Reading List: Civil War & The Underground Railroad
Parents,
On April 12, 2014, our country will be recognizing the 153rd anniversary of the start of the American Civil War. To remember this event, our school is providing a reading list of Civil War related books to all of our students. This list is arranged in grade level order so please pick a book that is age appropriate. The books chosen for the list have been carefully selected and categorized according to the interest and maturity of the reading audience. We ask that all students read at least one book from the list during the month of April. Depending on your child’s abilities, please have him or her either illustrate a scene from the book or write a summary of the story. We encourage each child to read all of the books listed in their age category. Please use this reading time as an opportunity for your child to learn about this period of American history.
The reading list follows:
Kindergarten
The Promise Quilt by: Candice F. Ransom
Cassie's Sweet Berry Pie by: Winnick, Karen B.
First Grade
From Slave to Soldier by: Deborah Hopkinson
Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt by: Barbara Smucker
Second Grade
Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys by: Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
You Wouldn't Want to Be a Civil War Soldier by: Thomas Ratcliff
Third Grade
Voices of the Civil War by: Jason D. Nemeth
Pink and Say by: Patricia Polacco
Grace's Letter to Lincoln by: Peter & Connie Roop
Fourth Grade
My Brother's Keeper by: Mary Pope Osborne
Watcher in the Piney Woods by: Elizabeth McDavid Jones
Fifth Grade
The War Within by: Carol Matas
Letters from a Slave Boy by: Mary E. Lyons
Sixth Grade
Juliet’s Moon by: Ann Rinaldi
The Deep Cut by: Susan Rosson Spain
Ransom, Candice F. The Promise Quilt. New York, NY: Walker & Company, 1999. 26 pages.
The picture book, The Promise Quilt, is about a little girl named Addie and how the war affected her and her family in Virginia. Addie longed to go to school when she was a young girl and her father promised that one day, when she was older, she would go to school and make her mark in the world. When the Confederate army marched into her town in Virginia, her father left to be General Lee’s guide. Addie never saw her father again. When there was fighting close to their home, Addie, her mother, and brother would hide under tables and pray. A Northern hospital informed the family that Addie’s father passed away and a woman sent his red shirt. Addie’s mother gave Addie the shirt. When the war was over, Addie still longed to go to school but the school had been destroyed. One neighbor suggested that his shed could be used as a school until the men finished rebuilding the schoolhouse. Addie’s mother wrote to the lady who sent Papa’s shirt back asking if she knew a way that they could get books for school. The lady suggested that Addie’s mother make a quilt and she would raffle it to raise money for books. Addie’s mother began to make the quilt but ran out of material. Addie offered her father’s shirt to be used so that her mother could finish the quilt. By using her father’s shirt as part of the quilt, Addie’s father was leaving his mark in the world. When the quilt was finished, it was sent to the lady in Pennsylvania. In return, a box of new books was sent for the children of the town. On the first day of school, Addie learned how to write her name. As soon as she wrote her name on slate, she realized that she made her mark in the world.
This story is suitable for kindergarten students to read because the content is not too deep for five and six year old children. There are many full page illustrations in this book that would help hold the attention of the kindergarten students and help them to understand what is happening in the story. Whether it was tearing apart families, or destroying schools, this book gives students an idea of the damage that the Civil War did to towns. The book also shows students that good things can come out of bad times. It also teaches them not to take school for granted because most people were not educated in the 1800s and people had to work hard in order to gain the privilege.
Winnick, Karen B. Cassie's Sweet Berry Pie. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press Inc., 2005. 30 pages.
In this picture book, Cassie’s Sweet Berry Pie, the main character, Cassie, is a young girl that is left at home to take care of her two younger siblings, cat, and home while her father is fighting for the Confederate Army and her mother is out feeding injured soldiers at a hospital. At the commencement of the book, Cassie is baking a sweet berry pie from the huckleberries she collected and her young siblings are jumping on their parent’s bed. As Cassie starts making the pie, she notices her closest neighbor near her house. Cassie goes outside to greet her neighbor and he jumps off his horse and warns Cassie that Union soldiers are coming to their town of Marion and that she should leave her house. Cassie’s neighbor goes back on his horse and leaves to warn others. Cassie was told by her mother to stay at her house. She knows that Union soldiers are known to invade houses and steal food and valuables. Cassie decides to hide all of the food and valuables under her parent’s bed. Cassie yells at her sister, Saralyn, for eating her berries. The berries left a stain on Saralyn’s face so Cassie formulates a plan. She puts her siblings in her parent’s bed and starts a fire in her fireplace to make the place extremely warm. She then mashes up some berries and puts the juice on her siblings’ faces to make dots. She then read to them until the soldiers came to her door. When the soldiers arrived, they demanded to some in and Cassie pulled the curtains around the bed. When the soldiers came in, they started going through all of the cabinets. There was a young Union soldier about Cassie’s age that entered the house. When they moved the curtains, the soldiers asked what was wrong with the children because of the spots on their faces. Cassie said that the children had the measles. The young soldier got close to the children and felt their foreheads. He told all of the other soldiers that the children had fevers and definitely had the measles. The soldiers decided to leave and the young soldier winked at Cassie because he knew that the children were not really sick but he wanted to help them. Cassie, her brother Willie, and sister Saralyn fooled the Union soldiers with the help of the young Union soldier. Once the soldiers left, Cassie decided to finish making her sweet berry pie.
This book is appropriate for kindergarten students. Although the book is wordy, a kindergarten student can easily comprehend what takes place in the book because the words are basic and the pictures flow along with the story. The story is not graphic about the war. It does not discuss the gory details, instead, it shows how innocent adults and children were affected by soldiers when the soldiers infiltrated into towns.
Hopkinson, Deborah. From Slave to Soldier. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2005. 44 pages.
The easy reader, From Slave to Soldier, tells the story of a young African American slave boy named Johnny. Johnny works in the South on a farm. Each day Johnny had to ride on a mule named Nell in order to drive the forty cows on the farm to their milking pens. Johnny’s Uncle Silas encouraged Johnny to join the Union army so that they both could be free. One day, when Johnny was driving the cows to a pasture, he saw hundreds of Union soldiers. One soldier asked Johnny to join the army and Johnny accepted the offer and left his owners. The Captain of Johnny’s company gave Johnny the responsibility of taking care of the mules and supply wagon with a fellow Union soldier named Dave. Johnny worked hard to drive the team of six mules that pulled the supply wagon. One night, the Captain asked Johnny to drive the wagon alone to a group of hungry soldiers because Dave was sick. Johnny agreed and took off into the night. After experiencing a little difficulty with the mules on the bridge, Johnny made it to the soldiers. Johnny proved to the Captain that he could handle the mules and as a reward, he was given a Union uniform.
This book is suitable for a first grade student because it is an easy reader. There are many simple vocabulary words that a first grade student should be able to recognize and read. The sentences are also simple enough for a first grade student to comprehend. The book is also divided up into eight chapters. The students do not have to read the whole forty-four pages at once, instead the students will be able to take breaks after each chapter and review what they read with an adult to ensure that they understand the material. This book tells a happy story about an African American boy during the Civil War. I consider that students will enjoy learning about how African American and white soldiers marched side by side in the Union army during the Civil War. The story does not contain any inappropriate material about the war, instead it shows how even the youngest people can have a significant impact and conquer adult tasks. This book also gives the children insight on different responsibilities that soldiers were given, other than fighting.
Smucker, Barbara. Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, INC., 1995. 28 pages.
This historical fiction story is about how the Civil War impacts a young girl named Selina and how her family stays together even though war has torn them apart. At the start of the story, Selina’s grandmother reveals a new quilt that she is working on to Selina, called a Bear Paw quilt. The grandmother explains to Selina that all of the different materials used in the quilt are memories and have meaning within the family. Some of the fabric is from the grandmother’s wedding dress, and some material was from the outfits of various family members, including Selina. On the night that Selina’s father returned home from Virgina, Selina eavesdropped on a conversation between her parents and discovered that the soldiers were coming up north, and war would be coming to their home in Pennsylvania. Selina’s father decided that they were to going to move in with family in Upper Canada. Selina’s grandmother gave the Bear Paw top quilt to Selina as a going away gift and also as something to remember her by. When Selina arrived in Upper Canada, her family agreed to help her finish the Bear Paw quilt. The quilt reminded Selina of her grandmother and knowing that her grandmother would always be with her in memory, brought peace to her heart and helped her adjust to her new home.
This story is appropriate for first grade students. The language of this book is geared toward a younger audience. First grade students will easily be able to comprehend the meaning of this story. The book shows how people were constantly moving to avoid war. Once word came to town that the soldiers were in close proximity, people would leave their homes, belongings, and sometimes family behind to circumvent the fighting. Students will enjoy reading about how Selina held on to her quilt and the memories of her grandmother. The detailed, realistic pictures in the book will keep the students interested in the story. On each page, a detailed picture of a quilt is shown. The different colored and patterned materials that are described are displayed in the pictures of the book. This helps young readers become more involved with the story because as they learn about the history of a type of fabric, they look to the pictures to find where it is used. By keeping the readers involved, they are able to see the history that these quilts have and how it allowed for memories of family to last even when the family was separated by the war.
Howard, Elizabeth Fitzgerald. Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young
Readers, 2000. 22 pages.
This story is about a young African American girl named Virgie whose only wish is to attend school with her five older brothers. All of Virgie’s brothers discouraged her from going to school because they thought she would not be able to handle the seven mile walk to school and that she would get homesick because they had to live at school during the week. The boys would also tell her that girls did not need to go to school but Virgie would tell them that girls needed school just as much as boys did. The school that the boys attended was started by Quakers after Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that all slaves were free. Virgie spent the whole summer pleading with her parents to let her go to school. Finally, her parents agreed to let her go because they believed that all free people no matter age, gender, or skin color deserve an education. On Virgie’s first day of school, C.C., one of Virgie’s brothers, took Virgie’s hand and followed their other brothers, across fields and through both creeks, and woods to school. When Virgie arrived at school, she was given a warm greeting by the headmaster. When C.C. showed her the inside of the school, Virgie was overcome with happiness, she was amazed at all the books she saw. She could not wait to be able to read and she promised that when she went home each week, she would teacher her parents what she learned in school so that they too could learn how to be free just like her and her brothers.
This picture book would be suitable for students in second grade. The vocabulary and amount of words on each page will make it difficult for a second grade student to read by his or her self. It would be best for a teacher or adult to either read the book out loud in order for the student to comprehend the story or assist the student while they read. This book will appeal to students because it shows them how students today take school for granted but only one hundred and fifty years ago, people used to fight in order to become educated. Once the slaves were freed, they felt that by going to school they would learn how to be free. This story might encourage students to appreciate education and the lives they have now in the twenty-first century. This book may also reinforce the idea that all people have equal rights.
Ratliff, Thomas. You Wouldn't Want to Be a Civil War Soldier. Danbury, CT: Franklin Watts, 2004. 31 pages.
In the nonfiction book, You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Civil War Soldier by Thomas Ratcliff, readers learn about the American Civil War and what life was like for the soldiers during the war. The book’s introduction takes the reader back in time to 1860, when Lincoln has just been elected president and when eleven southern states secede from the United States. A few months after the states seceded, the Civil War began. The Civil War was once anticipated to be a short-lived war but it ended up lasting for four years and has become known as America’s bloodiest war. The book first explains how the armies are broken up the military units of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Next, readers learn about the food the soldiers were fed, the wool uniforms, and the soldier’s salaries. The packs that soldiers carried were over 65 pounds. The book mentions some of the battles and the different types of weapons that were used in battle such as pistols and cavalry swords. Readers learn that the Confederate soldiers were very similar to the Union soldiers and that both sides had to overcome the same hardships such as extreme heat and cold, starvation, and disease. When soldiers were wounded in battle, they were very likely to have their wounds become infected, and as a result, many people died from the infections. If the wound was serious, it was common for an arm or a leg to be amputated. Readers learn how medicine was not advanced in the 1860s. At the end of the book we learn that the Union won the Civil War when Confederate General Lee surrendered to Union General Grant.
This book is suitable for second grade students because it gives a good overview of the conditions the soldiers faced during the Civil War, without going into too much detail. The book gives some information of the battles but it mainly focuses on the daily lives of both Union and Confederate soldiers and the hardships they were faced with. This book uses language that is appropriate for second grade students. Challenging words are clearly explained in the glossary found at the back of the book which will help students learn new vocabulary words. This book is a good introduction to the topic of the Civil War and it will also provide students with a sense of what life was really like for a soldier during this period of American history.
Nemeth, Jason D. Voices of the Civil War. Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone Press, 2010. 32 pages.
This nonfiction book, Voices of the Civil War, includes many stories from the battlefields of the American Civil War. The Civil War began on April 12th, 1861 with a single shot at Fort Sumter. The first battle story is told from a Confederate soldier names Sam Watkins. Watkins explained that the marching and camping was dangerous because the weather was so cold that soldiers actually froze to death, some froze to death while sitting and others froze while lying down. Watkin’s regiment started with over a thousand members, by the end of the fighting in 1865, only Watkins and 64 other men survived. The book also gives facts about the war such as how if a young teenager appeared to look eighteen years old, the teen was allowed to join. Thousands of soldiers were under the age of eighteen. Another story comes from a man named Thomas Fanning Wood. Wood wanted to become a doctor but his family was poor so he joined the Confederate army. Wood was hospitalized during his first year as a soldier. While he was at the hospital, he realized that there was a need for doctors. One day a doctor asked Wood to help out with the wounded soldiers at the hospital, the army let him work at the hospital because there was a shortage of doctors. Wood passed a medical exam and became a doctor, making his dreams came true after all. After the war, Wood was an advocate for better public health and he tried to teach the importance of cleanliness. The last story is about a freed slave named Susie King Taylor. When she was a young girl, people went against the law and educated her. A Union soldier learned of Taylor’s education and asked her to teach freed slave children. When a regiment of black Union soldiers was formed, Taylor left with her husband and the regiment. She learned how to shoot and she lived to see the end of the war. She stayed in the South after the war was over and she helped open up schools for freed slaves.
This nonfiction book is appropriate for third grade students. This book would appeal to third grade students because it tells true stories of soldiers, doctors, colonels, and freed slaves during the Civil War. Students might be interested in learning about the firsthand accounts of people’s experiences and their accomplishments during the bloodiest battle in American history. This book contains a lot of interesting Civil War pictures that would appeal to third grade students as they read.
Polacco, Patricia. Pink and Say. New York, NY: Philomel Books, 1994. 44 pages.
In the book, Pink and Say, a young Union soldier named Sheldon is injured during a Civil War battle. He was shot in the leg and left for two days in the field. A young African American Union soldier named Pink, finds Sheldon and carries him to safety. Sheldon wakes up in Pink’s mother’s house. Pink’s mother takes care of Sheldon and helps him recover from his injury. Pink and Sheldon become friends and Sheldon told Pink to call him Say. Pink’s master taught him how to read. Say was embarrassed that he did not know how to read. Say told Pink that he had shook Abraham Lincoln’s hand once and he then went to shake Pink’s hand so that he too could be shaking hands with Mr. Lincoln. Pink wanted to go back and fight but Say did not. Say confessed to Pink’s mother that he was a coward and that he got shot when he ran away from his company. She told him that he was only a child and that he was brave. When Pink and Say went to rejoin with their army, they heard soldiers approaching so they hid in the cellar. When they came out of hiding, they found Pink’s mother dead. Confederate soldiers had shot her to death. The boys buried her and left to find the Union army. While they were walking they were captured by Confederate soldiers. They shook hands and then were separated from each other for ever. Say was thrown into Andersonville Confederate prison and was released months later. Pink was hanged a few hours after being brought to Andersonville. This book is based on a true story, Sheldon Russell Curtis passed on this story to his family and it was passed down for generations.
This book, which is based on a true story, is appropriate for third grader students because children around the age of nine will be able to understand the emotion that radiates from Pink and Say . Not only is the story touching, but it also allows the reader to get a glimpse of history. Typically we don’t see many picture books about such a heavy subject put in a simplistic way for young readers to understand. I believe that this book is a great addition to the curriculum because it is based on a true story and therefore will give the readers new insight because of the personal experience illustrated in the book on such an endless subject. It was touching to see how a young African American did not let the hindrance of color cause him to leave a soldier behind. This conveys the message to children that there should not be any boundaries between right and wrong, whether it be skin color or circumstance.
Roop, Peter, and Connie Roop. Grace's Letter to Lincoln. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children, 1998. 68 pages.
The book, Grace’s Letter to Lincoln, is based on a true story about a girl named Grace Bedell and her letter to Abraham Lincoln. The eleven year old main character, named Grace, tries her best to support Mr. Abraham Lincoln in hopes that he will win the presidential election. Grace and her family live in New York and they are strong supporters of Lincoln, they hope for Lincoln to become president to end slavery. Grace’s family and their neighbors, the Maycombers, help Grace’s father’s African American employee, Jefferson, escape to Canada by sneaking him to a station on the Underground Railroad. When Grace’s father left was out at work, Grace, her mother, and the Maycomber girls would come over and make banners of Mr. Lincoln to show their support even though they could not vote. Grace thought that if Mr. Lincoln grew a beard, many women would find him more attractive and persuade their husbands into voting for him. In Grace’s mind, if Mr. Lincoln had a beard, he would be sure to win the election so she wrote him a letter with her proposal. Mr. Lincoln wrote back to Grace but didn’t say for certain if he would grow a beard. Abraham Lincoln shocked Grace’s family and neighbors when he wrote back to Grace. He won the election and Grace hoped that he would someday pass through her town. After the Civil War was fought, everyone was happy that all African Americans were free. Mr. Lincoln visited Grace’s town and everyone gathered around him. He asked the audience if Grace, the young girl who wrote him about the beard that he now wore, was present. Grace walked up to Mr. Lincoln and met him, just as she had wished.
Third grade students would thoroughly enjoy reading this story because it is based on the real letter that Grace Bedell wrote to Abraham Lincoln and the letter that he wrote back to her. Children might find it interesting that the former president took the time to write back to a young girl’s silly suggestion. This book also shows how men, women, and children, all became involved in the presidential elections. The Bedell’s were strong believers that there should be no slavery and they went to such great lengths to help gain Lincoln supporters so that he would win the presidency and abolish slavery. This chapter book is not too long and is also not too challenging for a third grade student. The book is easy to follow and the vocabulary is appropriate for third grade students. I feel that the students will love seeing the actual copies of both Grace and Abraham Lincoln’s letters to one another at the end of the book.
Osborne, Mary Pope. My Brother's Keeper. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 2000. 107 pages.
The book, My Brother’s Keeper, takes place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 1863, during the Civil War. This book is the diary of a young girl and tells her account of the Civil War in Gettysburg and how she was affected. Virginia starts writing the diary when she is forced to temporarily live at the McCully house while her father and brother leave Gettysburg to help family. While her brother and father are gone, the war comes to Gettysburg. Virginia describes how the dead and wounded flood the streets. She helps Mrs. McCully make bread to feed the soldiers. One day Virginia climbs a tree and falls out, a Confederate Soldier finds her and rides her home on a horse to make sure she gets home safely. Virginia learns from the soldier that he wants to be home with his family and she sees that the Confederates are not bad people. One day her father returns without her brother, Jed, even though he was supposed to be home before his father arrived. Virginia and her father begin to search the hospitals for her brother but initially they do not find him. One day Virginia decides to look for Jed alone and she finds him in a church hospital because he had been injured on his journey home. Virginia is reunited with her family once again and the fighting ends in Gettysburg.
This book is suitable for fourth grade students because the vocabulary is not too challenging and the book gives a good sense of what the war was really like. I also feel that since the book was from the perspective of a young child, the students will be able to relate to Virginia and see what she is going through. The scenes described from Virginia might help the students understand the Civil War better. Although the book is fictional, the events that occurred and the scenes that were described are accurate. The information about the war is factual and it would be a good teaching tool to have the students read this book in addition to their history books so that they can see what life what life was really like in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania when the Battle of Gettysburg took place and how everyone in the town was affected.
Jones, Elizabeth McDavid. Watcher in the Piney Woods. Middleton, WI: Pleasant Company Publications, 2000. 144 pages.
The novel, Watcher in the Piney Woods by Elizabeth McDavid Jones, is about a twelve-year-old girl named Cassie Willis who helps her family run their family farm. This story takes place at the end of the Civil War. At the beginning of the story, Cassie was told the news that her brother, Jacob, was killed fighting with the Confederate army. Upset, she goes to the secret thicket that she and Jacob used to hide out in. While in the thicket, she stumbles upon the hideout of a deserter. The deserter orders Cassie to take him back to her house and to give him food. He threatens her by saying that he can easily harm her younger brother and her dog. Cassie has the choice of turning him in to the Confederate States of America, or put the lives of her family members at risk. While in the Piney Woods one night, she heard someone coming toward her, it was her brother Jacob. Cassie was so excited to see him. She found out that he had deserted the army like the mysterious man in the woods. She realized that the war has taken a toll on her brother, and the man in the woods. Cassie felt bad for the man so she decided to leave him food to help him survive. The Willis family also thought that their father was dead. At the end of the story Cassie’s father returns home after being gone for three years. The whole Willis family is reunited at the conclusion of the book.
This book is good for fourth grade students. It is easily comprehendible for children in this age group. Watcher in the Piney Woods may be more appealing to girls, because the main character is a young girl and she does tasks that girls tend to have interest in such as cooking, and taking care of siblings. There is action and descriptions about the Civil War that would appeal to boys. This story’s lesson is that one does not understand what other people are going through until one has experienced it firsthand, which is a good lesson for children in the third grade to learn. This book also shows how war effects not only soldiers, but families as well.
Matas, Carol. The War Within. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2001. 151 pages.
This novel documents a short period in the life of a thirteen year old Jewish girl, Hannah Green, as she struggles with her feelings and ideals during the American Civil War. Hannah is the daughter of well-to-do Southern merchants who are the owners of three slaves. When the Union army invades her town, she knows two things to be true: first, the Union and its soldiers are to be despised and secondly, the Confederacy should be independent of the North so that it may continue its practice of slavery. When her sister, Joana, falls in love with a Jewish Union soldier, she cannot accept it. Because she does not see the Union soldiers as individuals she is angered by her sister’s actions. When it comes to the issue of slavery, she cannot imagine life without slaves. Her thoughts site the hardships her family would face should slavery be abolished. She gives no thought to the hardships that the individual slave might face. When the occupying Union forces carry out their bigoted orders to evacuate all Jews in the South to other locations, Hannah begins a journey that reshapes her way of thinking.
I would recommend this book to the fifth grade reader, whether male or female. The main character is a thirteen year old girl which would appeal to the female reader, but the Civil War setting should appeal to the male reader. The language of the book is easy to read while being very informative in its historical content. The strong, unbending feelings of the heroine, as well as the obvious hypocrisy presented should incite some very interesting class discussions.
Lyons, Mary E. Letters from a Slave Boy. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007. 197 pages.
The novel, Letters from a Slave Boy by Mary E. Lyons, traces the life of a young black slave from North Carolina named Joseph Jacobs. Through his un-mailed letters addressed to family members and friends, Joseph details the unsettled, nomadic life he leads in order to gain freedom for himself and his family. Joseph spends his early years living with his younger sister in his great-grandmother’s cottage. Unbeknownst to him, his mother, Harriet Jacobs, an un-freed slave, has been hiding in a crawl space under the roof for seven years. She reveals herself to Joseph before she heads north to avoid possible capture. Eventually, Joseph follows north to Massachusetts, where he works by the docks and signs on to a whaling ship for three years. After his grueling time on the ship, he receives little pay and is no closer to buying freedom for his family. He follows his uncle to California during the gold rush but finds the work hard and the rewards only enough to sustain them. After a night of very successful poker playing, he wins enough money to passage to Australia for him and his uncle where an even bigger gold rush is taking place. Before he leaves, he sends his mother money to buy his sister’s freedom.
This book would be appropriate for the fifth grade students because of its format and content. Since the action in the story takes place through Joseph’s letters, it is easy to follow. The addressee changes with each new phase of his life. Fifth graders, like most Americans take their freedom for granted. The whole focus of this man’s story is the attaining of freedom. In the classroom this book can spur much thought on the reality of one’s life being owned by another.
Rinaldi, Ann. Juliet's Moon. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2008. 248 pages.
The novel, Juliet’s Moon by Ann Rinaldi, shows the lifestyle of a young Confederate girl named Juliet Bradshaw. Juliet is always concerned about the safety of her older brother because he is fighting in the Civil War with the Confederate army. When Juliet’s father is murdered, Juliet is sent to live with her family’s friends, the Andersons. One day, Union soldiers arrest Juliet and all of the Anderson girls because they are related to Confederate soldiers. Juliet and the Anderson girls end up in a prison house with many other women who have also been arrested for having relatives in the Confederate army. Unexpectedly, the prison collapses and almost everyone inside is either killed or seriously injured. Fortunately, Juliet and Mary Anderson survive the collapse and escape with some minor cuts and bruises. They are taken to a Union hospital to recover from their injuries. Seth, Juliet’s brother, sneaks into the Union hospital one night and marries Mary. He promises to return and save both Mary and his sister. The Union soldiers then send the girls to Missouri, but on their way, Seth and Mary’s brother, Bill, save Juliet and Mary. Both girls live is Seth’s house while Seth is away fighting. After Christmas, a few Union soldiers enter Seth’s house. All but one of the Union soldiers decides to leave the house. The one remaining Union colonel realizes that the house belongs to the Bradshaw’s. Juliet knows that the colonel will kill Mary so Juliet takes action by grabbing a pistol and shooting the colonel to save both her life and Mary’s. Juliet saves the family and Seth returns home after the Civil War ends.
This novel would be appropriate for sixth grader students. This book would appeal to most girls in the sixth grade because the main character is a girl around their own age. Juliet is going through certain phases in her life that the reader might also be going through. This book would be appeal to boys because of the action. There is a great deal of information about the war that is incorporated into the story. The content is inappropriate young for children to read. The themes are too mature and the language is too difficult for students in younger grades. Sixth grade students would be capable of understanding the themes. This book shows the reader that even during the toughest times, we need to have faith and believe that things will improve. Also, this book shows that sometimes people need to make sacrifices in order to protect loved ones.
Spain, Susan Rosson. The Deep Cut. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2006. 217 pages.
The novel, The Deep Cut by Susan Rosson Spain, is about an underdog named Lonzo during the Civil War. Lonzo is a thirteen-year-old boy whose father doesn’t treat him like his other brothers. Lonzo’s father thinks that he is slow and not as smart as his brothers. The only person that understands Lonzo is his cousin, Ferdy. When Ferdy runs away, to join the war, Lonzo becomes extremely upset. When soldiers take over the town of Culpeper, Lonzo’s parents send him to stay with his Aunt Mariah and his grandparents. Throughout the story, Lonzo is trying to figure out the purpose of war, and why the Union was trying to save slaves by killing Confederate soldiers. During Lonzo’s stay with his aunt, the Yankees take over the Winfrey Inn, which is run by Aunt Mariah. The soldiers are rude and steal all the food from the Winfrey Inn. The people in the town make several attempts to get rid of the Union soldiers. Aunt Mariah becomes fed up with the Union Soldiers and decides to devise a plan to kill the soldiers. She bakes biscuits laced with poison and leaved them on the counter for the soldiers. Ferdy returns home, and the whole family goes to church. At church, Lonzo realizes that it is not fair for Aunt Mariah to be killing the soldiers because she is not God. He believes that only God has the power to give or take away life. He runs out of church and back to the Inn. He runs in just as his grandparents are about to take a bite of the poisoned biscuits. He saves his grandparents, and earns his father’s respect. His father lets Lonzo know that he is proud of him and that he loves him.
This book is appropriate for sixth grade students because of the mature themes and concepts of war, life, and death. Many students can relate to Lonzo. He is a preteen boy that is seeking his father’s approval. This book may appeal to boys more because the main character is a boy, and there and some activities mentioned that boys enjoy more. This book shows the view of war from the eyes of a child. Lonzo is an innocent child that has been put into a difficult situation which he does not fully understand. Many children are faced with this problem, and after reading this story they may be able to better deal with their problems. Children are always seeking approval from their parents and this book shows them that they are not alone.
I hope that these books will help expand each student’s knowledge of the Civil War and its precursors. I also hope that these books will help children gain interest in learning about the history of America. From the knowledge that they gain from the readings, I hope they can see the way the world has changed over the last 153 years.
HAPPY READING!
Genni Brzezinski
On April 12, 2014, our country will be recognizing the 153rd anniversary of the start of the American Civil War. To remember this event, our school is providing a reading list of Civil War related books to all of our students. This list is arranged in grade level order so please pick a book that is age appropriate. The books chosen for the list have been carefully selected and categorized according to the interest and maturity of the reading audience. We ask that all students read at least one book from the list during the month of April. Depending on your child’s abilities, please have him or her either illustrate a scene from the book or write a summary of the story. We encourage each child to read all of the books listed in their age category. Please use this reading time as an opportunity for your child to learn about this period of American history.
The reading list follows:
Kindergarten
The Promise Quilt by: Candice F. Ransom
Cassie's Sweet Berry Pie by: Winnick, Karen B.
First Grade
From Slave to Soldier by: Deborah Hopkinson
Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt by: Barbara Smucker
Second Grade
Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys by: Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
You Wouldn't Want to Be a Civil War Soldier by: Thomas Ratcliff
Third Grade
Voices of the Civil War by: Jason D. Nemeth
Pink and Say by: Patricia Polacco
Grace's Letter to Lincoln by: Peter & Connie Roop
Fourth Grade
My Brother's Keeper by: Mary Pope Osborne
Watcher in the Piney Woods by: Elizabeth McDavid Jones
Fifth Grade
The War Within by: Carol Matas
Letters from a Slave Boy by: Mary E. Lyons
Sixth Grade
Juliet’s Moon by: Ann Rinaldi
The Deep Cut by: Susan Rosson Spain
Ransom, Candice F. The Promise Quilt. New York, NY: Walker & Company, 1999. 26 pages.
The picture book, The Promise Quilt, is about a little girl named Addie and how the war affected her and her family in Virginia. Addie longed to go to school when she was a young girl and her father promised that one day, when she was older, she would go to school and make her mark in the world. When the Confederate army marched into her town in Virginia, her father left to be General Lee’s guide. Addie never saw her father again. When there was fighting close to their home, Addie, her mother, and brother would hide under tables and pray. A Northern hospital informed the family that Addie’s father passed away and a woman sent his red shirt. Addie’s mother gave Addie the shirt. When the war was over, Addie still longed to go to school but the school had been destroyed. One neighbor suggested that his shed could be used as a school until the men finished rebuilding the schoolhouse. Addie’s mother wrote to the lady who sent Papa’s shirt back asking if she knew a way that they could get books for school. The lady suggested that Addie’s mother make a quilt and she would raffle it to raise money for books. Addie’s mother began to make the quilt but ran out of material. Addie offered her father’s shirt to be used so that her mother could finish the quilt. By using her father’s shirt as part of the quilt, Addie’s father was leaving his mark in the world. When the quilt was finished, it was sent to the lady in Pennsylvania. In return, a box of new books was sent for the children of the town. On the first day of school, Addie learned how to write her name. As soon as she wrote her name on slate, she realized that she made her mark in the world.
This story is suitable for kindergarten students to read because the content is not too deep for five and six year old children. There are many full page illustrations in this book that would help hold the attention of the kindergarten students and help them to understand what is happening in the story. Whether it was tearing apart families, or destroying schools, this book gives students an idea of the damage that the Civil War did to towns. The book also shows students that good things can come out of bad times. It also teaches them not to take school for granted because most people were not educated in the 1800s and people had to work hard in order to gain the privilege.
Winnick, Karen B. Cassie's Sweet Berry Pie. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press Inc., 2005. 30 pages.
In this picture book, Cassie’s Sweet Berry Pie, the main character, Cassie, is a young girl that is left at home to take care of her two younger siblings, cat, and home while her father is fighting for the Confederate Army and her mother is out feeding injured soldiers at a hospital. At the commencement of the book, Cassie is baking a sweet berry pie from the huckleberries she collected and her young siblings are jumping on their parent’s bed. As Cassie starts making the pie, she notices her closest neighbor near her house. Cassie goes outside to greet her neighbor and he jumps off his horse and warns Cassie that Union soldiers are coming to their town of Marion and that she should leave her house. Cassie’s neighbor goes back on his horse and leaves to warn others. Cassie was told by her mother to stay at her house. She knows that Union soldiers are known to invade houses and steal food and valuables. Cassie decides to hide all of the food and valuables under her parent’s bed. Cassie yells at her sister, Saralyn, for eating her berries. The berries left a stain on Saralyn’s face so Cassie formulates a plan. She puts her siblings in her parent’s bed and starts a fire in her fireplace to make the place extremely warm. She then mashes up some berries and puts the juice on her siblings’ faces to make dots. She then read to them until the soldiers came to her door. When the soldiers arrived, they demanded to some in and Cassie pulled the curtains around the bed. When the soldiers came in, they started going through all of the cabinets. There was a young Union soldier about Cassie’s age that entered the house. When they moved the curtains, the soldiers asked what was wrong with the children because of the spots on their faces. Cassie said that the children had the measles. The young soldier got close to the children and felt their foreheads. He told all of the other soldiers that the children had fevers and definitely had the measles. The soldiers decided to leave and the young soldier winked at Cassie because he knew that the children were not really sick but he wanted to help them. Cassie, her brother Willie, and sister Saralyn fooled the Union soldiers with the help of the young Union soldier. Once the soldiers left, Cassie decided to finish making her sweet berry pie.
This book is appropriate for kindergarten students. Although the book is wordy, a kindergarten student can easily comprehend what takes place in the book because the words are basic and the pictures flow along with the story. The story is not graphic about the war. It does not discuss the gory details, instead, it shows how innocent adults and children were affected by soldiers when the soldiers infiltrated into towns.
Hopkinson, Deborah. From Slave to Soldier. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2005. 44 pages.
The easy reader, From Slave to Soldier, tells the story of a young African American slave boy named Johnny. Johnny works in the South on a farm. Each day Johnny had to ride on a mule named Nell in order to drive the forty cows on the farm to their milking pens. Johnny’s Uncle Silas encouraged Johnny to join the Union army so that they both could be free. One day, when Johnny was driving the cows to a pasture, he saw hundreds of Union soldiers. One soldier asked Johnny to join the army and Johnny accepted the offer and left his owners. The Captain of Johnny’s company gave Johnny the responsibility of taking care of the mules and supply wagon with a fellow Union soldier named Dave. Johnny worked hard to drive the team of six mules that pulled the supply wagon. One night, the Captain asked Johnny to drive the wagon alone to a group of hungry soldiers because Dave was sick. Johnny agreed and took off into the night. After experiencing a little difficulty with the mules on the bridge, Johnny made it to the soldiers. Johnny proved to the Captain that he could handle the mules and as a reward, he was given a Union uniform.
This book is suitable for a first grade student because it is an easy reader. There are many simple vocabulary words that a first grade student should be able to recognize and read. The sentences are also simple enough for a first grade student to comprehend. The book is also divided up into eight chapters. The students do not have to read the whole forty-four pages at once, instead the students will be able to take breaks after each chapter and review what they read with an adult to ensure that they understand the material. This book tells a happy story about an African American boy during the Civil War. I consider that students will enjoy learning about how African American and white soldiers marched side by side in the Union army during the Civil War. The story does not contain any inappropriate material about the war, instead it shows how even the youngest people can have a significant impact and conquer adult tasks. This book also gives the children insight on different responsibilities that soldiers were given, other than fighting.
Smucker, Barbara. Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, INC., 1995. 28 pages.
This historical fiction story is about how the Civil War impacts a young girl named Selina and how her family stays together even though war has torn them apart. At the start of the story, Selina’s grandmother reveals a new quilt that she is working on to Selina, called a Bear Paw quilt. The grandmother explains to Selina that all of the different materials used in the quilt are memories and have meaning within the family. Some of the fabric is from the grandmother’s wedding dress, and some material was from the outfits of various family members, including Selina. On the night that Selina’s father returned home from Virgina, Selina eavesdropped on a conversation between her parents and discovered that the soldiers were coming up north, and war would be coming to their home in Pennsylvania. Selina’s father decided that they were to going to move in with family in Upper Canada. Selina’s grandmother gave the Bear Paw top quilt to Selina as a going away gift and also as something to remember her by. When Selina arrived in Upper Canada, her family agreed to help her finish the Bear Paw quilt. The quilt reminded Selina of her grandmother and knowing that her grandmother would always be with her in memory, brought peace to her heart and helped her adjust to her new home.
This story is appropriate for first grade students. The language of this book is geared toward a younger audience. First grade students will easily be able to comprehend the meaning of this story. The book shows how people were constantly moving to avoid war. Once word came to town that the soldiers were in close proximity, people would leave their homes, belongings, and sometimes family behind to circumvent the fighting. Students will enjoy reading about how Selina held on to her quilt and the memories of her grandmother. The detailed, realistic pictures in the book will keep the students interested in the story. On each page, a detailed picture of a quilt is shown. The different colored and patterned materials that are described are displayed in the pictures of the book. This helps young readers become more involved with the story because as they learn about the history of a type of fabric, they look to the pictures to find where it is used. By keeping the readers involved, they are able to see the history that these quilts have and how it allowed for memories of family to last even when the family was separated by the war.
Howard, Elizabeth Fitzgerald. Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young
Readers, 2000. 22 pages.
This story is about a young African American girl named Virgie whose only wish is to attend school with her five older brothers. All of Virgie’s brothers discouraged her from going to school because they thought she would not be able to handle the seven mile walk to school and that she would get homesick because they had to live at school during the week. The boys would also tell her that girls did not need to go to school but Virgie would tell them that girls needed school just as much as boys did. The school that the boys attended was started by Quakers after Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that all slaves were free. Virgie spent the whole summer pleading with her parents to let her go to school. Finally, her parents agreed to let her go because they believed that all free people no matter age, gender, or skin color deserve an education. On Virgie’s first day of school, C.C., one of Virgie’s brothers, took Virgie’s hand and followed their other brothers, across fields and through both creeks, and woods to school. When Virgie arrived at school, she was given a warm greeting by the headmaster. When C.C. showed her the inside of the school, Virgie was overcome with happiness, she was amazed at all the books she saw. She could not wait to be able to read and she promised that when she went home each week, she would teacher her parents what she learned in school so that they too could learn how to be free just like her and her brothers.
This picture book would be suitable for students in second grade. The vocabulary and amount of words on each page will make it difficult for a second grade student to read by his or her self. It would be best for a teacher or adult to either read the book out loud in order for the student to comprehend the story or assist the student while they read. This book will appeal to students because it shows them how students today take school for granted but only one hundred and fifty years ago, people used to fight in order to become educated. Once the slaves were freed, they felt that by going to school they would learn how to be free. This story might encourage students to appreciate education and the lives they have now in the twenty-first century. This book may also reinforce the idea that all people have equal rights.
Ratliff, Thomas. You Wouldn't Want to Be a Civil War Soldier. Danbury, CT: Franklin Watts, 2004. 31 pages.
In the nonfiction book, You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Civil War Soldier by Thomas Ratcliff, readers learn about the American Civil War and what life was like for the soldiers during the war. The book’s introduction takes the reader back in time to 1860, when Lincoln has just been elected president and when eleven southern states secede from the United States. A few months after the states seceded, the Civil War began. The Civil War was once anticipated to be a short-lived war but it ended up lasting for four years and has become known as America’s bloodiest war. The book first explains how the armies are broken up the military units of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Next, readers learn about the food the soldiers were fed, the wool uniforms, and the soldier’s salaries. The packs that soldiers carried were over 65 pounds. The book mentions some of the battles and the different types of weapons that were used in battle such as pistols and cavalry swords. Readers learn that the Confederate soldiers were very similar to the Union soldiers and that both sides had to overcome the same hardships such as extreme heat and cold, starvation, and disease. When soldiers were wounded in battle, they were very likely to have their wounds become infected, and as a result, many people died from the infections. If the wound was serious, it was common for an arm or a leg to be amputated. Readers learn how medicine was not advanced in the 1860s. At the end of the book we learn that the Union won the Civil War when Confederate General Lee surrendered to Union General Grant.
This book is suitable for second grade students because it gives a good overview of the conditions the soldiers faced during the Civil War, without going into too much detail. The book gives some information of the battles but it mainly focuses on the daily lives of both Union and Confederate soldiers and the hardships they were faced with. This book uses language that is appropriate for second grade students. Challenging words are clearly explained in the glossary found at the back of the book which will help students learn new vocabulary words. This book is a good introduction to the topic of the Civil War and it will also provide students with a sense of what life was really like for a soldier during this period of American history.
Nemeth, Jason D. Voices of the Civil War. Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone Press, 2010. 32 pages.
This nonfiction book, Voices of the Civil War, includes many stories from the battlefields of the American Civil War. The Civil War began on April 12th, 1861 with a single shot at Fort Sumter. The first battle story is told from a Confederate soldier names Sam Watkins. Watkins explained that the marching and camping was dangerous because the weather was so cold that soldiers actually froze to death, some froze to death while sitting and others froze while lying down. Watkin’s regiment started with over a thousand members, by the end of the fighting in 1865, only Watkins and 64 other men survived. The book also gives facts about the war such as how if a young teenager appeared to look eighteen years old, the teen was allowed to join. Thousands of soldiers were under the age of eighteen. Another story comes from a man named Thomas Fanning Wood. Wood wanted to become a doctor but his family was poor so he joined the Confederate army. Wood was hospitalized during his first year as a soldier. While he was at the hospital, he realized that there was a need for doctors. One day a doctor asked Wood to help out with the wounded soldiers at the hospital, the army let him work at the hospital because there was a shortage of doctors. Wood passed a medical exam and became a doctor, making his dreams came true after all. After the war, Wood was an advocate for better public health and he tried to teach the importance of cleanliness. The last story is about a freed slave named Susie King Taylor. When she was a young girl, people went against the law and educated her. A Union soldier learned of Taylor’s education and asked her to teach freed slave children. When a regiment of black Union soldiers was formed, Taylor left with her husband and the regiment. She learned how to shoot and she lived to see the end of the war. She stayed in the South after the war was over and she helped open up schools for freed slaves.
This nonfiction book is appropriate for third grade students. This book would appeal to third grade students because it tells true stories of soldiers, doctors, colonels, and freed slaves during the Civil War. Students might be interested in learning about the firsthand accounts of people’s experiences and their accomplishments during the bloodiest battle in American history. This book contains a lot of interesting Civil War pictures that would appeal to third grade students as they read.
Polacco, Patricia. Pink and Say. New York, NY: Philomel Books, 1994. 44 pages.
In the book, Pink and Say, a young Union soldier named Sheldon is injured during a Civil War battle. He was shot in the leg and left for two days in the field. A young African American Union soldier named Pink, finds Sheldon and carries him to safety. Sheldon wakes up in Pink’s mother’s house. Pink’s mother takes care of Sheldon and helps him recover from his injury. Pink and Sheldon become friends and Sheldon told Pink to call him Say. Pink’s master taught him how to read. Say was embarrassed that he did not know how to read. Say told Pink that he had shook Abraham Lincoln’s hand once and he then went to shake Pink’s hand so that he too could be shaking hands with Mr. Lincoln. Pink wanted to go back and fight but Say did not. Say confessed to Pink’s mother that he was a coward and that he got shot when he ran away from his company. She told him that he was only a child and that he was brave. When Pink and Say went to rejoin with their army, they heard soldiers approaching so they hid in the cellar. When they came out of hiding, they found Pink’s mother dead. Confederate soldiers had shot her to death. The boys buried her and left to find the Union army. While they were walking they were captured by Confederate soldiers. They shook hands and then were separated from each other for ever. Say was thrown into Andersonville Confederate prison and was released months later. Pink was hanged a few hours after being brought to Andersonville. This book is based on a true story, Sheldon Russell Curtis passed on this story to his family and it was passed down for generations.
This book, which is based on a true story, is appropriate for third grader students because children around the age of nine will be able to understand the emotion that radiates from Pink and Say . Not only is the story touching, but it also allows the reader to get a glimpse of history. Typically we don’t see many picture books about such a heavy subject put in a simplistic way for young readers to understand. I believe that this book is a great addition to the curriculum because it is based on a true story and therefore will give the readers new insight because of the personal experience illustrated in the book on such an endless subject. It was touching to see how a young African American did not let the hindrance of color cause him to leave a soldier behind. This conveys the message to children that there should not be any boundaries between right and wrong, whether it be skin color or circumstance.
Roop, Peter, and Connie Roop. Grace's Letter to Lincoln. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children, 1998. 68 pages.
The book, Grace’s Letter to Lincoln, is based on a true story about a girl named Grace Bedell and her letter to Abraham Lincoln. The eleven year old main character, named Grace, tries her best to support Mr. Abraham Lincoln in hopes that he will win the presidential election. Grace and her family live in New York and they are strong supporters of Lincoln, they hope for Lincoln to become president to end slavery. Grace’s family and their neighbors, the Maycombers, help Grace’s father’s African American employee, Jefferson, escape to Canada by sneaking him to a station on the Underground Railroad. When Grace’s father left was out at work, Grace, her mother, and the Maycomber girls would come over and make banners of Mr. Lincoln to show their support even though they could not vote. Grace thought that if Mr. Lincoln grew a beard, many women would find him more attractive and persuade their husbands into voting for him. In Grace’s mind, if Mr. Lincoln had a beard, he would be sure to win the election so she wrote him a letter with her proposal. Mr. Lincoln wrote back to Grace but didn’t say for certain if he would grow a beard. Abraham Lincoln shocked Grace’s family and neighbors when he wrote back to Grace. He won the election and Grace hoped that he would someday pass through her town. After the Civil War was fought, everyone was happy that all African Americans were free. Mr. Lincoln visited Grace’s town and everyone gathered around him. He asked the audience if Grace, the young girl who wrote him about the beard that he now wore, was present. Grace walked up to Mr. Lincoln and met him, just as she had wished.
Third grade students would thoroughly enjoy reading this story because it is based on the real letter that Grace Bedell wrote to Abraham Lincoln and the letter that he wrote back to her. Children might find it interesting that the former president took the time to write back to a young girl’s silly suggestion. This book also shows how men, women, and children, all became involved in the presidential elections. The Bedell’s were strong believers that there should be no slavery and they went to such great lengths to help gain Lincoln supporters so that he would win the presidency and abolish slavery. This chapter book is not too long and is also not too challenging for a third grade student. The book is easy to follow and the vocabulary is appropriate for third grade students. I feel that the students will love seeing the actual copies of both Grace and Abraham Lincoln’s letters to one another at the end of the book.
Osborne, Mary Pope. My Brother's Keeper. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 2000. 107 pages.
The book, My Brother’s Keeper, takes place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 1863, during the Civil War. This book is the diary of a young girl and tells her account of the Civil War in Gettysburg and how she was affected. Virginia starts writing the diary when she is forced to temporarily live at the McCully house while her father and brother leave Gettysburg to help family. While her brother and father are gone, the war comes to Gettysburg. Virginia describes how the dead and wounded flood the streets. She helps Mrs. McCully make bread to feed the soldiers. One day Virginia climbs a tree and falls out, a Confederate Soldier finds her and rides her home on a horse to make sure she gets home safely. Virginia learns from the soldier that he wants to be home with his family and she sees that the Confederates are not bad people. One day her father returns without her brother, Jed, even though he was supposed to be home before his father arrived. Virginia and her father begin to search the hospitals for her brother but initially they do not find him. One day Virginia decides to look for Jed alone and she finds him in a church hospital because he had been injured on his journey home. Virginia is reunited with her family once again and the fighting ends in Gettysburg.
This book is suitable for fourth grade students because the vocabulary is not too challenging and the book gives a good sense of what the war was really like. I also feel that since the book was from the perspective of a young child, the students will be able to relate to Virginia and see what she is going through. The scenes described from Virginia might help the students understand the Civil War better. Although the book is fictional, the events that occurred and the scenes that were described are accurate. The information about the war is factual and it would be a good teaching tool to have the students read this book in addition to their history books so that they can see what life what life was really like in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania when the Battle of Gettysburg took place and how everyone in the town was affected.
Jones, Elizabeth McDavid. Watcher in the Piney Woods. Middleton, WI: Pleasant Company Publications, 2000. 144 pages.
The novel, Watcher in the Piney Woods by Elizabeth McDavid Jones, is about a twelve-year-old girl named Cassie Willis who helps her family run their family farm. This story takes place at the end of the Civil War. At the beginning of the story, Cassie was told the news that her brother, Jacob, was killed fighting with the Confederate army. Upset, she goes to the secret thicket that she and Jacob used to hide out in. While in the thicket, she stumbles upon the hideout of a deserter. The deserter orders Cassie to take him back to her house and to give him food. He threatens her by saying that he can easily harm her younger brother and her dog. Cassie has the choice of turning him in to the Confederate States of America, or put the lives of her family members at risk. While in the Piney Woods one night, she heard someone coming toward her, it was her brother Jacob. Cassie was so excited to see him. She found out that he had deserted the army like the mysterious man in the woods. She realized that the war has taken a toll on her brother, and the man in the woods. Cassie felt bad for the man so she decided to leave him food to help him survive. The Willis family also thought that their father was dead. At the end of the story Cassie’s father returns home after being gone for three years. The whole Willis family is reunited at the conclusion of the book.
This book is good for fourth grade students. It is easily comprehendible for children in this age group. Watcher in the Piney Woods may be more appealing to girls, because the main character is a young girl and she does tasks that girls tend to have interest in such as cooking, and taking care of siblings. There is action and descriptions about the Civil War that would appeal to boys. This story’s lesson is that one does not understand what other people are going through until one has experienced it firsthand, which is a good lesson for children in the third grade to learn. This book also shows how war effects not only soldiers, but families as well.
Matas, Carol. The War Within. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2001. 151 pages.
This novel documents a short period in the life of a thirteen year old Jewish girl, Hannah Green, as she struggles with her feelings and ideals during the American Civil War. Hannah is the daughter of well-to-do Southern merchants who are the owners of three slaves. When the Union army invades her town, she knows two things to be true: first, the Union and its soldiers are to be despised and secondly, the Confederacy should be independent of the North so that it may continue its practice of slavery. When her sister, Joana, falls in love with a Jewish Union soldier, she cannot accept it. Because she does not see the Union soldiers as individuals she is angered by her sister’s actions. When it comes to the issue of slavery, she cannot imagine life without slaves. Her thoughts site the hardships her family would face should slavery be abolished. She gives no thought to the hardships that the individual slave might face. When the occupying Union forces carry out their bigoted orders to evacuate all Jews in the South to other locations, Hannah begins a journey that reshapes her way of thinking.
I would recommend this book to the fifth grade reader, whether male or female. The main character is a thirteen year old girl which would appeal to the female reader, but the Civil War setting should appeal to the male reader. The language of the book is easy to read while being very informative in its historical content. The strong, unbending feelings of the heroine, as well as the obvious hypocrisy presented should incite some very interesting class discussions.
Lyons, Mary E. Letters from a Slave Boy. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007. 197 pages.
The novel, Letters from a Slave Boy by Mary E. Lyons, traces the life of a young black slave from North Carolina named Joseph Jacobs. Through his un-mailed letters addressed to family members and friends, Joseph details the unsettled, nomadic life he leads in order to gain freedom for himself and his family. Joseph spends his early years living with his younger sister in his great-grandmother’s cottage. Unbeknownst to him, his mother, Harriet Jacobs, an un-freed slave, has been hiding in a crawl space under the roof for seven years. She reveals herself to Joseph before she heads north to avoid possible capture. Eventually, Joseph follows north to Massachusetts, where he works by the docks and signs on to a whaling ship for three years. After his grueling time on the ship, he receives little pay and is no closer to buying freedom for his family. He follows his uncle to California during the gold rush but finds the work hard and the rewards only enough to sustain them. After a night of very successful poker playing, he wins enough money to passage to Australia for him and his uncle where an even bigger gold rush is taking place. Before he leaves, he sends his mother money to buy his sister’s freedom.
This book would be appropriate for the fifth grade students because of its format and content. Since the action in the story takes place through Joseph’s letters, it is easy to follow. The addressee changes with each new phase of his life. Fifth graders, like most Americans take their freedom for granted. The whole focus of this man’s story is the attaining of freedom. In the classroom this book can spur much thought on the reality of one’s life being owned by another.
Rinaldi, Ann. Juliet's Moon. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2008. 248 pages.
The novel, Juliet’s Moon by Ann Rinaldi, shows the lifestyle of a young Confederate girl named Juliet Bradshaw. Juliet is always concerned about the safety of her older brother because he is fighting in the Civil War with the Confederate army. When Juliet’s father is murdered, Juliet is sent to live with her family’s friends, the Andersons. One day, Union soldiers arrest Juliet and all of the Anderson girls because they are related to Confederate soldiers. Juliet and the Anderson girls end up in a prison house with many other women who have also been arrested for having relatives in the Confederate army. Unexpectedly, the prison collapses and almost everyone inside is either killed or seriously injured. Fortunately, Juliet and Mary Anderson survive the collapse and escape with some minor cuts and bruises. They are taken to a Union hospital to recover from their injuries. Seth, Juliet’s brother, sneaks into the Union hospital one night and marries Mary. He promises to return and save both Mary and his sister. The Union soldiers then send the girls to Missouri, but on their way, Seth and Mary’s brother, Bill, save Juliet and Mary. Both girls live is Seth’s house while Seth is away fighting. After Christmas, a few Union soldiers enter Seth’s house. All but one of the Union soldiers decides to leave the house. The one remaining Union colonel realizes that the house belongs to the Bradshaw’s. Juliet knows that the colonel will kill Mary so Juliet takes action by grabbing a pistol and shooting the colonel to save both her life and Mary’s. Juliet saves the family and Seth returns home after the Civil War ends.
This novel would be appropriate for sixth grader students. This book would appeal to most girls in the sixth grade because the main character is a girl around their own age. Juliet is going through certain phases in her life that the reader might also be going through. This book would be appeal to boys because of the action. There is a great deal of information about the war that is incorporated into the story. The content is inappropriate young for children to read. The themes are too mature and the language is too difficult for students in younger grades. Sixth grade students would be capable of understanding the themes. This book shows the reader that even during the toughest times, we need to have faith and believe that things will improve. Also, this book shows that sometimes people need to make sacrifices in order to protect loved ones.
Spain, Susan Rosson. The Deep Cut. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2006. 217 pages.
The novel, The Deep Cut by Susan Rosson Spain, is about an underdog named Lonzo during the Civil War. Lonzo is a thirteen-year-old boy whose father doesn’t treat him like his other brothers. Lonzo’s father thinks that he is slow and not as smart as his brothers. The only person that understands Lonzo is his cousin, Ferdy. When Ferdy runs away, to join the war, Lonzo becomes extremely upset. When soldiers take over the town of Culpeper, Lonzo’s parents send him to stay with his Aunt Mariah and his grandparents. Throughout the story, Lonzo is trying to figure out the purpose of war, and why the Union was trying to save slaves by killing Confederate soldiers. During Lonzo’s stay with his aunt, the Yankees take over the Winfrey Inn, which is run by Aunt Mariah. The soldiers are rude and steal all the food from the Winfrey Inn. The people in the town make several attempts to get rid of the Union soldiers. Aunt Mariah becomes fed up with the Union Soldiers and decides to devise a plan to kill the soldiers. She bakes biscuits laced with poison and leaved them on the counter for the soldiers. Ferdy returns home, and the whole family goes to church. At church, Lonzo realizes that it is not fair for Aunt Mariah to be killing the soldiers because she is not God. He believes that only God has the power to give or take away life. He runs out of church and back to the Inn. He runs in just as his grandparents are about to take a bite of the poisoned biscuits. He saves his grandparents, and earns his father’s respect. His father lets Lonzo know that he is proud of him and that he loves him.
This book is appropriate for sixth grade students because of the mature themes and concepts of war, life, and death. Many students can relate to Lonzo. He is a preteen boy that is seeking his father’s approval. This book may appeal to boys more because the main character is a boy, and there and some activities mentioned that boys enjoy more. This book shows the view of war from the eyes of a child. Lonzo is an innocent child that has been put into a difficult situation which he does not fully understand. Many children are faced with this problem, and after reading this story they may be able to better deal with their problems. Children are always seeking approval from their parents and this book shows them that they are not alone.
I hope that these books will help expand each student’s knowledge of the Civil War and its precursors. I also hope that these books will help children gain interest in learning about the history of America. From the knowledge that they gain from the readings, I hope they can see the way the world has changed over the last 153 years.
HAPPY READING!
Genni Brzezinski
MAKE YOUR OWN SECRET QUILT MESSAGE!!!
http://pathways.thinkport.org/secrets/flash/quilt_shell.cfm
http://pathways.thinkport.org/secrets/flash/quilt_shell.cfm