Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? - by Jean Fritz (Paperback)

About the Book

All King George III ever wanted was for everyone to be as conscientious as he was about obeying the rules! After all, he followed the rules for being a good king, so why were those pesky Americans causing so much trouble?

Book Synopsis

"Great fun and fascinating history." --School Library Journal, (starred review)

This entertaining volume, by Newbery Honor-winning author Jean Fritz, sheds light on the life of England's King George III.

It begins when he was a bashful boy who blushed easily, goes on to his early days as king, and finally examines his role in the American Revolution - when Americans ceased to think of him as good King George. Fascinating history made accessible for young readers.

"The lively text includes plenty of amusing, personality-revealing anecdotes . . ." --Children's Literature

Review Quotes

Praise for Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?

★''England's King George ill made buttons, ate sauerkraut, and collected clocks but none of the above could blot the upstart American Revolution from his mind. Great fun and fascinating history." --School Library Journal, starred review

"Fritz gives both a cozy, slightly comic view of the monarch, a tone picked up by the artist, and a view of the American Revolution that may help children understand that there is more than one approach to historical events." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"The book is as entertainingly written as her earlier biographical works about Paul Revere and Benjamin Franklin; if based on background less familiar to young American readers, it may be, for that reason, even more welcome." --Horn Book

"Another of Jean Fritz's witty, warts-and-all portraits of Revolutionary War leaders." --New York Times Book Review

"A snappy biography of King George ill, vividly portraying his personality quirks and unusual taste as well as political philosophy." --Chicago Daily News

An IRA-CBC Children's Choice
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies

About the Author

Acclaimed biographer, Jean Fritz, was born in China to American missionaries on November 16, 1915. Living there until she was almost thirteen sparked a lifelong interest in American history. She wrote about her childhood in China in Homesick, My Own Story, a Newbery Honor Book and winner of the National Book Award.
Ms. Fritz was the author of forty-five books for children and young people. Many center on historical American figures, gaining her a reputation as the premier author of biographies for children and young people.
Among the other prestigious awards Ms. Fritz has garnered are: the National Humanities Medal, the Children's Literature Legacy Award, the May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture Award. the Christopher Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Non-Fiction Award, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and many ALA Notable Books of the Year, School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, and ALA Booklist Editors' Choice Awards.
She passed away on May 14, 2017.