Gr 5-8-Brezina uses primary sources to show the conditions of society at the time Johnny Tremain took place. The author explores the American colonies in the late 1700s and what life would be like for a boy Johnny's age, providing context for his motivations and actions. Color photos of period art and documents are included. Good additional reading, though the appeal of this novel may have lost some of its luster in recent years as a major source for literature instruction.-Carol Foreman, Elbert School, CO Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.