School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-James, a 16-year-old private serving in G Company of the 122nd Regiment, New York Volunteers, is baffled when his lieutenant assigns him to be the company historian in his Union regiment. He is initially at a loss as to what he is supposed to record, but gradually becomes more at ease with his responsibility and even finds solace in the task. James's account captures the tedium and drudgery of day-to-day life in the infantry, the confusion and terror of battle, and the horrors of medical practices of the period. Murphy bases this "journal" on real diaries of actual Civil War soldiers. He attempts to lend authenticity to the farm boy's writing by using expressions such as, "We was" or "the shadows was"; other times, he writes in literate and affective prose. For example, "The damage to the enemy lines was severe and their screams terrible." If anything, the author includes too many details and keeps readers from connecting with the protagonist's thoughts and fears. The story gets more exciting when James is lost behind enemy lines and is hidden from Confederate soldiers by a slave woman. The action is neatly wrapped up and the epilogue is a bit too tidy. Nonetheless, this is a solid addition to a popular series.-Ann M. Burlingame, North Regional Library, Raleigh, NC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Sixteen-year-old James joins the Union Army and is asked by his commanding officer to keep a journal of his company's exploits. A more embellished version than was intended, his journal is a personal reaction to death and privation, to war and blood, to loss and anger, and a sad but moving testament to lost youth. Illustrated with sketches by the author, reproductions, and maps. From HORN BOOK Spring 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 7^-12. In search of a hot meal and a decent pair of boots, orphaned teenager Pease enlists in the Union army and becomes his regiment's "Jonah" --the jinxed, clumsy camp misfit. Despite a bad luck complex and fatalistic leanings, he's assigned to record his company's activities in a journal that evolves in detail and eloquence as Pease matures. Although his troop is relegated to guarding transport wagons instead of fighting, Pease's courage is tested when he is unexpectedly swept into battle, and again when he gets lost behind enemy lines. The journal technique will either win readers over or alienate them altogether. Although its content effectively personalizes the war experience, its format--long spans of dense paragraphs containing a scarcity of dialogue and interrupted by only occasional sketches--slows the plot considerably. Depending on the reader, the book's cover (sans Murphy's name) as well as the epilogue and historic notes either enhances the credibility of the story or misrepresents the novel as an authentic account of the war. Despite these ambiguities, each entry is very well written, and Pease's unassuming personality keeps him a vivid, accessible narrator throughout. --Roger Leslie
