Meyers' Rebellion

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

Flight (1991) was the first book published in Crook’s series about a
United Empire Loyalist family that settled near Belleville, Ontario,
following the American Revolution. Meyers’ Creek, published in 1995,
continued the story.

Meyers’ Rebellion centres around the rebellions of 1837 and 1838, and
focuses on the adventures of 15-year-old John, the youngest of the eight
Meyers children. Despite their fiercely loyal and patriotic upbringing,
most of the Meyers family emerges on the side of the Reformers. John,
refusing to be left out, joins his three older brothers and becomes
involved in the rebellions. Examples of his escapades include rescuing
the fiery William Lyon Mackenzie from a pair of thugs (on what should
have been a simple trip to the Toronto farmers’ market to sell
produce) and inadvertently becoming part of Mackenzie’s ill-fated
uprising. John is also one of a group rebels intent on capturing the
ship Robert Peel, and narrowly escapes capture himself.

The characters come to life on the pages of Meyers’ Rebellion.
Fast-paced with plenty of action and suspense, it will be enjoyed by
intermediate-grade readers. The romantic subplots featuring the
John–pretty neighbour Nan Burditt–George triangle and, toward the
end of the novel, schoolteacher Louisa Hildreth, add to the appeal for
young-adult readers.

In a historical note at the end of Meyers’ Rebellion, Crook informs
us that most of the characters and events in the novel are real. She
herself is a descendent of John Meyers’s grandfather. She also hints
that a fourth novel in the Meyers saga is forthcoming. I’m looking
forward to finding out whether John or George (or someone else entirely)
married the feisty Nan and where Louisa fits into the grand scheme of
things. Highly recommended.