Chapter 250: Reading America’s Story Together

Teens ages 13–19 are invited to take part in a hybrid community book club that brings readers together to explore the American Revolution through shared reading, conversation, and film. Each month, participants view a preview from the PBS documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, along with short companion videos tied to the featured book, followed by an informal, guided discussion.

The featured title for this session is “Why Longfellow Lied: The Truth About Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride,” by Jeff Lantos, which uncovers the surprising truth behind one of America’s most famous poems. Lantos examines how Henry Wadsworth Longfellow reshaped history in “Paul Revere’s Ride,” explains why Revere’s actions were largely overlooked at the time, and shows how the poem itself helped create a lasting national legend, offering a lively, myth-busting look at history that blends investigation, storytelling, and critical thinking.

The program runs approximately 45–60 minutes and is free and open to the public. To register virtually, please visit: https://shorturl.at/4h5ib. Copies of the book are available at the McNabb Branch