Revolutionary War on Wednesday

This children's chapter book is the twenty-second installment in the Magic Tree House series. In previous books, eight-year-old Jack and his seven-year-old sister, Annie, discovered a magic tree house in the woods near their home in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. The tree house belongs to Morgan le Fay, a magical librarian from Camelot, the legendary kingdom of King Arthur. It transports the children to any time and place depicted in its books when they point to a picture and wish to go there. In their current set of adventures (Books #21–24), Jack and Annie must find four special kinds of writing for Morgan's library to help save Camelot. On a previous trip to the Civil War, they found the first item, "something to follow" (6). Now they need the second: "something to send" (6).

Annie wakes Jack at six in the morning, reminding him it is Wednesday and they must return to the tree house. They run through their quiet neighborhood into the Frog Creek woods, climb up, and reread Morgan's note listing the four writings they need. A new book awaits them, titled The Revolutionary War, its cover showing soldiers on a snowy riverbank. Both children are uneasy about entering another war after the suffering they witnessed during the Civil War, but they feel they must help Morgan. Jack points to the cover, wishes to go there, and the tree house spins and carries them away.

They arrive in a cold, gray landscape near an icy river. Their modern clothes have transformed into colonial-era garments, and the sky is so heavy they cannot tell whether it is almost day or almost night. Jack reads in their research book that the Revolutionary War was fought by American colonists called patriots seeking independence from Britain, and that British soldiers were known as redcoats for their red uniforms. Annie spots men with muskets around a campfire upriver, and Jack suggests they sneak closer to determine which side the soldiers are on.

Annie creeps forward with Jack reluctantly following. The men wear ragged clothing rather than uniforms, some with their feet wrapped in tattered cloth. A captain hears them and orders them to show themselves. When Jack explains they wanted to know whether the men were redcoats or patriots, the captain confirms they are patriots and his tone softens. He is surprised to learn they are from Frog Creek, since his own farm is there. Before they can talk further, a call comes from upriver: It is time to move. The captain tells Jack and Annie to return to their family. He mentions he was trying to write a farewell letter to his own children but did not know what to say, and Annie suggests he tell them he misses them. The captain marches off with his men into the cold mist.

Alone on the dark, snowy riverbank, Jack and Annie follow the soldiers' footprints. They arrive at a gathering of hundreds of troops near the river, where oil lanterns glow in the twilight and men load horses and cannons onto large boats. Jack reads that on Wednesday, December 25, 1776, about 2,400 weary American patriots gathered on the west bank of the Delaware River in Pennsylvania to prepare for a secret mission. Annie realizes with excitement that it is Christmas Day.

A man in a dark cape rides up on a white horse, and a soldier announces the commander-in-chief. He addresses the troops, reading aloud from the words of Thomas Paine, urging courage and declaring that "the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph" (30). The soldiers cheer, their weariness replaced by eagerness. As the commander-in-chief rides past, Jack recognizes the face from dollar bills and realizes the man is George Washington.

A bearded soldier notices Jack writing in his notebook and questions him. Jack flees into the crowd. The captain from earlier finds Jack and sternly orders him to locate Annie and leave, warning that children will interfere with the secret mission. Then the captain asks a favor: He hands Jack a farewell letter addressed to his children and asks Jack to take it back to Frog Creek, with instructions to send it only if the mission fails and many patriots are lost. The captain explains he copied the general's speech inside the letter to give his children courage. Jack clutches the letter and realizes it is the special writing they need, "something to send" (6). He is eager to find Annie so they can go home.

Jack finds Annie sitting in the back of the largest boat, Washington's own vessel. She insists this is a rare chance to be near Washington. Jack climbs aboard to pull her out, but the crew pushes off before he can act, hacking through ice with their oars. The boat jolts forward and crosses the Delaware.

Giant chunks of ice smash against the boat as it rocks violently. Jack reads that after crossing the Delaware, Washington led a nine-mile march to a British post filled with Hessians, German soldiers hired by the British to fight against the patriots. The Americans caught them off guard on the stormy Christmas night, capturing nearly 1,000 with hardly any losses. Annie exclaims that they will not need to send the captain's letter, and her outburst draws Washington's attention. He approaches in quiet anger and orders the children out when the boat returns, instructing his rowers not to let them board any other vessel.

After Washington steps ashore on the opposite bank, the storm worsens into a mix of rain, snow, and sleet. Washington tells a major he expects a blizzard, and the major suggests the mission may be hopeless. Annie stands in the rocking boat and shouts to Washington not to retreat, declaring he will win and that the Hessians will be surprised. She jumps out and runs toward the general. The major demands to know how Annie knows their plans, and the bearded soldier from earlier reports he saw Jack writing things down. The major accuses Jack and Annie of being spies.

Jack grabs Annie's hand and insists they are not spies. He turns to Washington and urges the general to believe his own words. Pulling out the captain's letter, Jack reads aloud the same inspiring passage Washington delivered to his troops, reminding him that the harder things seem, the greater the triumph. Jack tells Washington he must keep going for his soldiers' sake, and Annie adds he must keep going for the future children of America. After a long silence, Washington places a hand on each of their shoulders and says he does not know who they are or how they know what they know, but he believes them. For their sake and for America's future children, the army will march on. He orders them back into the boat, thanks them for reminding him to listen to his own advice, and wishes them a Merry Christmas before riding into the storm.

The crew rows Jack and Annie back across the icy Delaware. A thunderstorm breaks over the snowy woods, and lightning reveals the tree house in a tall tree. They climb the swaying rope ladder, soaking wet. Annie grabs the Pennsylvania book, which depicts their home region and can carry them back, and wishes to go home. The tree house spins and returns them to Frog Creek.

They arrive in the warm summer morning, wearing their dry modern clothes. Jack examines the captain's letter, addressed to Molly and Ben Sanders at Apple Tree Farm, Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. He notes the Sanders children lived near these woods over two hundred years ago. Annie speaks softly to the letter, as if sending comfort back through time, assuring the children their father will make it home. Jack places the Revolutionary War letter next to the Civil War writing from their earlier trip, and they find a new note from Morgan telling them to return on Tuesday. Sitting on their porch at dawn, Jack quietly recites Paine's words about the harder conflict yielding the more glorious triumph. Annie agrees, saying she feels glorious after their own hard conflict, and they slip into their quiet, peaceful house.