I just finished reading this book... as an adult, the writing seemed very simple & even simplistic, but I still couldn't put it down. The black-and-white illustrations are just right to help you imagine the story as you read. Longfellow's poem about Paul Revere's ride is in the last chapter, along with a description of Paul's ride. Except for that poem & description, the book deals with Paul's life from 9 to around 19, when he began carrying secret messages for the Patriots.
The copy I read was checked out from my library, but I will most definitely buy this book in the very near future! I can see it being pulled off our shelves again & again to be read for fun, not just as a homeschool assignment. I know that my 2nd grade daughter will enjoy reading this book for herself, and our younger boys will enjoy having it read to them.
I highly recommend this book to fellow homeschoolers studying the Revolutionary War. Even teen-agers would enjoy reading this as a "break" from heavier reading assignments.