Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

Story not only has the power to connect us as people, but also the past to the present. REVOLUTIONARY PRUDENCE WRIGHT was one of those stories that widened the scope for me as I researched and wrote…and discovered “the rest of us” in the shadows of history.

GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of REVOLUTIONARY PRUDENCE WRIGHT: LEADING THE MINUTE WOMEN IN THE FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCE!

Congratulations to Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner, winner of THE OCEAN’S HEART by Jilanne Hoffmann!

Story—a Bridge from Past to Present

by Beth Anderson

History. You might be thinking names and dates and places and facts. Long ago events, over and done. So what?

But, what if those names were real people not much different than us? What if those dates and places presented challenges for those people? What if their actions impacted them, others, and our world today?

That would be a story! A story with humanity, conflict, and transformation. A true story we can connect to. And there’s the magic. Connection creates meaning—a bridge that makes history matter. 

That’s why the best way to teach history is….STORIES!

Revolutionary Prudence Wright is not only about a bridge, it is a bridge. This key idea was a long time coming as I struggled with how to tell this story—a story about “the rest of us” that lets us know each and every one of us matters. Today, as I read this book to kids, the connections that I see across time have grown even stronger. 

We are smack dab in the middle of history every day. And just like people we read about from centuries ago, the challenges of our time and place are testing us. While I’m fascinated by stories that reveal an unknown side of a historical figure we thought we knew, the stories of everyday people stepping up to meet challenges are truly history’s treasures, and the ones easiest for us to connect to. Shining light on those in the shadows, these books open the door to the past and allow us to see ourselves as a part of history.

The Human Connection

Set at the start of the American Revolution, many of the familiar concepts and events we learn about in school play a role in this story: taxes, boycotts, restrictions, alarm riders.

It all sounds so matter of fact and simple until you see the impact on lives. When we experience these through the lens of real people, the concepts move past information and take on additional meaning as cause and effect play out on the page. 

• Taxes increase the costs of goods > families have to do without. 
• Boycotts of British goods > result in more work for all, inconvenience, and giving up luxuries.
• Restrictions and loss of rights > unfairness stokes anger.
• Signing petitions and joining a resistance network >  put lives in danger. 
• Public protests and raising a liberty flag >  attract more dangerous attention. 
• Different beliefs about government > divide families and communities.
• Alarm riders warn of British troops advancing > able-bodied men and boys go off to war. 
• Fear > leads to rumors > increases fear.

As readers witness real people making tough choices, accepting hardship, and taking risks, vague ideas of rights and liberty become more precious to us in our lives. 

Readers may wonder…What would I do?

Actions and Ideas through Time

Along with the personal connections that come with stories, history offers a bridge through time as we see how actions and ideas appear through the ages. 

The events featured in Revolutionary Prudence Wright happened more than 250 years ago, yet these words and phrases from the book echo today.

Understanding these concepts within the context of the story offers perspective, invites deeper understanding of our world, and provides a glimpse into how change happens.

My goal as an author is to make events and people from the past relevant to children in today’s world. Part of that process is understanding the ideas and actions within the context of the time. But no less important are the questions the process inspires. Some of my questions involved research….

Who was there? Who attended the meeting? Who signed the petition? Who joined the liberty flag raising?

Some were introspective…

What am I willing to give up in a boycott?

Others continue to ring through time…

Who will stand up for what’s right?

History matters for many reasons. Research shows history content improves reading skills and builds background knowledge essential for critical thinking. I also think the ability to reflect on people and events of the past, be inspired by them, and feel gratitude for the shoulders we stand on makes us better people.  

“Prudence passed down many treasures to the generations that followed: her paper ‘love box,’ her quilts, the lantern she carried that night. But the greatest of all is her story—a bridge connecting us to the past and the dawn of a revolution.”

 

THE PATRIOTS AND THE POX, releasing 9/29/26, is another book with clear connections to the present. You can learn more HERE, and even pre-order!

Don’t forget to leave a comment below if you’d like to get in on the GIVEAWAY for a copy of REVOLUTIONARY PRUDENCE WRIGHT! (US addresses only, please. Winner announced 4/10/26)

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