KidLit RADIO

KidLit RADIO: REVOLUTIONARY ROGUES Read Out Loud

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Tension, drama, intrigue! On this podcast episode of Read Out Loud, Selene Castrovilla reads REVOLUTIONARY ROGUES. For slightly older listeners, this true story tells the action-packed account of Major General Benedict Arnold’s betrayal of American Revolutionary forces by colluding with British spy, Major John André. A fascinating page out of American history and an unmissable episode for budding history lovers.

We recorded this episode of Read Out Loud in front of a live audience of picture book lovers during the KidLit TV Children’s Book Weekend on Governors Island.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Young fans of the Broadway smash Hamilton will enjoy this riveting nonfiction picture book that unfolds like a play, telling a story from American history. Gravely injured and with little chance for more military honors, Major General Benedict Arnold seeks reward and recognition another way. He contacts Major John André, the new head of British intelligence and another man determined to prove himself. Arnold and André strike a deal and use Arnold’s intelligence to take over West Point, the strategic American fort. The plan ultimately fails, leading to André’s capture and death and Arnold’s loss of reward and glory. Author Selene Castrovilla and illustrator John O’Brien brilliantly capture the tensions and high drama of these two revolutionary rogues by highlighting their similarities and differences and demonstrating how they brought about their own tragic ends. This title also includes an afterword, timelines of the lives of both men, an extensive bibliography, and a list of key places to visit.