THE YEAR OF THE HANGMAN

Gary L. Blackwood, . . Penguin/Speak, $5.99 (261pp) ISBN 978-0-14-240078-4

This story imagines what would have happened if the Americans had lost the Revolutionary War, and focuses on a boy who agrees to spy on Benjamin Franklin. PW said, "History buffs will recognize some clever dialogue and the hero struggles with compelling questions, such as the meaning of honor and the value of war." Ages 12-up. (Feb.)

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