST HYPERION PAPERBACK
  • Edition number: 1
  • Pages: 230
  • Lexile: 860L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 5.22 (w) x 7.60 (h) x 0.59 (d)

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
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Sort by: Showing all of 5 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 26, 2007

    A reviewer

    Sons of Liberty This book will make you think about your family. This book is about a family that has two sons and a daughter. The boys' names are Cliff and Rock and the sister's is Brontie. Cliff and Rock have a friend, girl named Liza. The boys help her run away from her parents into a city. And then they, and their mom, escape from their dad. This is a good book. Why did Liza escape? I think she escaped because her real dad and real mom were in a divorce and her new dad was mean to her and the family. Or maybe she found her real dad in the city. The boys help her to escape because she said that she needed help to get into the city and that she has to meet somebody in the city. Cliff was the person that made the plan of going ,at four o'clock in the morning, to the city. When she got there nobody was there to answerer the door when they knocked. The reason Cliff, Rock, their mom, and Brontie left was because their dad was going crazy. Their dad always gave something called Interrupted Nights. Interrupted Nights are when their dad gives them work in the middle of the night. He also started to through away Brontie's dolls. This is a good book because it was really interesting.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 5, 2004

    Kinda weird

    this book was kinda weird but it was ok!! My favorite part was when they went to New Haven.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 1, 2003

    this book was really good

    this book had some up times and down times but it was really good and it had lots of reference to the american revolution i would recomend this to any one that is a history buff.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 10, 2001

    A Revolutionary War Fanatic

    Rock Kindle and his family in the book Sons of Liberty by Adele Griffin live in Sheffield Connecticut and have to be ready for and put up with interrupted nights from their dad. Rock is a Revolutionary War fanatic and believes that he could withstand any combat; this helps him to ignore what is really going on in his family. When Rock and his brother Cliff help a friend to run away, Cliff starts to make him think twice about his own family¿s strength. Cliff and his father are really putting the pressure on Rock of being a family traitor and deserter, Both of which Rock desperately does not want to be. If this is true, why does he just want to get away from it all? I would recommend this book because it shows how tough family loyalty can be. It also really brings out how strong family love is. This book would be good for anybody to read. Janae C.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 3, 2001

    this Bokk is ok!!!

    It had some spots that wre kinda stupid!! But all the rest was fine!! I would have told more about lovisa and where she was!! but it was still ok

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