(3) 4-6 With Tonya Bolden. Beginning with the Emancipation Proclamation, African American scholar Gates documents the people and events that led to the end of the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction; the readable narrative then describes the debates, violence, and racism that ensued. Quotes from influential people along with black-and-white drawings and photos help tell the story of this overlooked period in history. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Poppy Kang. In 1862, enslaved crewman Robert Smalls planned and executed an audacious, dangerous nighttime hijack of a Confederate warship, piloting ten miles into Union-controlled waters--and thereby rescuing himself and fifteen others from slavery. The text clearly relates the story while also maintaining intense suspense and drama. Illustrations are rather bland and static but help establish setting and atmosphere. Reading list. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) YA Miller explores Lee's life and times in this accessible and thorough biography for middle- and high-school students. Moving beyond the myths (both positive and negative) associated with Lee, Miller examines and unpacks his complicated and tumultuous family history and fills in details about his life before and after the Civil War. Black-and-white archival images help provide a sense of time and place. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) YA Destitute, orphaned Danny and Kathleen O'Carolan emigrate from Ireland to New York City during the Civil War. To stay together, older sibling Kathleen forces twelve-year-old Danny to pose as a girl so he can avoid being conscripted into the army and the two can get jobs as housemaids. A strong sense of time and place carries this novel through to its optimistic denouement.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Lisa Weber. In a quirky (if gimmicky) presentation, the events of Abraham Lincoln's life are explained to him in the second person. The central conceit is that Lincoln's success was dictated by the important decisions he made in his life and career, several of which are outlined in multiple-choice format throughout the narrative. An unconventional and humorous way to approach biography. Reading list, timeline, websites.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(1) YA Just days after Jane was born, the Civil War became a war between the living and the undead. Now seventeen, Jane is shipped off to a frontier outpost to be a white society lady's Attendant, a chaperone/bodyguard warding off scandal and "shamblers" alike. A refreshingly subversive zombie action story/alternate history featuring a biracial, bisexual heroine--and an unflinching condemnation of institutionalized American racism, then and now.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(3) 4-6 Kanefield offers a thoroughly researched and often moving introduction to President Lincoln's life and family. She also succinctly clarifies convoluted nineteenth-century politics and the historical importance of complex, contentious issues (e.g., the Missouri Compromise; the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision) that divided Americans and resulted in the Civil War. Numerous primary source quotes and well-captioned photos, drawings, and documents aid the narrative. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 An unlikely pair of seventh-grade misfits, Oliver and Ella must research and make a history-project documentary about Civil War soldier Raymond Stone. Oliver's lunch buddy Kevin assists as they unravel the mystery surrounding this (fictional) young soldier who never saw battle and died of dysentery at Gettysburg. The engaging narrative explores tween relationships and emphasizes that heroism has many forms beyond courage in battle.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 In an 1863 NYC roaming with dinosaurs, Magdalys, a Cuban girl from the Colored Orphan Asylum, narrowly escapes kidnapping by magistrate Richard Riker (based on a real kidnapper of black New Yorkers). Magdalys and her remaining friends find safety in Brooklyn's Dactyl Hill neighborhood, where they train for a courageous dactyl-back rescue of their fellow orphans. Real history is dressed in appealing fantasy in this new adventure series. Includes ample historical notes.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Daniel Minter. Schmidt’s hauntingly beautiful, uncompromisingly direct picture-book biography takes larger-than-life figure Sojourner Truth (1797?–1883) from childhood to old age, focusing on her acts of courage at a time when black Americans had few legal rights. Minter’s watercolor and mixed-media art is stunning, often making Truth the largest figure on the page or spread. An essential text for studying Civil War–era American history.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(3) 4-6 Spy on History series. Illustrated by Tony Cliff. This historical thriller--enhanced by engaging graphic novel–style illustrations and thoughtful design--tells the true story of Mary Bowser. An African American spy for the Union, Bowser worked as a maid in the home of Confederate president Jefferson Davis. A sealed envelope affixed to the book contains code-cracking tools readers can use to solve a mystery hidden within the text. Biographical and historical notes appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(2) YA In fall 1864, Mariah is liberated from slavery along with her little brother and joins Sherman's March to the Sea. She wants nothing more than an acre of her own ground--until she meets Caleb. Alternating between Mariah's and Caleb's perspectives, Bolden fleshes out a harrowing historical betrayal, weaving an unforgettable story. An author's note tells more about the drownings and massacre at Ebenezer Creek. Bib.

Reviewer: Anastasia M. Collins | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017

(2) K-3 Illustrated by James E. Ransome. The Ransomes have crafted an evocative life story of Harriet Tubman, framed by her travels. In free verse, the text tells of Tubman's roles (in reverse chronological order) as suffragist, abolitionist, Union spy, nurse, conductor on the Underground Railroad, and slave. James Ransome's arresting watercolors highlight Tubman's face from different angles, always emphasizing her undaunted determination. Visual details will also enhance readers' knowledge of American history.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(2) 4-6 After the Civil War, eleven-year-old Jane, her stepmother, and her half-brother travel by boat from the East Coast to Washington Territory. In conversational prose, Jane chronicles the four-month trip and her first months in Seattle, where she cautiously but bravely makes her own way, finding mentors and allies. Jane's complex emotions and believable relationships give dimension to her character.

Reviewer: Sarah Hannah Gomez | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2017

(3) YA Defining Images series. Cornell explores Mathew Brady's Civil War photographs and their role in the development of photojournalism. In addition to the war itself, this series installment focuses on Brady's life and career--with sections on technical and practical aspects of photography at the time--resulting in a compelling interplay of history, photography, and biography. Additional information on key photographs appended. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Fact Finders: First-Person Histories series. These slim volumes feature primary source accounts of the Civil War. Tillie Pierce helped nurse soldiers during the Battle of Gettsyburg, while Susie King Taylor, born a slave, worked with a troop of African American soldiers. The women's recollections are enhanced by an engaging, informative layout containing archival photos and illustrations plus relevant sidebars. Common Core–aligned questions are appended. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Fact Finders: First-Person Histories titles: Memoir of Susie King Taylor and Memoir of Tillie Pierce.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Fact Finders: First-Person Histories series. These slim volumes feature primary source accounts of the Civil War. Tillie Pierce helped nurse soldiers during the Battle of Gettsyburg, while Susie King Taylor, born a slave, worked with a troop of African American soldiers. The women's recollections are enhanced by an engaging, informative layout containing archival photos and illustrations plus relevant sidebars. Common Core–aligned questions are appended. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Fact Finders: First-Person Histories titles: Memoir of Susie King Taylor and Memoir of Tillie Pierce.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 Blazers: Weapons of War series. These books depict the weaponry and defenses employed during two of America's earliest wars. The scant texts lack historical context, but military buffs may appreciate the archival war images, close-ups of weapons, and photographs of sites from each war. Fact inserts provide additional information; significant words are highlighted and defined. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Blazers: Weapons of War titles: Weapons of the Civil War and Weapons of the Revolutionary War.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Chin Ko. This easy-reader biography spans President Lincoln's life, concluding just before his assassination. Beginning with a humorous physical description ("Abraham Lincoln said it himself: He was not a pretty man"), Dussling writes engagingly, incorporating direct quotes. While the format is inviting, the slick, cartoonlike illustrations seem out of place. Additional facts and archival photographs are appended. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(3) 4-6 Pumpkin Falls series. Truly Lovejoy (Absolutely Truly) has a memorable spring break: she turns thirteen, receives her first kiss, her best friend visits, and the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes solve two more mysteries (one Civil War–related, the other involving stolen tree sap). Truly may be reluctantly adjusting to her new life in New Hampshire, but readers will be captivated by the idyllic town and its unconventional inhabitants.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter