Cloaked in Courage: Uncovering Deborah Sampson, Patriot Soldier by Beth Anderson

Cloaked in Courage: Uncovering Deborah Sampson, Patriot Soldier Reviews

• 
  Marquise

  I had no idea there had been a woman soldier amongst George Washington's troops! The only woman involved with the American militiamen was young Sybil Ludington, and Sampson was completely unknown to me, a status she doesn't deserve.
  
  Of course, she didn't fight as a woman in the open, no. This lady from Massachusetts disguised herself as a man to join the army of Americans seeking their independence from Britain, calling herself Robert Shurtleff, and went to fight with them for almost two years, leading men on dangerous missions as a scout, and being wounded in combat. Her gender wasn't discovered until she fell ill and had to be taken to hospital, but far from being punished for cross-dressing as a man to fight for her country, she was discharged honourably. She essentially had the happy ending Joan of Arc never had.
  
  This picture book tells her remarkable story in a very summed up manner, in a language and tone aimed for young audiences, which the art style also reinforces. This type of illustration isn't my favourite, but I enjoyed the story for all its uniqueness and for the attractive character Deborah was.
  
  I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  
  
• 
  Benson Shum

  CLOAKED IN COURAGE, Uncovering Deborah Sampson, Patriot Solider by Beth Anderson and Anne Lambelet is an inspiring story about Deborah Sampson. She wanted to be more than what girls were allowed to be. She learned about the country’s fight for independence and at 18 years old, declared her own independence. She enlists in George Washington’s Continental Army signing on as Robert Shurtliff. She proves herself in combat, but can she keep her identity secret? A true inspirational story of a true American rebel.
  
• 
  Rebecca Reid

  Cloaked in Courage by Beth Anderson, illustrated by Anne Lamelet (Calkins Creek, 2022) tells the unique story of Deborah Sampson, a woman who pretended to be a man and joined the army during the Revolutionary War to help fight for freedom. Subtitled Uncovering Deborah Sampson, Patriot Soldier, Anderson’s book is a high-quality nonfiction picture book for young children.
  
  With gentle pencil drawings, it shows the spirited way Deborah rose about her challenging circumstances and did what women were not expected to do. The best part is, with the author’s extensive bibliography, I know that anything mentioned in this book is also true. I love how there are now so many picture books about independent women of the past. I don’t remember learning about women during the Revolutionary War when I was in school, and now Deborah’s story can be told along with the stories of others who fought in the war.
  
  Cloaked in Courage is Deborah's story, but it also provides a nice silent refrain about her growth — growing spirit, growing persistence, growing boldness, and growing determination. In fact, with every reread I found more positive character traits to assign to Deborah: integrity, excellence, boundless spirit, and honor.
  
  Deborah Sampson was not privileged in life, but once she decided to move forward she did. Although she was rather quickly discovered to be a woman upon her first enlistment, she tried again. She trained well, improved, fought hard, and volunteered for extra work. She came with her height (an advantage to looking like a young man), her strong work ethic (from her many years of working for others as a servant), and her determination not to give up her own freedom.
  
  Although only a few speech bubbles provide dialog, the story still reads like a story, not a report: “Deborah dug into her flesh, probing for the musket ball.” There is action in the text, and her true story is full of action too. The author did a great job of making this true story fit the right tone needed for children. It’s not always the case that a nonfiction picture book would work well for a read-aloud, but this one would. I’m so excited to recommend it along with my American history lessons (at Line upon Line Learning).
  
  Note: I received a digital copy of the book for review consideration.
• 
  Ms. Yingling

  E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
  
  Deborah Sampson is a fascinating character, in part because so little is known about her life (1760-1827). After a difficult early life that lead to her parents sending her into indentured servitude at the age of five, Sampson worked in several places before deciding, after listening to recruitment speeches, to join the army and fight during the Revolutionary War. The first time she signed up for the bonus money, she did not actually join, and had to repay the bonus. When she signed up as Robert Shurtliffe, she saw some action and was wounded, but ran away from the hospital with shrapnel in her leg because she didn't want to be discovered. Later, she became ill with a fever, and a doctor found out her secret. She was fortunate enough to get an honorable discharge, and was not jailed, which was the fate of some women who tried to fight. The author has a good set of notes that discuss primary and secondary sources, as well as the challenges of writing researching a historical topic for a picture book.
  
  Strengths: Sampson is an interesting historical figure, and I can't think of any picture books covering her life, although there are at least three middle grade books: Klass' 2009 Soldier's Secret, Clapp's 1977 I'm Deborah Sampson: A Soldier In The War Of The Revolution, and McGovern's 1975 The Secret Soldier: The Story of Deborah Sampson. There's no coincidence that two of these were written around the time of the Bicentennial! This had appealing artwork that was reminscent of some portraiture of the time, and presenting the facts of the story without imposing too many modern preconceptions upon it. This would be a great book for elementary students covering the Revolutionary War or looking for individuals to research for biography projects.
  
  Weaknesses: I'm not sure that there is enough information for a longer middle grade biography, but that would certainly be something I would buy.
  
  What I really think: Probably won't purchase for my library, but definitely would for an elementary or public library.
• 
  Carmela Coyle

  Beth Anderson’s non fiction books are as entertaining as they are informative, making it woefully difficult to have a favorite! Cloaked in Courage: Uncovering Deborah Sampson, transports the reader to the American Revolution, a time when women were not allowed to enlist in the army (among many other things). For Deborah, and her deep convictions for freedom and independence, that just wasn’t going to work. So at the age of eighteen, she disguised herself as a man, changed her name to Robert Shurtliff, and enlisted in the fight for independence. The illustrations, by Anne Lambelet are perfectly unique and on-point with the author’s gorgeous prose. Don’t miss the back matter highlighting the non-fiction writing process. Deborah’s legacy continues onward to today inspiring children to follow their own interests with courage and bravery.
• 
  Panda Incognito

  This nonfiction picture book shares the true story of an American woman who disguised herself as a man to fight in the Revolutionary War. As the author explains in her research note at the end, she had to fictionalize some elements of the story because there are so few historical records about Deborah Sampson, and also had to choose between contradictory details in different records. Nonetheless, despite the imaginative and uncertain elements, this book shares a compelling true story about a woman who shouldn't be forgotten.
  
  This book is great for libraries, classroom contexts, and personal use, and I would especially recommend it to homeschoolers who are interested in exploring lesser-known stories from American history.
  
  I received a temporary digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Maria Marshall

  Beth Anderson has written another inspirational biography of a woman who dared to disguise her gender and become a soldier during the American Revolution. After 13 years (all her childhood) as an indentured servant, the patriotism and independent spirit of 18 year-old Deborah Sampson drove her to reject traditions and test her strength and courage. This gripping, beautifully illustrated, nonfiction picture book shows the extreme measures Deborah took to fight for her country and remain undiscovered. It's a wonderful examination of a brave female soldier who dared to take chances all her life while figuring out who she would become. Great back matter explains Deborah's lasting impact and the challenges presented in conducting historical research.
  
  
• 
  Lindsey McDivitt

  Women in the era of the Revolutionary War had a hard life, and one generally limited by men’s expectations. However Deborah Sampson manages to rise above and even serve as a soldier, masquerading as a man! Her life was challenging from a very young age—she was put into indentured servitude at age five. But amazingly Deborah’s strength of character pulls her through. I love this line, “She pushed back heartache—her hard work, a hint of who she could be.” Author Beth Anderson is a master at picture book biographies. This one is a page turner!
• 
  Heather

  An astounding biography of a piece of lesser-known American history, CLOAKED IN COURAGE tells a story well for an elementary audience and gives light to a shadowed historical figure with care. This tale is fascinating and enlightening, and told wonderfully. The illustrations — the differing jacket and case illustrations, the expert use of the gutter, the beauty of the work in general — all add to the power of Anderson’s narrative. Highly recommend for any lower elementary unit on historical female figures or the American revolution. Or just for fun!
• 
  Keila Dawson

  Anderson shares the story of a woman who had the courage and determination to become a soldier in the Revolutionary War. The backmatter explains historical accuracies such as what the poor and especially women faced and how they bound out their children when financially unfit to care for them. And how men were the masters of women making decisions for them. Anderson also details the challenge of research when writing about Sampson. A must read biography that should be added to the canon of picture books about the Revolutionary War.
• 
  Sharon Mccarthy

  Beth Anderson does a beautiful job of connecting children to history in a fun way. It is Women's History month, so I read this story to my fourth and fifth-grade students. They just loved it! The suspense of the main character hiding when she enlisted for George Washington's battle captured the student's attention throughout. Topics of bravery, equal rights, independence, and the changes she made for female veterans offered a lot of discussions. The back matter was also great for further learning on multiple subjects. Highly recommend.
• 
  Tina Cho

  Another fantastic picture book biography from Beth Anderson, illustrated by Anne Lambelet, about Deborah Sampson, secret patriot soldier, who used her rebel spirit to push boundaries for women. Never giving up, she accomplished all that she set out to do and more. Beautiful illustrations accompany this riveting text. Impressive back matter explains the usage of primary and secondary sources and how Anderson composed a story using little and conflicting information about her.
• 
  Vivian Kirkfield

  I love nonfiction picture book biographies that celebrate unknown heroes and heroines. CLOAKED IN COURAGE is about Deborah Sampson who lived 250 years ago - but the story is relevant and current for today's young readers. The text is fast-paced and filled with emotion - students will be engaged from the first page to the last. And the illustrations are glorious! The book is a must-have for every elementary classroom library.
• 
  Rhonda

  I question all the time why we were never taught about so many important people in our history as a country. This story could very well be what gives a young girl the courage to dream bigger. I totally loved this book and hope you continue to research other heros we have never heard about. I encourage all with young children to purchase this book. It would definitely make for a good book report read.
• 
  Jon Nakapalau

  The story of Deborah Sampson is told in this engaging book. I have come to the realization that I know very little about the brave women who have been trailblazers throughout history. Deborah disguised herself as a young man so she could fight for American independence against England. While we may never know what her motivation was we do have records of her being wounded and serving honorably. Sadly I had to learn about her through a book for children. So many stories yet to be told!
• 
  Rebecca Hill

  Women were not always allowed to be a part of the military, and many would disguise themselves as men to do their part. Deborah Sampson was no different.
  
  I loved this book! It was a great telling, showing how one woman bucked convention to do her part in the American Revolution - eventually earning a honorable discharge.
  
  Great story, and one I look forward to sharing!
• 
  Katie Mazeika

  A beautifully detailed story about Deborah Sampson, a woman who fought among men in the Revolutionary War. Beth Anderson works her magic and brings Deborah and the time period to life. The gorgeous illustrations add to the details and atmosphere. The back matter gives the reader a glimpse of the research process and what it takes to piece together a story 250 years old.
• 
  Emilee (emileereadsbooks)

  Thanks to Netgalley and Astra Publishing House, Calkins Creek for a free digital copy.
  
  A great historical picture book about a woman serving as a man in the Revolutionary War. The illustrations are so lovely, but the story is a powerful one about determination and going for what you think is right.
• 
  Jennifer Hazen

  Cloaked in Courage is an excellent book about a little known hero. The text on each page is concise and easy to read. The illustrations are fantastic. Included in the back, is an informative author's note that lends more facts to the story along with a bibliography for the reader who wants to know more.
• 
  Jocelyn

  A well illustrated book about the official heroine of Massachusetts, Deborah Sampson. Being from MA, I knew about her from an early age (and have been able to see her wedding dress!) but for people and especially younger readers not familiar with her story, this is a good introduction. I really liked the drawings and the author's note at the end of the book.
• 
  Elizabeth Mellen

  Thanks to Netgalley and Astra Publishing for the ARC of this!
  
  An interesting look at a historical figure I hadn’t ever heard of, though her story mirrors other familiar ones. The text was on the long end for us to read aloud and keep focused on, definitely better for my 9 year old than for my 6 year old. I liked the art style.
• 
  Jana

  Engaging narrative text along with hand-painted drawings and textures bring to life the story of Deborah Sampson, a Revolutionary War soldier who had to pose as a man in order to be allowed to enlist. In an age when women are still questioned and face many obstacles, this is an inspiring story to share with young readers.
• 
  Christiana

  I can remember a teacher reading Mann's Deborah Samson aloud and being so enthralled by it! Cloaked in Courage does a good job telling Deborah's story. I really appreciate their explanation of primary and secondary sources in the back, as well as explaining for young researchers what those are!
• 
  Sandy

  An entertaining and informative picture book biography of a woman who fought (in disguise) in the Revolutionary War. An interesting story many children may not be aware of. My daughter enjoyed the story, but was left with many unanswered questions as the book skips around in Sampson's life.
• 
  Andréa

  Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.