Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3324785 in Books
• Published on: 2000-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Library Binding
• 48 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-Eight-year-old Charley Waters and his family are Civil War reenactors who travel around to the actual battle sites of the bloodiest war in United States history, dressed in authentic period costume, and restage the battles. Sinnott traveled to Pennsylvania in the summer of 1998, for the 135th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, and followed the family as they "lived" through three days of the famous battle. Charley describes the soldiers' camp life, how people took shelter from the elements, and how they related to one another. Readers go back in time with him to experience the final and devastating blow to the Confederate Army, Pickett's Charge, where thousands of men were lost in a brutal day of hand-to-hand combat. Handelman's full-color photography is superb, with each picture complementing the text as Charley narrates the events. There is a plethora of books that approach the Civil War from one aspect or another, but this offering is creative and effective because students can relate to the modern-day Charley.
Betsy Barnett, Eads School District, CO
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
This photoessay is told from the point of view of Charley, an eight-year-old boy who travels with his family to a reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg. He is too young to participate in the actual battles as his father does. Still, Charley dresses the part, lives in camp, plays in "the little kids battle," and observes the authentically costumed and equipped soldiers, musicians, and a sketch artist as they reenact the battle of Little Round Top and Pickett's Charge. Dorothy Handelman's clear, full-color photos appear on every page, showing Charley and the sights he observes. Though the text sometimes sounds unconvincing as the words of an eight-year-old, children intrigued by Civil War or its reenactments will find the book of interest. Carolyn Phelan

Customer Reviews

Historical Interpretation is Alive and Well in America!
There are many wonderful facets to this story about a young boy who joins his family for an annual reenactment of the battle at Gettysburg. A pictoral essay provides an authentic look at the preparation and event providing an excellent forum for discussion among readers. The story, however, told from the perspective of this proud, young boy, shares a spirit of patriotism and historical empathy this is often difficult to relay to children as well as adults. Charley's experiences interpreting history as a reenactor emphasize the power of experiential learning. Every Social Studies teacher should read, learn from and share this beautiful story with students making note of the many history teachers in our students' lives -- parents, siblings, community members, museums and organizations!