Best Civil War Novel for 5th Grade

[Paula Neale <MOHMIE@DELPHI.COM>]

After years of having all textbook adoptions and supplementary materials
almost totally controlled by the Central Administration, suddenly our
elementary teachers are allowed and even encouraged to choose their own
materials including Trade Books instead of reading workbooks. As so
often happens, too much freedom too soon has a tendency to result in
anarchy.

The way this works so far is that suddenly right at the end of school
the grade level chairmen were called in and told that the building
has $13,000 in textbook money and they should submit a list of what
they want along with the source and price for ordering.  And with
all the chaos going on at the end of the year, trying to get their
records updated, and their rooms ready to close--they have 3 days
to get this done.

I only know about this because I happened to see someone list of
classroom sets of tradebooks and mentioned that they were paying
way too much money  , so now I am deluged with requests for
catalogs and advice on how to get the best price.

Never one to mind my own business I started making suggestions here
and there about which novels I'd like to see the classes read. Now
the 5th grade is asking my advice on a novel to tie in with social
studies preferably set during the Civil War and I'm coming up blank.
I think Across Five Aprils or Rifles for Watie would be too hard and
not exciting enough. I kind of like Shades of Gray by Reeder but it
doesn't seem just right.  They had success this year with
The Sign of the Beaver, Number the Stars,,, Henry Huggins and Hatchet,
all of which were books we couldn't get the kinds to read on their own.

Our kids for the most part do not come from homes where reading is valued
and tend to read below level.  They turn up their noses at anything not
glitzy and "here and now".  Nevertheless the 5th grade teachers are
talented and can get them involved when they read the books together.

If we can't come up with a great Civil War story, I'd like to suggest
something about the Underground Railroad or a pioneer story not
from the European American perspective.  I know the perfect book
exists and I'm hoping one of you can jog my nearly brain-dead
memory so that I can come up with it by Tuesday.

PS. They asked for fiction but I think I could sell a really great
nonfiction book.  The vast majority of our students are African
American so political correctness also has to be taken into account.
One of the other schools got in big trouble with Paula Fox's Slave
Dancer last year.

Paula Neale
MOHMIE@delphi.com

Thanks and I'll post the final list.