A Day That Changed America: The Alamo: The Alamo

by Shelley Tanaka Narrated by Susan Boyce

Overview

They were fighting for Texas-fighting for the land they called home. For twelve long days, the men and women inside an old mission known as the Alamo defended it against the soldiers who surrounded them. But President Santa Anna was just as determined to keep Texas part of Mexico. He sent a message to the Texians behind the fortress walls-there would be no mercy for those inside. The Texians hung on as they waited for more men and supplies to come to their rescue. But no help came. Finally, in the predawn darkness of March 6, 1836, thousands of Mexican soldiers poured over the walls of the Alamo. The gruesome battle that followed would prove to be a turning point in American history. And “Remember the Alamo!” would become the battle cry of the fight of Texas independence. The gripping story of the Alamo is told here through the eyes of two real-life survivors of the siege and battle-eight-year-old Enrique Esparza and Susanna Dickinson, the mother of baby Angelina.

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal - Audio

Gr 4–6—Shelley Tanaka knows how to write good nonfiction, and it is reflected in this book (Hyperion, 2003.) She provides a compelling chronological account of the final battle at the Alamo with information about its causes, significant historical figures, and aftermath. The battle is presented from a variety of viewpoints, and information is provided about what happened to the few survivors. Susan Boyce narrates Tanaka's crisp text with a clear, measured voice. No sound effects or music come between listeners and the text. This is an excellent audio presentation, but students should have the book available so they can enjoy the additional information found there in the maps and diagrams, as well as in David Craig's detailed paintings.—Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA

MAY 2012 - AudioFile

The author provides a graphic account of the siege at the Alamo in Texas in 1836. Susan Boyce’s narration is steady, and her voice is smooth—though at times her delivery borders on being stilted. The beginning of the narrative explains both sides of the Mexican-American War but devolves into a primarily American perspective. At first, Boyce’s reading isn’t able to transcend the litany of dates, names, and facts. As the siege gets underway, however, her narration grows vivid, in part because the violence of battle is described in detail. The end, with its account of the lives of the surviving women and children, is resonant, and Boyce’s final statements ring out a call to remember. A.M.P. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169634013
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	02/01/2012
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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