Our teen book spotlight this week is all about the Civil War!! This time period in our history was one of our most horrific and devastating in numerous ways and impacted not only Americans at that time but we are still experiencing some of the ramifications today. We have an amazing collection of fiction and nonfiction titles that explore this time period from a variety of viewpoints and perspectives so I encourage you to read and explore this event even more because you never know what you may learn this time. These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #yacivilwar as well as on Libby and Hoopla.
Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen--Eager to enlist, fifteen-year-old Charley has a change of heart after experiencing both the physical horrors and mental anguish of Civil War combat.
Annie, Between the States by L.M. Elliott--Instead of spending her teen years at parties and balls, Annie, an idealistic, poetry-loving patriot, finds herself nursing soldiers, hiding valuables, and running the household as the Civil War rages around her family's Virginia home.
Crossing Ebenezer Creek by Tonya Bolden--Suddenly finding themselves free from slavery, Mariah and her younger brother Zeke set out to join Union General Sherman's march through Georgia, leading former slaves north to liberty! However, the hardships are not all over, and they come in unexpected ways—like through Caleb, another free African American with whom Mariah falls in love. But even the hope of true love comes at a cost, and all the difficulties of the march come to a head when the army and freed slaves reach Ebenezer Creek …
Widow of the South by Robert Hicks--Carrie McGavock serves as a nurse when her plantation becomes the battlefield for the Battle of Franklin during the Civil War. Carrie falls in love with one of the wounded soldiers, but he disappears before the battle is over. Several years later, the soldier returns to visit the cemetery Carrie transformed her fields into after the war.
Under Siege by Andrea Warren--This volume puts focus on the realities of war and how those realities affect the youth immersed in them. Middle-grade readers will immediately identify with the three children that give the compelling account of the Battle of Vicksburg. Ten-year-old Lucy McRae and 11-year-old Willie Lord, who lived in Vicksburg, recount how their lives were uprooted as the 47-day battle raged around them. Forced into a life of hiding and fear, their displaced families struggled to remain sane and alive amidst battles, isolation and starvation. Fred Grant, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 12-year old son, presents his story of the strategic maneuvering he witnessed at the command center with his father and the horror of the battles he saw.
Bloody Times by James Swanson--Swanson alternates between the stories of President Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy. Despite his best efforts to rally the South, Davis receives news about General Lee's surrender and decides to flee Richmond. Shortly thereafter, Lincoln is assassinated. The broken nation believes that Davis is in some way linked to the murder, and a manhunt for Davis erupts. Meanwhile, Lincoln -- his corpse aboard a train -- takes one last journey through his America, from Washington, D.C. to Springfield.