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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

An approachable, personal story of 13-year-old Jonathan's experiences during his 24 hours midst quite unglamorous but very dangerous skirmishes during the Revolutionary War takes place in 1778 near Trenton, New Jersey. Dramatic tension is heightened by the use of literary and visual devices within a cinematic story. (Ages 9-14)

CCBC Choices 1984 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 1984. Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

May 12, 1987
One day in the life of a 13-year-old boy fighting in the Revolutionary War is vividly depicted in hour-by-hour vignettes. Ages 9-up.

From AudioFile Magazine

Thirteen-year-old Jonathan is too young to fight with the colonists against the British, but that doesn't stop him from sneaking off to participate in a local skirmish. When he sees the precise formation of Hessians marching toward him and his fellow patriots, however, he is confronted with the horrors and ambiguities of war. George Guidall's narration captures the drama and desperation of Jonathan's plight. He's adept at capturing accents, especially the German spoken by the Hessians. The presentation concludes with a brief explanation by Avi of the origins of the book. P.B.J. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine