Children Confront Civil War Issues

Aiken, J. (1985). Interpreting the past. Children's Literature in Education, 16, 67–83.

Beatty, P. (1987). Charley Skedaddle. New York: Morrow Junior Books.

Cangemi, J. (Ed.). (1983). Holt social studies—Our history. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Koeller, S. (1981). 25 years advocating children's literature in the reading program. The Reading Teacher, 34, 552–556.

Stewig, J. (1988). Children and literature. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Bacmeister, R. (1965). Voices in the night. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill. Ages 9 to 11. A small girl visiting a family that operates a station for the underground railroad helps one runaway escape.

Beatty, P. (1988). Be ever hopeful, Hannalee. New York: Morrow. Ages 10 to 12. Sequel to Turn Homeward, Hannalee. A preface explains what has gone before. Hannalee's brother returns from war intent upon beginning a new life.

Beatty, P. (1984). Turn homeward, Hannalee. New York: Morrow. Ages 10 to 12. What happens to textile workers dispensed to the North so that their skills could no longer help the Confederates forms the plot of this novel.

Blos, J. (1979). A gathering of days: A New England girl's journal, 1830–32. New York: Scribner. Ages 10 to 12. Although set in the period before the Civil War, Catherine faces the issue of whether to help a runaway slave despite the New Hampshire laws. Newbery Medal.

Burchard, P. (1968). Bimby. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan. Ages 9 to 11. The author follows a young slave through one crucial day.

Burchard, P. (1974). The deserter. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan. Ages 10 to 12. A Civil War spy story.

Burchard, P. (1960). Jed. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan. Ages 10 to 13. At only 16, Jed has fought at Shiloh and is disturbed by the behavior of some of his Yankee companions.

Clapp, P. (1986). The tamarack tree: A novel of the siege of Vicksburg. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. Ages 11 to 14. Rosemary Leigh finds herself trapped in a blockaded city.

Collier, J. , & Collier, C. (1981). Jump ship to freedom. New York: Delacorte Press. Ages 12 and up. A slave obtains his and his mother's freedom.

Fox, P. (1973). The slave dancer. New York: Bradbury Press. Ages 12 and up. A young fife player is kidnapped and forced to play on a slave ship. Newbery Medal.

Freedman, R. (1987). Lincoln: A photobiography. New York: Ticknor & Fields. Ages 8 and up. Lincoln's life as seen through photographs and documents—even a sampler of his writings. Newbery Medal.

Fritz, J. (1960). Brady. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan. Ages 10 to 13. Brady is embarrassed by his father's strong antislavery feelings.

Hall, A. (1964). Cyrus Holt and the Civil War. New York: Viking Penguin. Ages 9 to 11. A boy of nine finds the war exciting at first but as time goes on becomes increasingly aware of men wounded and dead and of the deprivation.

Hamilton, V. (1988). The defeat and triumph of a fugitive slave. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Ages 10 and up. This is the very moving biography of a slave, Anthony Burns, depicting his life from early childhood until his death.

Haynes, B. (1973). Cowslip. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. Ages 8 to 11. The story of a young black slave destined to be sold with her sisters on the auction block.

Hickman, J. (1978). Zoar blue. New York: Macmillan. Ages 9 to 14. Young men who belong to a nonviolent religious group fight in the Civil War.

Hunt, I. (1964). Across five Aprils. Chicago: Follet. Ages 12 and up. Jethro Greighton must become the man of the family when his brothers go to war and his father has a heart attack.

Monjo, F. (1970). The drinking gourd. New York: Harper & Row. Ages 8 to 10. An “I can read” history book about the underground railroad.

Monjo, F. (1971). The Vicksburg veteran. New York: Simon & Schuster. Ages 7 to 10. General Grant's son participates in the Union victory that gains control of the Mississippi.

Petry, A. (1955). Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the underground railway. New York: Crowell. Ages 12 and up. The dramatic story of this courageous woman. Well documented.

Sterling, D. (1954). Freedom train: The story of Harriet Tubman. New York: Doubleday. Ages 10 to 12.

Winter, J. (1988). Follow the drinking gourd. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. All ages. A picture book from folk tradition that illustrates in song the moving story of runaway slaves following the Big Dipper north to freedom.