Gary Paulsen is one of my favorite authors. He tells it like it is. I have read some of his books and thought, "That may be the last Paulsen book I ever read." I thought that with this Paulsen book. He writes very graphic details. This would be the most graphic account of the Civil War that I have ever read for kids. It is based on the story of a real soldier, 15 year old Charley Goddard from Minnesota. The story follows him from the time he leaves the Minnesota farming community looking at war as an adventure, through major battles and injuries. It tells the story of how Charley's adventurous heart changes to one of fear and later no feeling. It tells what he witnessed that lead to those changes. I know that war is bad, but this book opened my eyes and heart to how bad. There are ugly, scary images in the book that won't leave me. My heart truly goes out to any man or woman who has faced combat. Paulsen tells this historical fiction story of a Civil War soldier with brutal honesty, a story that I would just as soon not know about, but one I should know about as an American citizen who enjoys the liberties of this nation.
completed June 11, 2010
pages: 104
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