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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
I had to read this for school, so I immediately assumed that it wouldn't be a good book and I'd have to suffer through the quarter we would spend reading it. I was wrong:) although I had to take notes on it and do projects, I enjoyed this book, and I actually think that the projects helped me enjoy it even more. This was a good book-I liked the characters and the descriptions if everything were very good. Bottom line is- although I had to read it for school, I liked it.
Reading with my 6th graders, for the first time...
We really liked this book! I had read comments from other Sonlighters who said it was long and boring, so I was a little worried. My daughter loved it and always wanted me to read more. The dialect was a little challenging to read at times, but I managed okay. My younger kiddos didn't enjoy this story, but there was nothing scary that I didn't want them hearing. This was another great Sonlight choice!
4.5 stars. Writing is not as engaging and smooth as I'd consider a 5 star book to be, but otherwise this is a solid historical fiction with lots of history and a story arc that carries the reader all the way through.
Read for the RPL 2022 open book challenge: “book with a month in the title”, which of all the 800+ books on my “want to read” list, this was the only one. Initially put on my list as part of the Sonlight curriculum, grades 5-8. I felt a little embarrassed putting a kids’ book on my list, but honestly this was a fantastic book, and certainly of more substance, emotional maturity, and intellect than a lot of other “adult” books. I was literally on the edge of my seat when Jethro was driving home through the woods alone and met up with Dave Burdow. I love a book that sends me off on wiki walks, as this one did with all the civil war history (and also Lexile levels). The heated division between families split in their loyalties painfully reminded me of the division in families today over things like vaccination status. History shows that there can be forgiveness and redemption, and I’m ever the eternal optimist in that our country will continue to heal.
This is one of the best novels I have read for the time period. I liked how it is told from young Jethro's perspective. So you get an innocent view of a 9 year old boy, on the verge of manhood of the times. It is also more family-centric. More on how it affects him, his sister, brothers, cousin, etc. There is tragedy, loss family divides as each must decide whom they support. We get a lot of the facts of the war as well but it is more on how it might have felt for the families waiting back home. Very impacting read! I really liked him and Jenny. I wish I could have gotten a better feel of some of his brothers though.
This was such a good book. It took on many of the issues faced by families during the Civil War as seen through a young boy.
A novel for older children set against the backdrop of the American Civil War - Jethro's family lives in southern Illinois, and favor the North, though not all their neighbors do. Three older sons and a future son-in-law march off to war for the Union, while another son (the brother to whom Jethro was closest) fights for the Confederacy. One son (Union) dies in battle, another deserts in shame but is later allowed to rejoin his unit. The ramifications of the Civil War are explored thoroughly through Jethro's eyes. Really good historical ficition!
We chose this book for a 7th grade unit on the Civil War with much trepidation. It's very slow, and boring. I was afraid it would fail miserably, but we already owned classroom sets and wanted to try it once. But...it was a success, and we will use this book next year as well!
It's a perfect book for an overview of the Civil War, because the characters live through the war and detail many key battles. It shows how families were divided, and how states were even divided. This story takes place in southern Illinois, which felt much more like Kentucky and Missouri (former slave states) than far away Chicago. The students thought the book was boring, but kept with it and learned more about the war than with other titles I've used.
It's a perfect book for an overview of the Civil War, because the characters live through the war and detail many key battles. It shows how families were divided, and how states were even divided. This story takes place in southern Illinois, which felt much more like Kentucky and Missouri (former slave states) than far away Chicago. The students thought the book was boring, but kept with it and learned more about the war than with other titles I've used.