George Washington Socks and It Was Socks
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The kids are in the midst of a brut
Five kids, Matthew, Q, Hoot, Tony, and Katie camp out one night as part of their newly formed adventurer's club. When a mysterious, old rowboat appears suddenly as beckons them onboard their lives change in a way they never dreamed possible. Out on dark, eerie Lake Levart, they are thrown back in time and find themselves among General George Washington's army on the Delaware River on that fateful Christmas Eve night that was uncharacteristically snowy and icy.The kids are in the midst of a brutal and bloody war fought by men who were brave beyond their years. Through their experience, they have a newfound appreciation and admiration of the sacrifice these early men in our country made to ensure our freedom...but, most of all, they want to get home again!
George Washington's Socks is an adventure into time-travel and is fascinating to see it woven with historical events...although some parts are cheesy and outdated.
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Really with the time traveling aspect, it reminded me kind of the magic treehouse, but I didn't enjoy it as well as I did the treehouse books.
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The author dedicated this to her nephews, Matt and Q,& I think it's cute she named two of the characters after them.
I liked learning about the history of the Revolutionary War:
New Jersey was divided in it's loyalties. Many farmers felt they still owed allegiance to King George, and wouldn't accept the new confederate money that the congress
The author dedicated this to her nephews, Matt and Q,& I think it's cute she named two of the characters after them.
I liked learning about the history of the Revolutionary War:
New Jersey was divided in it's loyalties. Many farmers felt they still owed allegiance to King George, and wouldn't accept the new confederate money that the congress had issued to the army. British spies were everywhere. The rebels were ill-trained and inexperienced soldiers, most having more experience with a plow than a bayonet.
The Tories used kids as runners.
The men were John Glover's Marbleheaders, seafaring enlisted men from the north, under Colonel John Glover of Marblehead, Massachusetts.
George had 2,400 soldiers on the River Christmas night. He had his officers stick a piece of paper in their hats so they could be recognized in the dark.
There were soldiers in blue, green, brown, and beige costs. Some had tricornered hats, round hats, or headbands with Liberty or death on them. They were called Washington's ragtag band of rebels.
Each colony had a separate style of dress, you could tell them apart by the color.
It covered the other side of war, how not everyone was fighting for country and freedom. Like Israel, some fought for the money to take care of their families.
Drummers had reverse colors from their soldiers. The revels wore blue coats, red facings, so drummers had red coats, blue facings.
If you didn't sign for the King's protection papers it meant your farm was open game for plundering by the British and the Hessians. They were from Hessia and mercenaries, who got paid for killing.
Many American boys were used as spies and runners for the rebels.
King George was running out of British troops to send to America so he paid the Germans to send some of their troops. Many were young boys from farms and needed the money or wanted to be someone special.
The redcoats had false currency they provided their spies, in case they were captured.
The little sister's cuteness wore off very fast. After the first squirt with the water gun, she became irritating to me, and I didn't care for her character. I didn't even think she should have gone back in time with them. She was sort of ridiculous with the water gun, bow and arrows, and sword. Seriously, how can you even carry all that? And I thought it would play a part when she went back in time, but the items were never mentioned again.
I loved the tales about the lake, how people would disappear for a while,& if they came back they were never the same. Because I knew it was going to happen to them.
Tony's grandpa said it was Levart Lake, but it was now called Levy Lake. All the tales of people disappearing had a common theme, that they all went out on a boat, but the people didn't own boats themselves. It always happens under a 3-quarter moon, and it was a 3-quarter that night they camped. I love stuff like that.
His sister loses the bag of marshmallows, and in looking for them, runs ahead on the trail to the lake, instead of back where they had been walking. Why would you go ahead on a trail, when you dropped something behind you? That made no sense to me, and I thought it was a dumb way to get the kids to the lake. They were already heading that way, and wanted to explore around the lake, so they could have just found the boat naturally, without Katie losing the marshmallows, and then jumping in the boat, and them having to go and save her.
It propels them back in time, on the Delaware River, during the winter, so it was covered in ice.
Katie suddenly stands up in the boat on the icy river. Falls out on the ice. Never answers the boys' calls, then she's suddenly just standing there on the ice yelling for help. She was so annoying.
I didn't like it when Matthew got separated from the group, and that captain thought he was a rebel solider. If he had been on the boat with George and the kids, how did he not know who Matt was? Or was this captain already on the shore, and therefore hadn't seen the kids yet?
It was so shocking and confusing how all of a sudden Adam Hibbs had befallen an accident, and lay bleeding in Hooter's lap, after falling on his bayonet in the boat. Why had they left without Matt? They were supposed to wait and take all the kids to Adam's farm. Why did they take off across the river without Matt? I didn't like that the death took place off-page, and we're only told about it after.
I found Israel getting sick and peeing himself too graphic for a kid's book.
Henry the drummer gave Matt strips of cloth so he could tie them around his fingers. Instead of giving them to Israel, he lays them over his wet pants. What a waste of cloth. Then when he hands him the beads, Israel's fingers are blistered and purple. So you should have wrapped them around his fingers like they were intended for.
It was nice of Henry, the drummer, to tell the farmer to look for Matt and Israel, but if they were going to be rescued, why not have Israel make it to the rescue? What was the point? He died shortly before Matt was rescued. Not to mention he only had like two weeks to go until his enlistment and he would go home and be with his siblings. So the whole thing was just tragic and unecessary.
He met up with his friends again, who'd been with Indians. They tell their tale of Adam Hibbs dying. It was sad some men died because they weren't used to having bayonets on their guns. Their boat started to go under and a flat boat saved them, but had to let some horses off for them to fit. We're told it was horrible watching them trying to swim. I was so sick of the graphic, sad nature of this book.
I wondered how Adam Hibbs could be the same age, and it turned out it was his grandson.
You don't mess with time and leave modern items there. Tennis shoes, a video game and batteries. I was so upset any time they kept bringing modern items out like that. And when they didn't even try to speak even slightly more historical so they didn't stand out.
It's always annoying to me in books when animals have human reaction. Matt is talking to the mule, and it nods patiently and then appears to be smiling.
They planned to hold the Hessians at gunpoint and rescue Q and Katie. I thought it was cute when Matt stepped forward and did the one thing he was hoping he wouldn't. He closed his eyes and didn't move, which is what he does when he's scared. Like when he's watching a scary movie, and he has Katie tell him what's happening.
The Germans see the dollar bill with George Washington on it and know that the kids are rebels. Would the Hessians all have known what George looked like? I don't know if that's wrong on my part, but unless newspapers or something were going around with his image on them, I don't know how everyone would immediately know who he was.
I was surprised and it added even more complexity that wasn't explained when Adam Hibbs had traveled through many different time periods in the rowboat before he found that one. That was told off page, with Adam telling Q, so we only got a short rundown of the others' time there while Matt was away.
I found it ridiculous that Adam up and decided to stay there because he saw a pretty girl. He left his parents, family, and friends behind for a girl from a different era? This just boggles the mind. I didn't buy that. It was just so wrong to me, and I didn't like it.
Of course when Adam was getting to the part of how to control the boat and which time period you go to--he said something about the mind--but then died. So the kids are left to just sort of piece together how the boat works, and we don't even get the particulars on the magic in here. It's like it was too tricky to think about, so the author didn't even try.
I liked the nice German soldier who stood up for Katie, and tried to say their names, who Hooter gave a Bandaid to.
Katie was such an irritating character. She had no purpose other than to get in trouble and need to be rescued. She sees ducks on the ice and goes walking out onto the river. They're just ducks. You have ducks where you're from. What is so fascinating that you'd go walking out on an icy river that you've already been on when you fell out of the boat because you stupidly stood up on it, got stuck on the ice and cried for help? Gustav rushes to save her, bravely stepping on the ice. What does he get for his trouble? Shot in the back by the rebels.
I was surprised they would call Washington Your Excellency, making him sound like a king, when he was just a captain.
Then the rebels take the Hessians as prisoners. Gustav could have went with them, if the author hadn't killed him.
It was very mature of them to realize that there are good and bad on both sides, that it isn't so clear as good guys and bad guys. That they were fighting for the same things.
They were waiting by the river, and there was another moment when they thought Katie was lost. I was thinking if she's dumb enough to get herself in trouble again, just leave her there. Get in the boat and leave her in the 1700s.
It was such a cool surprise how the boat Emit Levart spelled time travel backwards. I love surprises and things that connect like that in books. I wish there had been more of stuff like that.
The ending was too easy; the boat just vanishes right from the bank. They didn't even travel on the river.
I didn't think it was right that a soldier saw the boat spinning and them disappear. He tries to tell Washington the kids disappeared but it's explained away by his unruly appearance and whiskey breath. Why have him see it happen at all? Because it was magic, I felt it should have been invisible to other people.
Washington trips getting into the boat,& I think he's found something, but he just remembers he gave his socks to Katie. & that's it. What was the point in that?
There were several sentences missing a period where one should be. Like: "I don't know Katie."
And,
"None of you guys have a little sister, and believe me you don't know what pains they can be."
A 5th grader saying "abnormal strength" didn't seem realistic to me.
I was surprised the word damn was put in a kid's book.
7 years old is way too old to be sucking your thumb. Katie acted too childish, more like a toddler than someone in the second grade, and then says "and he gave them to me. Besides, my jeans are all wet and this sock is so big it goes all the way up my leg."
The author included Israel and the beads he wanted to give to his sister. He also promised to protect Matt. I thought the author was going to have Matt, Israel, and his friends travel to his house and deliver the beads to his sister and meet his family. That's discarded by the author, and at the end Washington ends up with the beads and promises to have them sent to Abby. We don't even get to meet Abby.
Once they all got separated, I thought that the POVs would change, so we could read what was going on with the others while Matt was gone. This could have used other POVs.
It ended cute but we didn't even get the reaction of them finding the peas in the sugar bowl.
For me the plot was picked up, dropped. Picked up, dropped again. I just don't understand the author's choices. I don't understand the deaths in here, each one of them was unnecessary and didn't do anything for the plot, and of course they were characters I liked. This was too graphic for a kid's book. I'm 25 and I don't like reading scenes that are too graphic, so I definitely don't think kids would like that.
I don't know why the author would have them all go back in time, and then separate them shortly after, with Matt all by himself and having moments with George Washington that the others didn't get.
The Indians were just random, rushed, and didn't add anything. It was like she included them just because they were there then, but didn't know exactly what they were doing then. There's two random Indian kids that are just alone in the woods. Where do they live? What tribe? Where's the rest of their tribe? When Matt mimes his red-headed sister, they show recognition, meaning they saw Katie, and also who took her, which means they already knew the Hessians were there. They paint war paint on their faces, sneak up to their campsite, actually lay eyes on the Hessians, and then they just leave. I thought they were going to have a cool escape scene where they help get Katie and Q back. But nope. So why write it in the first place?
I expected so much more from this. It was much better in the beginning. Then it got random, the plot sort of meandered along, going in different, unexpected directions. Nothing important happened, nothing about the time period. I thought this would be cute, funny, great insight and moments with George Washington and the Revolutionary War. Washington was barely in here. We didn't even get to see the battles and the rebels winning.
This was a waste of a time travel book.
1.5 stars
The summary of this book is, matthew(matt) is eating dinner with his family. He is excited because his adventure club is having their first meeting! But his sister has to come. In the middle of the night matt and his friends; Tony, Hooter, and Q decide to go to the lake but they've heard stories about the lake. Apparently, there is this old rowboat that makes people disappear. Thing is, matt and his friends find the row boat and they get on it and they timetravel! Where is Matt and and his frien
The summary of this book is, matthew(matt) is eating dinner with his family. He is excited because his adventure club is having their first meeting! But his sister has to come. In the middle of the night matt and his friends; Tony, Hooter, and Q decide to go to the lake but they've heard stories about the lake. Apparently, there is this old rowboat that makes people disappear. Thing is, matt and his friends find the row boat and they get on it and they timetravel! Where is Matt and and his friends, well there in december 25, 1776, during the crossing of the Delaware River. George Washingtonś boat finds them thinking they're enemies or spies he takes them captive on the boat. Soon he finds out that they're just kids, so Adam Hibbs is instructed to bring them to a hotel. Matt got separated from the group and went with the soldiers to war! Matt meets this soldier named Israel not much older than Matt.Israel ends up dying. Mr. Hornby has found Matt and brought him to his house. Eventually, Matt had to leave so Mr. Hornby saddle up Black Jack(his donkey) and sent Matt off. Matt finds his friends and he finds out that katie was taken. Matt meets a the Hessian that took katie. What else happens well read the book.
A couple things I like and dislike are,I love adventure books because I love being excited and ¨OH THIS HAPPENED¨.
Another reason I like adventure books is, I just love going on adventures and reading adventure books gives me ideas of what i can do next. Like when matt read the adventure book, then went on that adventure.I don't like death because I cry easily and death makes me sad. Also, i've experienced that and that sucks.
Like when Israel dies.I love learning so learning more about history was ¨yeah¨ for me.another reason I like history is , I get to learn what it was like back then and I like to compare now to then.like not having sneakers to having sneakers.I didn't like the time travel because I wasn't following what happened.
When they time traveled the first time I was confused on what happened I didn't catch on until about five pages afterwards.
Like the boat drawed them in then they are in 17 century?I like reading when friends build better relationships.LIke when, matt and his friends got discouraged but matt didn't give up on them.
I would recommend this book. The audiences i would recommend this to is adventure people, history loving people,mystery,and people who like science fiction. The reason I would recommend this book is, I could go on for hours about stuff Ii like, and it was really hard to say three things i did not like about it! I would read it if i were you. (five stars)
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The external fears for the character is a fear that they cannot control and solve, and I like how the author makes it seems like there is no hope This book has a exicting momment where you just can't wait untill lunch is over, and you have to finish it now. Most parts of the book doesn't have a lot of facts for you to learn, but it has a lot of action. This book has some parts where you can see the character's internal fears and see how he overcome come all his internal fear and have hope again.
The external fears for the character is a fear that they cannot control and solve, and I like how the author makes it seems like there is no hope left and nothing is possible. This book has made me learn more about George Washington; what kind of life he had, how did he win the war...
I would recommend this book to people who like to explore history and read about advanture. ...more
p.107 I'm president of the club and I'll think of something, don't worry.
A fun little journey back to the Battle of Trenton. The reader follows the children through the social and physical landscape of the Revolutionary Era. The high point is meeting George Washington within the story. In addition, the war is not presented as this heroic event. There is a
p.88 You're too young to be having to make sense of this war business, though in truth even an old man such as myself can little understand it.p.107 I'm president of the club and I'll think of something, don't worry.
A fun little journey back to the Battle of Trenton. The reader follows the children through the social and physical landscape of the Revolutionary Era. The high point is meeting George Washington within the story. In addition, the war is not presented as this heroic event. There is a much more balanced organization of the violence and the ramifications of the violence.
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"George Washington's Socks - A Time Travel Adventure
By Elvira Woodruff
166 pages -ages 9+
Published by Scholastic in 2010 (originally published in 1993)
Matt had always heard of the creepy legend of Levart Lake. On moonlit nights people disappear at the lake and are never seen again. He was horrified when he saw his little sister Katie trying to get into a row-boat on the lake...on a moonlit nig
I like Erik the Great's review of this book from his blog "This Kid Reviews Books." Erik is 11 years old."George Washington's Socks - A Time Travel Adventure
By Elvira Woodruff
166 pages -ages 9+
Published by Scholastic in 2010 (originally published in 1993)
Matt had always heard of the creepy legend of Levart Lake. On moonlit nights people disappear at the lake and are never seen again. He was horrified when he saw his little sister Katie trying to get into a row-boat on the lake...on a moonlit night. As he ran to the lake with his friends, Tony, Hooter and "Q", all the kids fell into a trance and they ALL ended up in the row-boat. The next thing they knew they were transported back in time to 1776 and were now in the middle of the Delaware River the night before General Washington crossed it in the Battle of Trenton in the Revolutionary War. The children get separated and Matt is thought to be a soldier. He is now marching with Washington's army while trying to find his little sister and his friends!
I really liked the whole time travel part to this story. I like how modern kids get to tell about historical events from their point of view. The author did a good job of describing how harsh the conditions of war were and how brave the men who fought in the war were. I really got a good idea of what it was like on the night Washington made his famous crossing of the Delaware. The book also had some funny parts to it that made the story a little less serious in a few parts and that helped it. I liked the relationship between Matt and his sister (kind of love/hate). I would recommend the book to kids 9+ in age. There are some intense descriptions of the war and one part where a soldier boy who Matt made friends with died in Matt's arms that was pretty emotional (the boy died of a foot infection from having no shoes). I liked the history I learned from the book, like who the Hessians were.
Four out of Five book worms for George Washington's Socks!"
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I really liked the whole time travel part to this story. I like how modern kids get to tell about historical events from their point of view. The author did a good job of describing how harsh the conditions of war were and how brave the men who fought in the war were. I really got a good idea of what it was like on the night Washington made his famous crossing of the Delaware. The book also had some funny parts to it that made the story a little less serious in a few parts and that helped it. I liked the relationship between Matt and his sister (kind of love/hate). I would recommend the book to kids 9+ in age. There are some intense descriptions of the war and one part where a soldier boy who Matt made friends with died in Matt's arms that was pretty emotional (the boy died of a foot infection from having no shoes). I liked the history I learned from the book, like who the Hessians were.
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A bunch of kids are transported back in time with the help of a mysterious row boat and find themselves in the middle of the revolutionary war. They get to experience first what it was all like and they also get to meet George Washington!
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Elvira Woodruff has always had a great imagination. She recalls, "my father was a truck driver and I would love to sit in his truck and imagine all the places he'd been. I'd sit behind the wheel, my head barely reaching the steering wheel and pretend that I was on the open road, off on some grand adventure to faraway places like Long Island, or Jersey City."
Today, Woodruff believes that "what you have to do as a writer is to feel, look, and listen. Your stories then become a celebration of those observations. And, most important, a writer needs to fall in love. I'm constantly falling in love—with colors, with flowers, with wings, with bubbles, with mud, with goofy baby smiles. . . . When you're writing under the influence of love, there's a power that will weave your words into magic."
Born and raised in New Jersey, Elvira Woodruff has also lived in Boston, Massachusetts. She has two sons, Noah and Jess. When she isn't writing, Woodruff likes gardening—especially with blue flowers—and enjoys traveling. "[One] year I fell in love with Leonardo daVinci and flew to Italy where I rented a car and traced his footsteps from Vinci to Florence and Milan." She also spends a lot of her time visiting schools and libraries, sharing her ideas about writing with children.
Elvira Woodruff's book, Dear Napoleon, I Know You're Dead, But . . ., is a clever and funny story about a boy who writes a letter to Napoleon Bonaparte for a class project, and receives a surprising reply. It has been included in numerous child-voted state award programs, including the Mark Twain Book Award program (Missouri), the Sequoyah Children's Book Award program (Oklahoma), and the West Virginia Children's Book Award program.
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"You only read one library book for that report," Tony objected. "You can't call one book 'so much research.'"
"You didn't see the size of that book, Tony," Matt told him. "It was big. I mean really big."
"Look, Tony, we're not saying that we know everything about the Revolutionary War, but we did do a report on it and we do know more than you do," Q said smugly.
"Okay, guys, let's not waste any more time trying to decide who knows more about the Revolutionary War."
"It's all right," Israel interrupted him, leaning over and putting his arm around him. "I'll look after you. We two goats, we'll get through this together, you'll see, and when my enlistment is up well find your Katie and you and she can come and visit me and Abby and the boys. Don't worry, Matthew Carlton, you've got a friend in Israel Gates. You can depend on it."
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George Washington Socks and It Was Socks
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