Leigh Ann's Civil War by Ann Rinaldi

Eleven year old Leigh Ann Conners grew up her whole life in the peaceful town of Roswell, Georgia; it may have not been the best but it was a whole lot better than it was about to get. In spring of 1861 the Yankees start to invade Roswell, Georgia, slowly taking over the town, but the question is will Leigh Ann's family mill be included? In the mean time her father is slowly losing his memory, and her two older brothers are getting ready to go off and join the war. When the mill is in danger of being burned down by the Yankees, Leigh climbs to the top of the roof and replaces it with a French flag , hoping that they will leave the mill alone. Leigh Ann is then arrested for this simple act of love and compassion for her family. She will have to go to Marietta, Georgia where all the Confederate prisoners are being held and possibly live there until the war is over. She leaves with the fear of maybe never seeing her family again, but what she doesn't know is that this journey makes her grow up faster than she ever imagined.

I thought over all this was a very good book. I usually become very board during Historical Fiction books, but this one was a real page turner. Leigh Ann's Conners seems to be a very realistic character, which is one of the reasons I liked the book. This book didn't have any bad content so I would recommend it for ages 13 and up.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: , New Mexico USA

Hunter Jones Joins the Civil War by Julian Olson

Hunter Jones Joins the Civil War(Missouri) by Jinx Olson
is a book written about a young boy who is forced to grow
up physically and emotionally much greater and faster than
most kids his age. At the beginning of the novel, Hunter's
dad is shot by a gambler firing at another man. The bullet
misses the intended target, hitting his father in the
chest and sending him overboard into the strong current
never to be seen again. He is accused of being someone
just hitching a ride at that point, and when asked to show
his ticket finds that the tickets were with his father. He
is kicked off of the boat and nearly arrested by the
sheriff. He spends some time in the next few days trying
to find his father but fails and decides to set camp up in
a magnolia tree. He finds a raccoon, an orphan similar to
himself, and befriends him. A group of confederate
soldiers accidently shoot him and he is taken care of by
them. He is made to run errands for the general and make
sure his horse is taken care of. After some time, he is
given a drum and learns how to play it. While running one
of his errands he falls into a coma due to a head wound,
and lays in the hospital. His friends read the newspaper
each day, and in his coma he lives out what is summarized
in the daily newspaper, read by his friends, giving the
reader a first-hand experience of the events that took
place during the Civil War. General Lyon becomes Hunter's
new father figure.

Aside from a few editing errors, I believe this book is
well put together. The writing is good grammatically and
the story is interesting and keeps the reader wanting to
read and learn more. The books theme of wandering and
exile might make the reader think of The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn, and when you consider the facts are
historically accurate, this makes the book both fun and
informative. There is much to be learned from this story.
It makes you think about history, and think about your
inner self, what would you do in Hunter's
situation.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and
Country: Waterford, Michigan U.S.A.

Jesse Bowman: A Union Boy's War Story
This historical fiction book starts out on the night of April 21, 1861. While attending a meeting, two boys, Jesse Bowman and Harlow Basset, saw the Zovare soldiers for the first time. That's when Jesse and Harlow decided they wanted to become soldiers and fight in the Civil War to help protect the Union. They went to the head desk on Darbon Street. Immediately they too signed up to join the army. They rode a train to the campsite and saw a big pine tree, which was the marking for their campsite. At first, camping out and living outside was adventurous. After a while they found out about the hardship of the war. Losing people you care about and being wounded are some of the difficulties of war. Even though becoming a soldier was not as exactly as planned. Jesse feels proud of his accomplishments.

I liked this book because it was very detailed. The descriptions made me feel as if I were right along beside them fighting in the civil war. I felt as if I could reach out and touch them. It made me wonder how I would want to be brave and stand up for things I believe in but would probably be scared and homesick, too. I love history books and this one will go on my list as a favorite. I recommend it for students in grades 3-6.

Reviewer Age:12Leopold, Mo United States of America

The Ghosts of Lone Jack by Lance Lee Noel

Jared Millhouse is spending the summer in Lone Jack,
Missouri when he encounters the ghost of a long-dead
innkeeper in the woods behind right field. Soon other
ghosts and groups of ghosts begin to make their presence
felt. First comes the innkeeper. Next, a gang of ball-and-
chain wielding slaves appear. Hot on their heels are two-
headed Indian ghosts. And then, there are the soldiers,
reliving the battle of Lone Jack, exactly as it happened in
1862. They all demand "the key". Now, it's up to Jared, his
friends, and two whacky ghost hunters to find this key and
save Lone Jack - from itself. This book is based on a real
Civil War battle so it's mostly adventure, but also part
mystery.

The author achieved his purpose, which was to
write an entertaining book in a way that was both effective
and easy to understand. Although there is a large amount of
detail (which you sometimes need to understand the story-
line)in some places it is a bit too much. My overall
response to the book was one of complete fascination. I
would not recommend taking it to school to read. Once you
start, you can't stop! It's addictive. The characters feel
like your friends and neighbors, the action feels like its
taking place all around you. I liked the ending but it left
me wondering what happened to Jared and Lone Jack - it
cries out for a sequel.(Lance Lee Noel, if you're reading
this, write one!) You don't have to know much about the
Civil War to understand and enjoy this book. I recommend it
to anyone wanting to read an exciting, true life adventure
story.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and
Country: Lusby, Maryland USA