Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Midnight Ride: A Gates Family Mystery by Catherine Hapka

Title: Midnight Ride
Series: National Treasure - A Gates Family Mystery
Author: Catherine Hapka
Genre: Historical Fiction
Reading Level: 12 and up
Curriculum Subjects: History

The Midnight Ride book in the Gates Family Mystery series is set during the year and a half leading up to the beginning of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord in 1775. In this book, John Raleigh Gates is a post rider that gets involved in the Patriot cause leading to a treasure hunt to find something that will help the Patriots triumph.

Throughout Midnight Ride, there are references to events of the time period, such as the Destruction of the Tea (i.e. Boston Tea Party), Quartering Act, and the Battle of Concord.  There are also many historical references used in the many clues that John and his two friends solve to eventually locate the treasure.  There are also references to a variety of places (mostly in Massachusetts, especially Boston) as the hunt takes them to multiple cities/locations.  As part of their quest, they also meet with famous Patriots such as Paul Revere and Samuel Adams.

Overall Midnight Ride is an interesting historical fiction adventure book.  It can be a good tie in with studying the American Revolution.  The book also provides some perspective on what life was like during that period of American history, especially on traveling by horse, the role of post riders, and the tension between Loyalists and Patriots.

Types of Readers Book Might Appeal To & Multiple Intelligence Categories
  • Fans of the National Treasure movies
  • Those interested in history, especially American history and the American Revolution.
  • Mystery lovers and those that enjoy working out puzzles, riddles, and clues. (Logical-Mathematical)
Activities for Further Learning and Fun
Related Books I've Reviewed


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