My Brother Sam Is Dead

by James Lincoln Collier

Other authorsChristopher Collier (Author)
Paperback, 1974

Status

Available

Call number

J4E.Col

Publication

Scholastic Inc. (Point)

Pages

216

Description

Recounts the tragedy that strikes the Meeker family during the Revolution when one son joins the rebel forces while the rest of the family tries to stay neutral in a Tory town.

Description

This young adult novel, which successfully captures the pain of the Revolutionary War, is a fine example of historical fiction. The American Revolution was a war that divided families (English loyalists versus eager Patriots) and one of the families being torn apart is the Meeker family. Young Tim sees his 16-year-old brother join the militia to fight the British, while his father tries to remain loyal to the crown. Their hometown of Redding Ridge, Connecticut is a Tory town, and it is a constant struggle for the family to remain neutral. As the war progresses, Tim has to learn some very hard lessons: Life does not always follow the easiest and happiest course.

Readers will be drawn in by compelling characters, and also by the novel's well-crafted historical backdrop. The Collier brothers have written a story that reaches across historical boundaries, and has become a modern-day classic.

Tags

JUVENILE FICTION, Middle Grade Books, Historical Fiction, Siblings, Family, United States Revolutionary War, 18th Century

Collection

Juvenile

Barcode

3304

Language

English

Original language

English

Original publication date

1974

Physical description

216 p.; 6.75 inches

ISBN

059042792X / 9780590427920

Similar in this library

Media reviews

germany
My Brother Sam Is Dead My Brother Sam Is Dead Is about two brothers named Tim and Sam. Sam left to join the Continental Army because his dad yelled and screamed at him. He got tired of getting yelled at and ran away. His father disliked the army he went to. Their family was making a descent
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 living at the time. Sam came home one day and visited his family for a couple of hours, but his father pleased to see him but lectured him about the Army he was at. Sam left and said his goodbyes. A few days after Sam’s leave an old wise man gave Tim a letter to give to Sam’s chief. So Tim was on his way when he meets with Sam’s girlfriend she got very curious and asked Tim to open it, but Tim kept his promise he gave to the old wise man. She tackled Tim and took the letter and opened it and found out it was his plan all that time. Well wants Tim came home from his long journey his dad told everyone that he was going to round up the Cattle and take them down to an old selling place to sell them to the British. Tim wanted to go with his dad but said no. After a few days of begging his dad he finally let in. They rode their horses down to the selling place. While they were riding they met with some mean cowboys that threatened to shoot Tim’s dad. They told Tim to go wait in a field. They let Tim’s father pass and they carried on. They stayed at one of Tim’s dad’s closest friend that he used to hang out with. On the journey back they met with the cowboys again but this time they took Tim’s dad and put him on a prison boat. Tim had to ride the trip back. Once he told his mother she was devastated at what happened. A few days later they found out that the Father died from poisonous gas most of all prisoners died. A week or so Sam came back home and was disgusted at what the cowboys did to his father. His Army stayed in groups one in a church and others in people’s houses. Sam and Tim met in the church and broke down and cried. Later on Sam came to visit his parents. They heard a weird noise and I came from the barn. They sprinted out to the barn and noticed that one of the cows were dead and all the meat was gone from it. Well Sam got accused for taking the cow and was put in prisons and was to get hung. Tim ran down to the county police department and told them the story but they wouldn’t take his word because he was only a 12 year old boy. So the mother marched down and told them but yet again they didn’t believe her. After that Tim tried to save his brother but was shot multiple times. But Tim believes that his brother was a brave solider and died for something that he didn’t do.
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Lexile

770L

User reviews

LibraryThing member slickdpdx
Nihilism for nine-year-olds.
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LibraryThing member mkschoen
Interesting – portrays both sides fairly. And a good explanation of why Tories supported England, which you don’t get often in school (I certainly didn’t get ever). Also does a good job of showing that in war, there is always evil, no matter how righteous the cause, and how hard it as on the
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 people just trying to live through it. So often we only hear about the founding fathers, and not what regular people were doing (or if it is about “normal” people they’re caught up in big events, the Revolutionary American Girl is totally a Mary Sue.)
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LibraryThing member msequeira06
Genre: Historical Fiction because the story is based on the Revolutionary War and much of the story is one that is possibly very accurate, however these particular characters are not real, making the story fictional.
LibraryThing member bibliophile26
I had to read this for work. I have a team of fifth graders participating in something called Battle of the Books and this was one of the ones on the list. Sam goes off to join the Revolutionary army, despite his father’s disapproval. A good book, but quite long.
LibraryThing member kathy8997
This offers a realistic view of war through the eyes of a boy (Tim Meeker) whose sixteen year old brother Sam decides to join the Patriots in the Revolutionary War. The Meekers live in a section of Connecticut that's known for being loyal to the British. The family runs a tavern and relies on
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 patronage from people on both sides of the war. Tim must make some difficult choices: should he protect his brother or be loyal to his father (who opposes the war)? This story reflects the hardships and dangers Americans faced during the Revolutionary War. There are violent scenes--including execution and beheading. The plot is very powerful and the characters are well developed. This story could lead to some intriguing book discussions among YA's!
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LibraryThing member awidmer06
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Appropriateness: Middle School
Review: This book is a good example of historical fiction because the story reflects historic facts and happenings in a fictional plot. Most of the information included in the story is historically accurate. Sam's life resembled an accurate
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 picture of a solider in the Revolutionary War. His family is greatly affected by his decision and we see how war quickly begins to tear apart the country. The plot development and characters were imaginary yet believable due to the precise and accurate setting.
Plot: This is a good example of a person against person plot because Tim is trying to decide which side to belong to, either his brother or father's. He fights to win the approval of his brother and father. In the end, he decides it doesn't matter because both sides and individuals display great weaknesses.
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LibraryThing member Mattiii
When i saw this book i assumed it would be a sappy and sad book but suprisingly was wrong! It was a gutrenching and exciting book! It kept me at the edge of my seat and enjoyed it alot. Also had some history which is always good!
LibraryThing member ERMSMediaCenter
Recounts the tragedy that strikes the Meeker family during the Revolution when one son joins the rebel forces while the rest of the family tries to stay neutral in a Tory town.
LibraryThing member jgabica
This book is an engaging book recounting the times of the Revolutionary War. The main character is Tim, and he is a flat and static character. We know his thoughts as he is the narrator, and we can also see his character by his interactions with others.The story is very capturing as the reader
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 experiences the fear, uncertainty, and sadness of war. Media: (only cover of the book) Acrylic/Oil pastels
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LibraryThing member rvangent
This is a good chapter book on historical fiction because the Meeker family was not a real family , but it was based on events and stories that did happen at that time. A lot of the other people in the book are real figures in history and the events that are told in this book really did happen in
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 real life, such as the executions of John Smith and Edward Jones. The town of Redding, Connecticut is a true town. Colonel Read and General Putnam are both real historical people. It combines both historical facts and fictional events and dialogue. Tim is the round character in the story and we see him change and struggle and grow throughout the story through his words, thoughts, and actions. At first, he was in awe of his older brother Sam and then throughout the story we see him change his mind more about his brother as Tim himself matures. At the end however, Tim risks his life to save his brother because he is his brother.
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LibraryThing member nm.winter08.ylopez
Tim's brother that is Sam wants to go to the war but his family doesn't want him to go so he goes without telling his family anything and Tim always goes to see him and his always in a hurry before his dad knows that he went to go see Sam. Sam father was against that Revolution and everytime Sam
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 would go visit his family his mom had to keep him some where else because of his dad he didnt want to see him and the people that are in the revolution didn't like his father but they didn't know that Sam father was against them. So sam had to lie to the revolution about his family but then the revolution saw him talking to a girl that is against them so they said that Sam betraid them so they killed him they hang him but his mom didn't want to go ssee so Tim, Sam's little brother went to go see how they killed Sam. like the revolution didnt like his dad so he was shot by the revolutions.
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LibraryThing member eward06
This represents a Historical Fiction book because it brings together historical facts and imagination. The story also takes place during a specific time period in history and portrays the Revolutionary War. The story is very realistic. Although one might not be able to tell by the outside, Sam is a
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 round character. We know this because he continually grows throughout the story as we find out more about who he is becoming as a person. This book would be best for the Intermediate level.
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LibraryThing member bwilhelm09
Genre: This is a historical fiction book because all of the historical facts are real but the story is not. The setting and even the town takes place back in a time when the Revolutionary War was going on, although the family is not real and this exact story did not happen. The story is made to be
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 believable and is about a boy and his family and how they deal with the oldest son going off to war, while his family, especially the dad, is against the war. The boy in this story fights to try to find his own opinions about life and in the process learns many important lessons.

Rating: 5

Media: ink
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LibraryThing member Mary_Overton
A terrible, brilliant historical novel about the reality of war on the homefront, how it disrupts and destroys families and how it forces young people to grow up quickly. Tim, the narrator, is 13, the son of a tavern owner in Connecticut, when the American Revolution begins.

"So there were a lot of
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 changes in our lives, but the biggest was the one that was happening inside myself. Ever since I had got the wagon home by myself I hadn't felt like a boy anymore. You don't think that things really happen overnight, but this one did. Of course I was dead tired when I went to bed that night, and Mother let me sleep late in the morning. And when I woke up I was different. I noticed it first at breakfast. Usually I sat there over my porridge moaning to myself about the chores I had to do or having to go to school or something, and trying to think of some way to get out of whatever it was. Or when Mother turned her head I'd scoop up a fingerful of molasses from the jar and stir it into my milk. Or I'd eat breakfast slowly so I could stall off going to work.
"But that morning after the terrible trip home, right from the first moment we got finished saying grace, I began planning the things I had to do - which things had to be done first and what was the best way to get them done. It was funny: it didn't even cross my mind to stall or try to get out of the work. I didn't wait for Mother to tell me what to do: I brought the subject up myself. ....
"We discussed it all, and about half way through breakfast I began to realize that I had changed. I wasn't acting my usual self, I was acting more like a grownup. You couldn't say that I was really an adult, but I wasn't a child anymore, that was certain. I thought about showing off in front of [my older brother] Sam when he came home. I'd say things like, 'Well, Sam, we've decided not to put in oats this year, we're going to use the space for corn.' Or, 'We're not keeping the kitchen fire going all the time - I haven't got enough time for woodcutting as it is.' I would be the one who knew about things, not him." pp. 132-133
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LibraryThing member maeganpollard
This book was set in the time of The American Revolutionary War from the eyes of a young boy named Tim. Tim had a older brother named Sam. Sam wanted to go to war but his family did not approve of this. Sam went on to the war without letting his family know especially his father. Soon his mother
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 and Tim knew, and Tim would sneak off to go and visit Sam. Sam had to lie about his family to the Revolutionaries because Sam's father was against them and they would kill sam and his family if they found out. One day Sam was caught with someone the Revolutionaries were against so they killed Sam in spite of betrayal. Tim found out his brother was killed and went to go see what happened.

This book was okay for me because I'm not really into war books but My dad read it an said it was a good book so I thought I should try it out. I think boys would like and relate to this book better than girls.

In the classroom, we could talk about actual events that happened in the war. We could also draw maps of where the battles of the war took place.
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LibraryThing member ShellyCBuchanan
Tim tells the story of his family and the community in which they live, Redding, after his brother joins the patriots in the Revolutionary War. Sam's divisive decision upsets the family dynamic and increases tension between the neighbors. All the while Tim, who admires his brother more than anyone,
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 wrestles with him own political attitudes and, equally importantly, growing into manhood. This coming of age novel vividly depicts life in colonial and revolutionary America. Because it seems to authentically capture so many human emotions around both growing up ideas about war, this novel remains accessible to middle readers today. The Collier brothers bring readers into the heart and mind of a believable young man during one of the most significant periods in our national and world history.
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LibraryThing member macee
My Brother Sam Is Dead, is a Newbery Award Winner. I'll remember the intense conflict that this book creates and the suspensful ending when Sam is excuted.
LibraryThing member Sasha_Doll
From back cover:

"Sam, you stole father's gun!"

"I have to have it. I can't fight without one."
"But we need it at home. Father needs it."
"Are you going to tell him, Tim?"

I didn't tell. But I might have if I'd known what was going to happen to Father later.

Sam meeker was sixteen in 1775, when he
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 ran away to fight the British. His brother, Tim, was a few years younger. This is their story.
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LibraryThing member cvogl
This particular story takes place during the American Revolution and revolves around the Meeker family. The Meekers are disrupted by the catastrophe of the war as well as their son, Sam, deciding to fight with the Patriots and ends up dying. The novel is for young adults and would be best used as a
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 teaching tool to teach students about the American Revolution specifically about the turmoil many families went through as their family members enlisted in the army to fight in the war.
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LibraryThing member achertok
Collier provides a stress-ridden book on the power of loyalty and how loyalty can dissipate at any time. Sam had enlisted with the rebel army (despite what his dad thought). Tim (Sam's brother) struggles with the idea of who to support and is looking for excitement. Eventually the rebel army
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 captures their dad and he dies, while Sam is framed for stealing and shot in public. Tim had become the man of the house and his loyalty stuck with his loved ones. It appears Sam and the rebels have loyalty, but that is the death of Sam in the end.
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LibraryThing member lpeal
Sam is a die hard Torie who want to beat the Lobserbacks. Tim, Sam'slittle brother always looked up to Sam. Tim is left to fend for the tavern and his mother after a horrible trip to buy products for the tavern with his father. They don't know if Dad is alive or will TIm make it. THis would be a
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 great book to use for middle school kids when talking about how the Revolutionary war was.
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LibraryThing member The_Hibernator
My Brother Sam is Dead is a heart-breaking story of how politics and war can destroy a family. Tim and Sam are from a New England town which strongly supports the British government during the Revolutionary war. When the older boy, Sam, runs away and joins the revolutionaries, the impressionable
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 Tim is left behind to help his parents eke out a living in the war-starved economy. Tim doesn’t understand what all the fighting is about, and why his father is so angry at Sam. Tim questions his own loyalties and finally learns what real responsibility is. This book is aimed at 8-12 year old boys. The adventure is exciting enough that kids will enjoy the book on their own (if they like historical adventure). However, the book would be more educational with adult guidance (many kids might not know enough about the revolutionary war to understand the emotional tension of the plot). A warning though: the language is a bit strong for the target audience.
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LibraryThing member briannad84
Read this back in fifth grade, very good book! I always loved the title!
LibraryThing member MarcusGrabowski
James Lincoln Collier is a skilled writer. Growing up in a family of writers, it is no shock that he has written many books, including historical fictions and jazz performers’ biographies. He has over 30 years of experience as a journalist, and he’s a professional trombone player as well. He
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 served for the U.S. Army from 1950 to 1951, proving his love for America. His novel, My Brother Sam is Dead, Is a Newbery Honor book, American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, and it was nominated for National Book Award in 1975.

My Brother Sam is Dead is about Tim Meeker, a thirteen year-old boy, who has a dad that’s a Loyalist, and a brother , Sam, that’s a Patriot fighting in the Revolutionary War. His father ends up being captured by cowboys for selling beef to Loyalists in New York. After the cows from their family’s tavern get loose, Sam and Tim go looking for them. They split up to search and Sam is accused for stealing his own cattle, and then is in great danger with his platoon. This book is closely related to Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes, for they both are historical fiction and are set in the Revolutionary War period.

Although I like War era and historical fiction literature, this book was not something I was hooked on. It does have a very good story line, though. I would rank this book 4 out of 5. Anyone that is a fan of American history will enjoy the novel My Brother Sam is Dead.
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LibraryThing member DSlongwhite
Cooper needed to read this in seventh grade, so he called to ask if we could do a family book discussion after Thanksgiving. Lee, Holly, Avery, Mallory, Karen, Laurel, David, G & G, and Sandy read the book and Cooper led in the discussion.

It is not a book I would have chosen, but I was glad to
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 encourage Cooper to read and to show that we consider him a valued member of the family.

This is the story of a civil war family whose father is on one side of the battle and the oldest son is on the other. They own a tavern in Connecticut.
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Rating

½ (375 ratings; 3.6)

Subjects

Awards

Call number

J4E.Col

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