My Brother Sam is Dead

Collier, J. L., & Collier, C. (1974). My brother Sam is dead. New York: Four Winds. ISBN 0027229807

Plot Summary

                      Tim Meeker looks up to his smart, strong-willed older brother Sam. But when Sam returns home from college and announces that he will be joining the Rebel army, this news shocks the entire family. They are Anglican and loyal to the British government. Despite his family’s objections, Sam steals his father’s pistol and runs way to fight with the Rebels against the British. Tim, who believes in his brother and longs to emulate his passion and courage, is torn between loyalty to his brother and to his family and the beliefs he was raised to hold. The separation while Sam is away fighting is difficult for everyone. Their father’s growing resentment towards Sam isolates him when he returns home for visits. Conditions take a turn for the worst when their father is kidnapped by Rebels on an errand with Tim and Tim must return home alone to take care of his increasingly depressed mother and the entire household and family tavern. Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution, this story is not only about the history of our country, but about a family and how they cope with opposition and tragedy.

Critical Analysis

                          The strength of this book lies in its ability to show contrast and to tell two sides of a story. The reader is torn along with Tim in some ways. Obviously the Rebels are the favored side, as they fought for freedom from tyranny and oppression, but their brutality is evident in their treatment of the Meeker family and ultimately in Sam’s fate. The British brutality is just as prominent. They storm the village in which Tim’s family lives and take prisoners of war. Tim is a strong and sympathetic character. The reader feels his anxiety at being torn between his headstrong brother and his father. His life becomes increasingly difficult as one fate after another befalls his family. First Sam leaves, making more work for him, and then his father is kidnapped. Tim must work constantly in order to keep his mother and himself afloat. This is a coming of age story for him, as he matures past blindly accepting the values of his family and searches for his own beliefs. The historical aspect of this book is also very important and very well-executed. These authors do not pull any punches in their depiction of war and colony life. The atrocities and hard realities for both soldiers and civilians are not sugar-coated for a younger audience, making this one of the more commonly challenged young adult novels. The beliefs of both sides of the war are made evident through the story – not overtly like a history lesson – so that a reader who is not informed on the American Revolution could pick up this novel and come away both enlightened and entertained by the story.

Reader’s Annotation

                                 Tim is torn between his headstrong brother’s decision to right with the Rebel army during the American Revolution, and his family’s loyalty to Britain. He must make difficult decisions about how to remain true to himself as well as his family while struggling his way through the war.

About the Authors

                              James Lincoln Collier graduated from Hamilton College and shortly afterwards served in the military. Following this, he served as a magazine editor, but always had a passion for writing. He began with children's nonfiction but soon branched out into young adult novels on historical topics, co-authored with his brother, Christopher Collier, who is a historian. My Brother Sam is Dead is the most celebrated book they have written together. Currently he lives in New York and exercises his two passions - writing and playing jazz music on the trombone. He is a father of two.

                              Christopher Collier attended Clark University for his Bachelor's degree and achieved his PhD from Columbia University. He has spent his career as a professor at a variety of colleges, and writing books on American history. Like his brother James, he is also a musician and plays the trumpet and flugelhorn. He and his wife live in Orange, Connecticut, and have three children.

                             The Collier brothers have received many honors both separately and together. My Brother Sam is Dead, authored by both, is a Newbery Honor Books and an ALA Notable Book, and was nominated for a National Book Award. Christopher Collier's books have received such honors as a Pulitzer prize nomination and being named a Notable Trade Book in the field of social studies.

Genre

         Historical – Revolutionary War

Challenge Issues

                           Possible challenge issues in this book include violence and death. In the event of a challenge, I would consult the challenge defense file prepared for this book. The challenge defense file would include: positive reviews from credible sources for the purpose of proving merit to the challenger; negative reviews in order to inform me on what might be challenged; a written explanation of my own rationale for including the book in the collection as well as a summary of the plot; the American Library Association Bill of Rights; a review of my branch’s selection policy; and, as a last resort, an explanation of the reconsideration policy for my library and an official reconsideration form.

Curriculum Ties

                           English and Writing, or History: for English and Writing, point of view, contrast, story arc; for History, the Revolutionary War specifically, American history in general.

Booktalk

             Would you be able to completely rebel against your family’s beliefs and opinions? This is what Sam does when he runs away to join the Rebel army, and his brother Tim is shocked and impressed with his fearlessness. Now Tim has to decide whether to be loyal to his family, who are loyal to the British, or follow in his brother’s radical footsteps.

Reading Level and Interest Age

                                                   Grades 7-12

Why I Included This Book

                                           This is one of my favorite books about the Revolutionary War. As a teenager I responded to it on a deeper level than just reading interest – the idea of rebelling against your family to follow a more modern and mutinous set of beliefs is extremely attractive at this age. Teens are starting to come into themselves, discover and hone their opinions apart from their families, so this book in that way is imminently readable. It is also an accurate and well-written portrayal of an important period of American history, making it doubly important to include in any collection.

References
Christopher Collier, PhD. (2011). Scholastic.com. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/christopher-collier-phd



James Lincoln Collier. (2011). Scholastic.com. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/james-lincoln-collier