This is solid educational reading for the right kid at the right time—meaning a 3rd-5th grader studying the American Revolution who needs a more engaging take on King George III than their textbook provides.

Jean Fritz knows how to make history stick by focusing on the weird, human details that kids remember. A bashful king who blushed easily? That's the kind of detail that makes history feel real. The book does what it sets out to do: humanize a historical figure typically cast as the villain.

That said, let's be honest—this is homework-adjacent reading. It's from 1996, and while Fritz's writing holds up better than many historical children's books from that era, it's not competing with modern middle-grade fiction for pure entertainment value. Most kids won't pick this up for fun, but they also won't hate it when it's assigned. The 4.7 Amazon rating suggests parents and teachers appreciate it, which tracks for a well-executed educational biography.

If your kid is deep in Revolutionary War unit studies or genuinely curious about the British perspective, this delivers. Otherwise, it's a book that earns respect without demanding a spot on every shelf.