My Brother Sam is Dead

by James Lincoln Collier

  Make a Whirligig!

  For another fun activity, try making this popular toy from the Revolutionary War era. You will need a ruler, crayons, pencil, string, and a 4-inch circle of stiff cardboard. First, take the circle and color it as desired. Experiment with different geometric patterns, spirals, and colors. Then use the pencil to punch out two small holes that are diagonally across from each other, each about 3/8” from the center. Finally, thread about 2’ 1/2” of string through the holes and tie the ends together. Hold the string between the thumbs and index fingers of both hands, and twirl the circle until the string is taut. Then stretch it out, and pull hard to make the whirligig spin! Continue, alternating pulling hard and relaxing the string.

  Spend a Day in 1776!

  Here’s a challenge: See if you can spend an entire day not using anything that wouldn’t have been available to Tim. That means no TV, video games, computers, cars, lightbulbs, or electricity. If you can’t manage it for a whole day, see how long you can last in 1776. Travel back in time, from right where you are….

  We hope you’ve enjoyed this ebook! Other great ebooks from AudioGO by James and Christopher Collier include:

  • Jump Ship to Freedom

  • Who is Carrie?

  • With Every Drop of Blood: A Novel of the Civil War

  • War Comes to Willie Freeman

  • Decision in Philadelphia: The Constitutional Convention of 1787