ABOUT THE BOOK
Saving Dr. Warren … A True Patriot
Written by Jeffery McKenna
Publisher’s Synopsis: Patriotism Prevailed in…
✯ The American Revolution
✯ WWII
✯ 9-11
What About Today?
How do we share Patriotism with America’s Future?
The novel Saving Dr. Warren… A True Patriot answers that question through the eyes of a 14 year old boy.
Steve O’Dell loves to write and does it well. But as an eighth-grade student at Needham Middle School, his talent sometimes seems more an embarrassment than a blessing.
Then, on Veterans Day 2001, Steve’s award-winning essay propels him into an adventure twisting through Revolutionary battles and bloodshed. Thanks to the bizarre bequest of a manuscript and a musket ball from a long-lost family war hero, Steve’s journey with the Revolutionary War hero Dr. Joseph Warren begins.
A time-traveling talisman missing from the archives of one of Boston’s oldest historical societies takes Steve through portals of history, where he walks side by side with a real Boston patriot. He makes house calls with Dr. Warren on March 5, 1770, and stumbles onto the bloodstained streets of the Boston Massacre. From the killings of March 5 to boarding tea ships in 1773, Steve’s history book explodes to life as he helps Dr. Warren and forges a friendship with Boston’s True Patriot. Steve watches Dr. Warren launch Paul Revere on his midnight ride, and he helps Dr. Warren dodge British musket balls in the first battles of the War for Independence. With each adventure, Steve tastes the light that ignites The Revolution.
Steve will eventually convince others that the Revolutionary relic he was given really does open portals through time, but he faces his most difficult quest alone—saving Dr. Warren from the onslaught at Bunker Hill. Can he do it? And if he fails, will he ever return to this century?
Saving Dr. Warren…A True Patriot rips through the pages of history. From the Revolutionary War to the vanishing veterans of World War II, to the ashes of September 11, 2001, Saving Dr. Warren demonstrates to both old and young that patriotism, standing like an old oak tree on a grandfather’s farm, has and will endure.
Ages 11-15 | 366 Pages | Publisher: Jeffery J. McKenna | ISBN-13: 978-0999901205
PURCHASE LINK
Saving Dr. Warren . . . “A True Patriot”
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MY REVIEW
McKenna, Jeffery. Saving Dr. Warren…A True Patriot. 2020.
I enjoy time travel books when they are done well. Jeffery McKenna chose time travel to tell the story of Dr. Joseph Warren, a somewhat unknown hero of the Revolutionary War. McKenna begins the story in medias res, in the middle of things, and it took a bit to completely understand the connection of the prologue and opening chapter to the rest of the story. It did eventually become clear but I felt like this part of the story could have been done better – some pre-teen readers may be confused.
I enjoyed reading about Steve’s time travels and learning more about the Revolutionary War from a first person perspective – that part was very well done. I was amused by Steve trying to explain to others what had happened to him, when he didn’t fully understand it himself. I appreciated the flashbacks to different time periods / wars. Saving Dr. Warren…A True Patriot is a great historical fiction novel for middle grade students. Readers will learn history and be inspired to dive deeper into the events and people mentioned in the book.
I appreciated Jeffery McKenna’s footnotes throughout the book and notes at the end which give more historical background to the terms and events. These notes also tell about the “why” behind the writing of the book, which is always fun to learn. I look forward to reading additional titles in this series.
A Concern
There is quite a bit of use of “minced” oaths which may be problematic for some audiences.
In spite of this concern, I would place this book in a K-12 Christian School library. It is appropriate for grades five and up.
This review was prepared in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and author Jeffery McKenna. This is my honest review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Mckenna resides in a peaceful Southern Utah town amidst the red rocks that make up National Parks like Zion and Arches. He loves mountain biking over the brightly colored sandstone that surrounds him, as well as new trails he finds when he goes on cross-country RV trips with his wife. Along with reading entertaining historical fiction novels, Jeff believes a great way to learn to love America is by exploring her beautiful landscape and visiting cities and states from sea to shining sea.
Jeff’s love for his country is what has fostered his love for writing. Uncovering America’s history can be messy, but Jeff dives in with both hands to uncover what lies hidden in our nation’s past. He loves to reveal forgotten heroes and help them come alive for young Americans as they race through the pages of his historical fiction novel, Saving Dr. Warren… “A True Patriot.”
Jeff would love to hear about the American heroes you’ve discovered as you’ve dived into history!
For more information, visit https://www.jefferyjmckenna.com/
Make sure you visit Jeffery J. McKenna’s website for plenty of free educational resources that have been created specifically for Saving Dr. Warren… A True Patriot. You’ll find lesson plans, an essay contest, as well as information about author visits. This historical-fiction novel has been used in several middle school classrooms as a resource for both History and English teachers—it is a great educational tool for parents, librarians, and teachers.
GIVEAWAY
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
- A copy of Saving Dr. Warren … “A True Patriot,” autographed by Jeffery McKenna
- An original 1700’s musket ball
Two (2) winners receive:
- A copy of Saving Dr. Warren … “A True Patriot,” autographed by Jeffery McKenna
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