In 1861, America is on the cusp of war, and young Jethro Creighton is just nine-years-old. His brother, Tom, and his cousin, Eb, are both of fighting age. As Jethro's family is pulled into the conflict between the North and the South, loyalties are divided, dreams are threatened, and their bonds are put to the test in this heart-wrenching, coming of age story.

Sad and nuanced. I’ll write a more complete review later.

Good YA historical novel on the Civil War. ( )

Really interesting to reread this. It's a very informative read, and effective pov. It could use with a more modern perspective -- it touches on slavery but does not fully confront it. ( )

As a fifth grade history teacher, I am always looking for books to recommend to my students and for potential read- alouds.
This book was well- researched and well- written. I think it would be appropriate for advanced fifth grade readers. It would not be suitable as a read aloud. I find that books such as this, with many references to obscure battles and other historical information does not always keep the interest of many students in the class who may not be interested in history or with limited attention span.
For more information about this book, see my blog post.
https://tinyurl.com/y24q5w7t ( )