Author Profile
Jean Fritz
7 Books
Jean Fritz was an acclaimed author of children's historical nonfiction, biographies, and historical fiction. She is especially known for making American history lively and approachable in books such as And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?, Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?, Shh! We're Writing the Constitution, and Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider. Her autobiographical Homesick: My Own Story received major recognition, including a Newbery Honor and the National Book Award for Children's Books.
John Hancock liked to be noticed, and history certainly noticed him back. Jean Fritz introduces the wealthy Boston merchant as more than a famous signature: he is charming, ambitious, proud, and increasingly drawn into the fight between the colonies and Britain. Young readers follow Hancock from comfortable privilege into risky public leadership, learning how taxes, politics, popularity, and protest all shaped his choices. The tone is playful but informative, with the kind of personal details that make a historical figure feel real. This the colonies and Britain. Young readers follow Hancock from comfortable privilege into risky public leadership, learning how taxes, politics, popularity, and protest all illustrated biography gives readers a lively look at the man whose name became one of the boldest symbols of the Declaration of Independence.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
52 Pages
Paul Revere is famous for one midnight ride, but Jean Fritz knows there is much more to the story. Before the alarm reached Lexington, Revere had already been a silversmith, a messenger, a patriot, and a man who kept finding himself in tense and surprising situations. With humor and brisk pacing, this illustrated biography uncovers the details behind the legend: the mistakes, narrow escapes, odd jobs, and bold choices that made Revere memorable. Young readers who enjoy true stories with action will find history moving quickly here. The book makes the American Revolution feel close and lively, showing that famous moments are often made from many smaller, stranger, very human ones.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
52 Pages
The summer of 1787 was hot, secretive, and full of arguments. Behind closed doors in Philadelphia, delegates from the states tried to create a plan strong enough to hold a new country together. Jean Fritz turns the Constitutional Convention into a lively nonfiction story, showing famous figures such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison alongside the disagreements that made the work so difficult. Tomie dePaola’s illustrations add humor and personality, helping readers see the Constitution as something people debated, revised, and struggled to finish. The book is an inviting way to understand how government is built, why compromise matters, and why the words written that summer still matter.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
68 Pages
Ben Franklin always seemed to have another idea waiting. A better chair, a clever lock, a useful invention, a printed page, a political plan: his mind kept moving from one experiment to the next. Jean Fritz introduces Franklin as printer, inventor, writer, diplomat, and Founding Father, but she keeps the focus on the lively human details that make him memorable. Young readers see how curiosity can shape a whole life, from everyday gadgets to major moments in American history. With a light, humorous tone and illustrations by Margot Tomes, this biography makes Franklin’s many roles easy to follow and fun to explore.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
50 Pages
Sam Adams was not interested in acting fancy just because other important men did. Ruffles, polished manners, and even horseback riding could wait; he had a revolution to help stir up. Jean Fritz turns this Revolutionary-era biography into a funny, personal portrait of a stubborn Boston patriot who challenged British authority and helped push colonial resistance forward. The book uses one amusing habit, Adams’s refusal to ride a horse, as a doorway into bigger history. Readers meet a leader who was plainspoken, determined, and not always easy to persuade. With lively illustrations, it is a smart introduction to one of the bold voices behind the American Revolution.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
50 Pages
Patrick Henry did not begin life sounding like the fiery speaker remembered from American history. Jean Fritz introduces him as a lively Virginia boy, a practical joker, a young man with failures behind him, and eventually a lawyer and leader whose voice could stir a room. The book follows Henry’s growth from restless youth to passionate defender of colonial rights, using humor and memorable details rather than stiff textbook language. Readers learn about his strengths and flaws, his love of Virginia, and the tension building between the colonies and England. This illustrated biography is a spirited way to meet a Revolutionary-era figure whose words helped push history forward.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
48 Pages
George Washington Allen does not just share a name with the first president. He shares a birthday too, and he is determined to know everything about him, right down to what George Washington ate for breakfast. That one small question sends him digging through books, asking adults, and following every clue he can find. Jean Fritz turns historical research into a funny, lively search that young readers can follow with ease. The story blends a curious modern child, true details about George Washington, and a warm sense of discovery. Perfect for readers who like history with humor, it shows that even a tiny question can open the door to the past.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
47 Pages
