Gr 4-8-The Civil War is raging and Mike Kelly, 12, who came to the Midwest on an orphan train, runs away from home with his friend Todd to join the Union Army. As musicians in the Second Kansas Infantry, they make a long and difficult march into Missouri, where they encounter General McCulloch's Missouri Guard at the arduous Battle of Wilson's Creek. Mike is wounded and left for dead; Todd is brutally killed. Mike looks on in agony while a man takes an heirloom pocket watch from his friend's body-he'd promised Todd he'd return it to his sister if anything ever happened to him. He is rescued by a Confederate soldier-someone he'd known on the orphan train-and eventually rejoins his regiment and has several adventures and close calls with Confederate sympathizers along the way. His overriding mission, however, is to retrieve Todd's watch. Nixon writes energetically and maintains an aura of adventure and danger. She clearly portrays the horrors of war, and the particular agony of this war. Her characters are finely drawn and multifaceted, the plot is lively, and the details are well chosen. This is history come to life.-Joyce Adams Burner, formerly at Spring Hill Middle School, KS
5
1
12.99
In Stock
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940176459869 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Recorded Books, LLC |
| Publication date: | 01/26/2021 |
| Series: | Orphan Train Adventures , #5 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Age Range: | 8 - 11 Years |
Videos
From the B&N Reads Blog