I picked this book up for my children a few years ago and read it aloud to them. I found I could hardly put it down and we finished it in a day or two. My children insisted that my husband next read it to them. He couldn't put it down either - in fact he stayed up late the first night to finish it for himself!

This unusual story of the American Revolution from the perspective of a British family playing "host" to a young American prisoner of war is filled with timeless themes of patriotism and forgiveness. It is very accessible to younger readers, but "meaty" enough to be enjoyed by older children and adults as well.

I think that this is a great book for children and maybe adults as well. It is about an American prisoner in England. This book shows how people saw the American Revolution in England. It is also a book that shows how much work it was to keep a prisoner like this one. This is a super book.

I first read this book when I was 10 years old, and I loved it, checking it out of the school library at every opportunity. After leaving that school at age 12 I never saw the book again, and over the past 32 years I have periodically searched for it. I realized if I did find the book it may very well turn out to be not the enchanting read I remembered so fondly. Little did I know! "The Reb and the Redcoats" is very well-written, with an engrossing perspective on the American Revolution. A young American rebel is a POW in a household (in England) whose head is a Redcoat recovering from wounds suffered in the war. Through their interactions we come to appreciate the humanity of the people who make up both sides of an issue. If there is a fault with this book, it is only that the heroic nature and adventures of the Reb seem a bit beyond the grasp of a 15-year-old boy. Still, if Hollywood would only age him a few years, they could make a very compelling film of this tale.

This book shows a good sense of humor by the author and the children in the story are very realistic. The story shows a British perspective on the American Revolution. It has a very satisfying ending.