Freedom Seeker: A Story about William Penn (repost)

A highly fictionalized portrayal of Penn's life from his childhood in London and his early exposure to the Quaker faith to his rise in prominence within the religion and his founding of Pennsylvania. Swain makes little attempt to document thoughts and quotes attributed to Penn or other individuals. She describes emotions that are believable, but not necessarily verifiable. "When William refused to remove his hat to honor his father, Sir William cried out. Hadn't he raised his son better than this? When William used the more familiar term thou when talking to his father, Sir William despaired. Such bad manners!" This writing style may make the information accessible to reluctant readers, but it is unsuitable for reports, and the blotchy black-and-white drawings detract rather than add to the book's appeal. Norma Jean Lutz's William Penn: Founder of Democracy (Chelsea, 1999) focuses more attention on Penn's founding of the colony of Pennsylvania and is a better choice for reports.
Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT