Historical/Biographical

First Quarter Reading Update

~ Megan

Wow! It’s already April 1st! I can’t believe it. I decided to take a few moments to figure out where I am in my reading goals for 2021. I realized that I did not publish a post about my goals so if you do not follow me on instragram, here is my reading plan for 2021:

10 Biographies- I decided that I really enjoy reading biographies and I would like to know more about certain people from history.

5 General Nonfiction- Any other type of nonfiction not considered a biography.

10 Fiction- because I cannot NOT read fiction!!

So, where am I as of 4/1/2021?

I have completed 1 biography. I read a YA biography on Benedict Arnold that read like a novel! It was very good. I am currently working on a biography on Mary Todd Lincoln. I’ve actually been reading on this book for nearly a year. It is very scholarly and at times I can only read a few pages in one sitting.

I have read 1 nonfiction book written by a 12 year old! It was over Dred Scott v. Sanford. I have a huge stack of books that fit this category and hope to dive into more of them over the summer.

And no surprise here, but I have completed 10 fiction books! And the stack keeps growing. I had no fears about meeting this particular goal but I hadn’t anticipated meeting it so quickly! Audibles and the Libby app have really assisted me in getting more fiction reading down these last few months. You can read my thoughts about Lovely War, Amora, and Shadows of the White City now. More reviews on my fiction reads coming each Monday.

The Notorious Benedict Arnold

~ Megan

Like most people, I am familiar with Benedict Arnold and his treasonous behavior. And also like most people, I have not done any reading on him outside of the textbook from school. When I saw this book on the shelves in my library, I decided to check it out. Boy, am I glad that I did!

Benedict Arnold really only desired on thing: to be known. You got to give some credit there, because, don’t we all? But his biggest issue was that he needed recognition and accolades at a time where there were bigger fish to fry (or lobsters in this case). Congress did not have money or time to spend doling out accolades for every little success. This, added to Arnold’s personality, created a real issue. (That and his young bride, Peggy Shippen.)

I won’t spend too much time going into the details oh his heroics and then his betrayal, but I do want to share this quote from the author:

“If Arnold had died from his wounds at the Battle of Saratoga, we would think of him today as one of the all-time great American heroes. Aside from Washington, we’d say, he did more to win our Revolution than anyone. We’d celebrate his life as one of the best action stories we have– Washington never did anything half as exciting as the march to Quebec or the Battle of Valcour Island. Sure, we’d say Arnold was unstable, tormented, a loose cannon. But he’d be our loose cannon.” (p. 306)

I think back to my lessons on Saratoga, the turning point of the revolution. Not once did I ever mention Arnold’s involvement. After reading this extremely well-researched biography, I realize that Arnold really was, up to the point where he betrayed the colonists, one of our greatest fighters for independence.

Awesomeness:

-Well-researched (there are 28 pages of notes!)

-I think we get a really good look at the struggles in Arnold’s life that created a perfect storm.

Cautions

-This book is set during the American Revolution. There are battle scenes and wounds depicted, but none with excess graphic descriptions.

For the more mature crowd, if you found this interesting, you might look into The Traitor’s Wife. I read this book several years ago and found it fascinating. I do think Arnold’s marriage to Peggy Shippen (who I think was truly in love with Andre) was the tipping point. I think he would have been less likely to betray the cause if he had not had such easy access to the British. Full disclosure: I do not remember all of the details in this book. I’m pretty sure there is a bit of a romantic escapade described at one point. I would only suggest this book to mature readers.

My last 5 Audio Reads

~ Megan

In January of this year, I signed up for an Audible Membership. Over the past 8 months, I have listened to several books this way. I wanted to share my thoughts on the last 5.

 Seven Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness

Regardless of your thoughts on various sects of Christianity, each woman presented in Eric Metaxes’ book has some wonderful character traits we could stand to emulate. All of them were incredibly brave and all stepped out in faith. In the introduction, Metaxes does a superb job explaining why he chose these seven women. His goal was not to choose women who had been the first woman to do something, but who were able to do what they did because they were a woman. My favorite section and the woman I would most like to emulate would be Corrie Ten Boom. Which brings me to my next audio book:

Tramp for the Lord

I have listened to this book twice already and definitely want to purchase a hardcopy for my personal library. Corrie Ten Boom was an amazing woman. She and her family risked their lives to help save Jews from the Nazi regime. Several of her family members gave their lives for this cause. I have several chunks of this book “clipped” so I can go back and remember important ideas she shares. Follow Corrie on her path around the world and join her in her fearlessness in sharing God’s love with everyone she meets.

Disciplines of a Godly Woman (Redesign)

This book is a practical book to help Christian woman live a Godly life. Barbara Hughes gives specific ways to help you put God at the center of your life. A few things that were convicting and motivating for me were:

  • her discussion on meditating and studying scripture. As well as her encouragement to memorize scripture.
  • thinking continually on Christ.
  • thinking about what I am watching on tv and doing with my time. On my phone, I wrote some notes to myself about this specifically. Am I having conversation with people? Or looking at my phone?

This book will certainly help you put somethings into perspective.

None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Different from Us (and Why That’s a Good Thing)

This book is a pretty quick read. Jen Wilkin focuses on the attributes we can only attribute to God. I do wish I had known there were scriptures and reflection questions presented at the end of each chapter. I plan to get a hard copy of this book too. I have so much I want to highlight and mark up! I love how she encourages us to be cautious of the Instagram Bible. Today it is too easy for us to feel like we are filling up on God’s Word without actually reading the Bible. As a bonus, this book is read by Jen herself!

Side note: if you are unfamiliar with Jen Wilkin you are in for a treat! She has several Bible studies and podcast teachings available FOR FREE at http://jenwilkin.podbean.com

Living Well Spending Less: 12 Secrets of the Good Life

This book is a guide to do just what it says. Author Ruth Soukup shares her personal story about debt and learning to budget in this practical guide to money. She writes, “We must learn to control our love of money or it will control us.” If you are struggling to control your money or just want a few more practical ways to save, you should check this book out. She also has a lot of resources on her website http://www.livingwellspendingless.com

Random note on Audio books:

  1. You can sign up for Audibles via amazon for free for 30 days. This gives you TWO FREE credits which translates into TWO FREE BOOKS! If you cancel, you will be presented with a few other options like paying every other month or maybe even a reduced price if you sign up for 3 months. (The options appear to change, so it may be completely different when you are reading this.)
  2. Overdrive is a public library app you can access free. My relatively small town public library uses it, so I imagine most public libraries have it now. You can check out ebooks and audio books FREE!

A Chain of Thunder

~ Megan

Interest Level: Middle School, High School, Adult

“When the sun went down, the shelling began again, the civilians moving inside quickly, but she remained outside the cave, watched the red streaks, heard the thumps and distant thunder, and noticed now for the first time that something was missing. What had been done to James’s best friend was an act of raw desperation repeated in the town, and all throughout the cave-spotted hills. Until now, every time the shells came, it had been the same, the whistle and shriek of the mortars and the cannon fire answered by a scattered chorus of howling dogs. But tonight there were no howls…” (510)

If the above quote doesn’t make you want to pick up A Chain of Thunder: A Novel of the Siege of Vicksburg (the Civil War in the West) by Jeff Shaara, then perhaps you should just stop reading here! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. (Yes, Mr. Shaara himself calls it a novel in his letter to the reader.)

A friendly note: I read this book right before my trip to Vicksburg. I made sure to take pictures of everything I could find that was mention in this novel, therefore, you will see A LOT OF PICTURES in this post. Quite possibly more than I have ever included!

 

A Chain of Thunder follows the Vicksburg campaign. Grant, Sherman and several other Union Generals and their men are headed to Mississippi from Tennessee. There to meet them is General Pemberton. Unfortunately for the Confederates, the President desires Pemberton to protect Vicksburg, but General Johnston desires Pemberton to march out and meet Grant.

Pemberton is an interesting person in that he is originally a Pennsylvanian but married a Virginian woman. Therefore, he sides with the Confederacy in the war. His men, however, do not fully trust him seeing as he is a Yankee by birth. This makes his command even more challenging.

The chapters are each presented by a different character in the novel, which I love! It allows you to get multiple perspectives about the same situation.

It also gives you a glimpse into the relationships between different leaders. Not until I read this book did I realize that Sherman and Grant were so close. Sherman was fiercely loyal and protective of Grant. Even when he didn’t fully agree with Grant’s decisions he bow to military rule and followed Grant’s orders.

We meet both Confederate civilians like Lucy Spence and file-in-rank soldiers from both sides. We learn of wounds, starvation, death, and fear from each character.  

I jotted down lots of notes in the margins and kept wishing my students could read this novel! (My pre-ap kids just might read it next year!)

There are too many details to get into in this post, but I will say Shaara does a magnificent job putting you in the minds of those involved in this conflict. His attention to detail and research is phenomenal. As a teacher, I always stress to my students the importance of studying an event such as the Civil War from both sides. Shaara definitely does this.

 

Cautions:

*This is a war book therefore battle scenes are discussed. There is no description that is unnecessarily gory. Do to the nature of the event, the dead on the Union side were left out in the field for some time. There is one chapter in particular where Bauer sees several Union dead out in front of him and will describe the bloated bodies.

*Civilians who chose to stay in Vicksburg will eventually have to move to the hills and create caves. There they will eventually subsist on donkeys, squirrels, dogs, and even rats.

*There is some good natured ribbing among the soldiers and some harsh commands from the younger officers. (I don’t rightly remember off hand there being any foul cuss words used.)

Awesomeness:

*You get a glimpse into the lives of the leaders. Until I read this book and William Tecumseh Sherman by James Lee McDonough, I did not know that Sherman lacked confidence in his abilities and vehemently hated the press! (For good reason!)

*The reader gains a better understanding of the strategy and reasoning behind the siege. We are privy to the true intelligence of all those in charge.

*The book is incredibly well-written and will have the reader eager to finish. (Even if you already know the outcome.)

*This book would be a wonderful springboard to use in studying the Civil War leaders like Sherman, Grant, Pemberton, and Johnston.

Lesson Plan Ideas:

*Research each leader: Grant, Sherman, McPherson, Pemberton, Bowen, Johnston

*Go to the Vicksburg National Military Park youtube channel and watch several awesome videos!

*Research Vicksburg civilian stories

Wedded to War

~ Megan

Interest Level: High School/Adult

 

Forget being wedded to war, I am wedded to this book! I did NOT want to put it down, but I HAD to put it down a few times. This book made me cringe, gasp, moan in fear, sigh in frustration, and talk back to the characters. All of which are signs of a great novel.

Quick summary: Charlotte volunteers to be trained as a nurse for the Civil War. Her mom, sister, and suitor all disapprove of her decision. After training in New York, she is sent to Washington, D.C. to serve in the local hospital. There she is thrust into the hardships of being a woman in a male dominated world as well as the hardships of war. Woven throughout the war is Charlotte’s personal struggle with following her calling and what society deems appropriate.

Long summary: Charlotte is considered a spinster because she is 28 and not yet wed. She is being courted by Phineas Hastings, a wealthy New Yorker. Much to his chagrin, Charlotte volunteers to be trained as a nurse for the war. He figures this will be a short term infatuation and she will eventually put it all behind her and marry him. A few chapters in, we are introduced to Ruby, an Irish immigrant also living in New York. She is struggling to make ends meet and her husband Matthew recently shipped off to war. She finds herself in Five Points seeking work. She meets the a group of women who place women of high moral character but low socioeconomic status as domestics.

As fate would have it, Ruby is placed in the house of Phineas’ mother. There she meets the ill tempered Phineas. Phineas feels the need to control all the women in his life and out of fear for something Ruby overheard, he rapes her. Once violated Ruby takes to a life of prostitution. She meets Dr. Blackwell at her office in Five Points. There Dr. Blackwell matched Ruby up with a job in Washington, D.C. She is put under the care of… you guessed it, Charlotte. Ruby works hard and diligently and doesn’t know of Phineas’ and Charlotte’s connection until months after being in D.C.  

Charlotte, her sister Alice, and Ruby continue to work for the Sanitary Commission. All the while, Phineas is attempting to retrieve Charlotte and convince her to marry him. Phineas’ stoops to some really low levels in order to protect his wealth. It is his character that caused all of the emotions mentioned at the beginning of this post. 

I do not want to say too much more for fear of ruining the story and for you chance to make faces such as mine! (Note: these are from my instastory!)

Cautions:

*Phineas is a terrible man. He does rape Ruby and then blackmail her about it.

*Prostitution is discussed and for a short time Ruby is a prostitute.

*Ruby toys with idea of abortion and suicide.

*This novel is set during war, as such, wounds, fever, and amputations are all discussed.

*Be prepared to discuss abusive treatment or thoughts toward women.

Overall, this book is AMAZING!! I have not felt this kind of reaction to a book in a long time. I had to put it down and walk away a few times from frustration with the characters!! But I could not wait to come back to it! Jocelyn Green also does a wonderful job weaving in Biblical truths that stand the test of time. I love how Charlotte, Caleb, Edward, and Ruby all quote scripture to each other as a form of encouragement and love.

 

Lesson Plan Ideas:

*Chapter Two discusses the secession of Virginia and the attack on Union forces in Baltimore. Research the city of Baltimore and why they might attack Union forces. What was Lincoln’s response? You can check out The Hour of Peril as a resource for this. 

*Research all the historical figures in this novel:

-Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell

-Dorothea Dix

-Robert E. Lee

-Abraham Lincoln

-George B. McClellan

-Frederick Law Olmsted

-General Winfield Scott (Scott’s Great Snake/Anaconda Plan)

 

*Research the inspiration for Charlotte: Georgeanna Woolsey

*Research the battles mentioned:

-Bull Run

-The Peninsula Campaign

-The Second Battle of Bull Run

*Watch the scene from America the Story of US: Civil War about the minie ball

*Look into Five Points and the Irish Riots of 1863 (Watch Gangs of New York for mature readers or used selected scenes that show the Conscription Riots.)

*Chapter 19 mentions Rose Greenhow, the main character from Wild Rose. You could have your child read Wild Rose: The True Story of a Civil War Spy or research female spies in the Civil War.

*In chapter 30, Charlotte meets Marty, a fallen soldier. She learns that Marty is actually a woman. Look into female soldiers in the Civil War. There are some great scholarly works out there about female soldiers. They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers in the Civil War is an excellent resource.

*The end of the book offers an insight into the true parts of the novel, including social norms.

*Jocelyn Green offers a free supplemental guide on her website for this novel. 

Susan B. Anthony

~ Megan

Grade Level: Third

I am by no means an ardent down-with-man kind of woman, but I am proud to be a woman. I enjoy studying the women who fought so hard for me to have legal rights and a voice in my government. Susan B. Anthony is one such woman. I have actually had this book since I was in elementary school. Hopefully, it’ll last long enough for my future daughter(s) to read! 

Susan B. Anthony Champion of Women’s Rights written by Helen Albee Monsell is a quick, easy read as an introduction to Miss Anthony and the Women’s Rights Movement.

This book focuses on the childhood of Susan. We learn what her life was like in Massachusetts and why she moved to New York. We learn the struggles her family faced and the rare opportunities provided to Susan and her older sister.

Susan was allowed opportunities that most young women of her day were denied. She regularly attended school and her father even had a school room build in their Rochester home. She experienced the life a bobbin girl, a school teacher, and student of higher education. 

This book is not super well written. It jumps from scene to scene with very little transition. Out of nowhere, Susan suddenly had another sister. But the overall point is well made. Susan’s father was very progressive for his time. Not only did he ensure Susan had a good education, but her gave her experience in his mill. There Susan learned that legally a woman had no authority over her wages. That both children and wives had a legal obligation to give control of their wages to their husbands and fathers.

It was these experiences that opened her eyes to the needs of equality between men and women. This book is definitely a great read for a young girl first learning about the leaders of the Women’s Rights Movement. 

 

Lesson Ideas:

-The 8.24 TEKS states: The student understands the major reform movements of the 19th century. The student is expected to: (A)  describe the historical development of the abolitionist movement; and (B)  evaluate the impact of reform movements, including educational reform, temperance, the women’s rights movement, prison reform, abolition, the labor reform movement, and care of the disabled.

-Research Susan B. Anthony & Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s role in the Women’s Movement. (TEKS 8.22B  describe the contributions of significant political, social, and military leaders of the United States such as Frederick Douglass, John Paul Jones, James Monroe, Stonewall Jackson, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.)

-Watch America The Story of Us: Division; Discuss the effect of the Industrial Revolution on young girls. Compare that to what is described in the book.

-Watch Ken Burn’s Documentary: Not for Ourselves Alone; Compare the information about Susan’s childhood to what was read in the book.

-For Older Girls watch Iron Jawed Angels and Suffragette; discuss the struggles women faced. Why might not all woman agree on the need for change?

-Watch Bad Romance Women’s Suffrage by Soomo Publishing on youtube. (They took the lyrics and made it represent women’s rights. Super fun!)

5 Great Reads for Black History Month

~ Megan

 

Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons

Grade Level: Fourth

I can’t even deal! This book was so well written. Ann Rinaldi has written a wonderfully, heart-wrenching novel about Phillis Wheatley. I am ashamed to say I really did not know much about her other than she was a slave who was known for her poetry. The novel chronicles her story from the moment of abduction until the start of the American Revolution. Little is really known about her life, especially once she married.

This book would be a great accompaniment to any American Revolution study. There are a lot of important events in Boston that are mentioned. Phillis meets personally with Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.

A word of caution: the trip on the slaver is pretty intense for Phillis. Her mother is thrown overboard and she nearly starves to death. All Africans are referred to as negra or negro; the more derogatory term is not present in the novel. Phillis, while treated as a daughter of the Wheatley’s, is still seen as a slave. She may be relieved of many normal slave duties, but her masters, especially Nathaniel, still remind her of her place.

Lesson Ideas:

Research each Boston event she mentions.

Read her poems and compare any events to the novel.

Write your own poem about an important event or person in your life.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Grade Level: Fifth

I first read this book  in junior high. I do not really remember my initial thoughts, but on this go around, I thoroughly enjoyed it! This book is a powerful tale of the power of family and staying strong through adversity. The Logan Family is a great example of a strong family. They rely heavily on each other to get them through deaths of friends, threats, and fire. I think this should be a regular read for junior high students.

Caution: the N word is used regularly through this novel. Cassie gets into a fist fight with a girl who mistreats her. Some local African-Americans are attacked and severely burned by a group of whites. Cassie’s own father is attacked for encouraging people to shop in Vicksburg and not at the Wallace store. Stacy’s friend TJ gets in with the wrong crowd and is accused of killing a white man. He is brutally beaten and nearly lynched. This book does not sugar coat the difficulties African-American sharecroppers faced in the south. Mr. Morrison also shares the story of the deaths of his parents (pg 147-150).

Lesson Ideas:

Write a Journal Entry as Cassie explaining her thoughts on the books they received at the beginning of the novel.

Research sharecropping

Research Jim Crow Laws & segregation

Sounder

Grade Level: Fifth

This is a sweet story about a man and his dog. Set during the days of sharecropping, Sounder shows us the love between humans and dogs. There are no names used in this story. One day the boy’s father comes home with a ham we soon learn is stolen. Eventually, the sheriff comes to pick up the boy’s father. In the midst of his arrest, his dog is shot. Sounder runs off for months and the boy’s father is taken to jail and eventually put on a chain gang. Once Sounder returns, severely disfigured but well, the boy decides to venture off in search of his father. On one adventure, the boy befriends an old school teacher who asks him to stay so that the boy may receive an education. The boy’s mother agrees and he only returns to help with harvest. During the years, the boy’s father has been working only to return one day out of the blue. Do to a severe injury, they let him go. Now father and dog are both shells of their former selves. The boy’s father goes out one day alone, never to return. He passes away in the forest do to his injuries and hard labor. Sounder, too, passes soon after.

This book is only 116 pages but it packs an emotional punch! The arrest of the father is really harsh. He spends years on a chain gang for the theft of a ham.

I guess, in a way, this book is a coming of age story. It is based on a story told to the author.

Lesson Ideas:

Research sharecropping and Jim Crow laws

Write an alternative ending to the book.

Give all the characters names based on their character/personality.

Color Me Dark: The Diary of Nellie Lee Love, the Great Migration North

Grade Level: Fourth/Fifth

I loved the Dear America series when I was a young girl. It is so wonderful how the style of these books put you into the everyday thoughts of the character.

Nellie Lee Love is from Tennessee. It is 1919 and the Great War is over. Her family lives in a multi-generational home and runs a funeral business. The tensions in the south are increasing so Nellie’s father decided to move himself and two daughters to Chicago near his brother. There he will start a new funeral home and have a better life.

The Love family is truly a wonderful example of a family whose first priority is Jesus followed by family. They are not exempt from adversity even in Chicago but they never sway from their love for each other. While in Chicago Nellie and her family become more involved in the ever growing NAACP as well as the suffrage movement.

Cation: While swimming at the lake, a neighbor swims into the white’s section. He is so terrified by the uproar of the whites, that he drowns. This causes a massive riot in the streets of Chicago.

Lesson Ideas:

Write your own diary for a year.

Research the causes and battles of World War I.

Respond to Nellie’s comment on page 130: “Will there ever be a time when people stop hating and hurting one another?”

Respond to Reverend Prince’s comment on page 123: “Ignorance and fear breed violence. Knowledge is the only way to overcome intolerance.”

12 Years a Slave

Interest Level: High School/Adult

This book is a powerful true story told from the man himself. Solomon Northup was drugged and kidnapped by slave catchers. This was common practice in the north after the Fugitive Slave Law. Free blacks were warned not to talk to anyone they did not know. Solomon finds himself sold down south. For twelve years he will live the life of a hardworking plantation slave. Until, finally, one day he is reunited with his family.

Caution: this book is for mature audiences. It is a personal narrative set in the 1840s. There are very brutal scenes and hard truths. I would encourage any parent to read this book prior to allowing your child to read it.

 

This is an amazing primary source for sure!

Lesson Ideas:

Research other slave’s stories like Frederick Douglass.

Research newspaper articles warning of slave catchers.

Research the underground railroad and Harriet Tubman.

For further reading, check out some of my previous posts: Chains, Forge, Ashes, Flygirl, and Elijah

Lincoln’s Spymaster

~ Megan

Lincoln's Spymaster

 

Grade Level: 7th Grade

Lincoln’s Spymaster: Allan Pinkerton, America’s First Private Eye by Samantha Seiple is an engaging read. Similar to that of The Hour of Peril, Lincoln’s Spymaster focuses on the detective agency started by Allan Pinkerton. This book starts a few days before the plot to assassinate Lincoln on his way to the White House. Seiple uses this plot as an introduction to Pinkerton’s skills. She continues on through Pinkerton’s career discussing his involvement with Union General George McClellan as well as his experiences fighting the Reno Brothers’ Gang and the James-Younger Gang.

Seiple does a great job of introducing vocabulary to the reader. She presents the facts in short spurts that are easily digested and followed by the reader. She keeps the story short and sweet outlining all of Pinkerton’s cases.

I enjoyed this book for several reasons. One, she uses a lot of pictures. It is always fun to see pictures of the people being discussed in the book. The images used give the reader a chance to better visualize this time in history. One particular image on page 166 shows the Younger brothers. I found it fascinating because they do not look like what one might think outlaws would look like. The author also mentions that they came from a wealthy family. I found this interesting. I thought both the picture and that particular fact opened up the possibilities of conversation with kids. You could talk about how we cannot always tell things about people by their outsides. It also lent itself to a conversation about greed.

Two, this book lends itself to Civil War research. It talks about the Battle of Ft. Sumter ( page 53), the Battle of Antietam (page 112) and Bleeding Kansas (page 154). All three of these events are listed in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) under 8.8B. Seiple does a great job of introducing these events and the role the difference characters in the book played in them.

Three, this book is a great introduction to Wild Rose and The Hour of Peril. All three of these books are set during the mid to late 1800s. Many of the characters are seen in all three of these novels. I think this would be a great book to start with and if your child shows continued interest in Pinkerton or the issues surrounding the Civil War, they could look into the other two books.

Part I of the book is really child friendly. Part II is a little more violent. The second part of the book focuses on Pinkerton’s hunt of outlaws. This particular topic lends itself to a little more violence. On pages 140 & 147, Seiple describes the hanging of a group of outlaws. These lynchings are at the hands of a vigilante mob. For example, at the bottom of page 139 and continuing on page 140 she writes, “The nooses were tightened around each one of their necks. The barrels they were standing on were kicked away. Instantly, they were hanging by their necks, their bodies flailing until finally limp.” The scene on 147 is a little more graphic because she describes the assault on the sheriff before the mob kidnaps the robbers and hangs them. Chapters 13 and 14 also contain graphic information. Several Pinkerton guards are killed while investigating the James-Younger Gang. An example of one of the deaths described can be found on page 171: “There was a dead man lying in the road. His hands and feet were tied. The dead man’s body was shot all to pieces.”

I really enjoyed this book. It was very interesting to think about the issues West of the Mississippi in the late 19th century. While the level of this book is 7th grade, I encourage you to think about the maturity of your child. I do believe this book opens up discussion about the development of the US. Many people don’t think about the development of law enforcement. It’s hard to imagine a time where people really believed in an “eye for an eye”. Outlaws and vigilante forces are a fact in American History and should not be overlooked, but this book may not be the best choice for your child depending on their age or maturity.

 

Lesson Plan Ideas:

*Read all of Lincoln’s Inaugural Address and summarize his thoughts on secession.

*Read Jefferson Davis’ Inaugural Address and fill out a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting his thoughts on the Union and secession with Lincoln’s. (This is TEKS 8.8C)

*List and define all vocabulary mentioned in the book.

*Create a wanted poster for a member of one of the gangs.

*Write an obituary for Pinkerton.

The Hour of Peril

~ Megan

The Hour of Peril

Grade Level: Upper Middle/High School

 

“We never sleep” was the motto of the first private eye in the United States. Allan Pinkerton, an immigrant from Scotland, made a name for himself as Chicago’s best and only private eye. The Hour of Peril by Daniel Stashower follows the early years of Pinkerton and ultimately outlines how he came to Baltimore to uncover a plot to kill the newly elected President: Abraham Lincoln.

 

The book is divided into three parts. Part one does an outstanding job of describing the life of Allan Pinkerton. The reader is taken all the way to Scotland during a time of civil unrest and introduced to the fiercely passionate Allan. Stashower brings us into the story of a youngman caught up in the Chartist movement of his day. So much so, that he will become a fugitive and board a boat to America with his new wife.

 

Stashower gives the reader many details depicting the early life of Pinkerton in the United States. Using many of Allan Pinkerton’s own words, Stashower portrays the story of the unlikely detective.

 

The meat of the story really develops in part two. There, Stashower introduces the reader to the turmoils of America in the late 1850s. After Lincoln was elected president, there was an outcry from the Southern states, many of which seceded. Maryland is what we call a border state. It did not secede and housed both pro-slavery and anti-slavery sentiments. It is discovered that there is a plot to kill Lincoln to his way through Baltimore en route to DC. Allan Pinkerton is hired by a railroad owner to investigate these rumors and foil the plot to kill the president-elect.

 

Part three ultimately wraps up the plot and ends with the installation of Lincoln in the White House.

 

This book is well written and plays out like an old fashioned mystery. I was eager to continue reading to learn the details. Daniel Stashower moves back and forth between Pinkerton’s investigation in Baltimore and Lincoln’s travels to the capital. Because of the back and forth, the reader is constantly wondering if Pinkerton will foil the plot in time for Lincoln to safely pass through Baltimore on his way to the White House.

 

This book would be a great read if your child already has some basic understanding of the tension in the United States at this time. It is a rather lengthy book at 340 pages, but is well researched. The use of primary sources is outstanding and really allows the reader into the thoughts and feelings of all of those involved at the time. There are two specific instances to be aware of: on page 123 there is a description of one of the plotters spending time with a woman of ill repute. The gentlemen is said to have “hugged and kissed” this woman for over an hour. That is as far as the description of the scene goes. The other area to be aware of is the use of the word G–D— in the primary sources. These particular sources, found on page 83, are addressed to the president and written by southern sympathizers.  

 

Lesson Ideas:

 

  1. Draw Pinkerton & Lincoln’s heads and create a conversation between the two of them.
  2. OR create a text message conversation between Lincoln & Pinkerton. (Or any two characters)
  3. Since the book moves forward and back through time, creating a timeline might be really helpful. Timelines are a great way to practice chronology.
  4. Create biographies for some of the minor characters like Pinkerton’s detectives or Lincoln’s travel companions.
  5. Create a biography/backstory for the detective’s characters.
  6. Create a facebook or instagram for any of the characters in the book.

Wild Rose

~ Megan

Grade Level: Upper Middle School/High School

 

Wild Rose is a detailed account of Rose Greenhow’s espionage on behalf of the Confederacy. Ann Blackman does a superb job detailing the life of Rose. Using excerpts from letters and diary entries by Rose herself, Blackman pieces together the life of this unlikely spy.

 

After the death of her father, Rose is sent, along with one of her sisters, to live with an aunt in Washington, DC. There she is introduced to society and sophistication. Never one to bend to others, Rose spoke openly about her support of the south and her love for the Confederacy. Through a series of connections, Rose is able to send word of Union movements to southern officials. Her outspokenness for the southern cause and her fraternization with union officials, eventually lands her in prison.

 

This book, while heavily supported by Rose’s own words, reads more like a novel than a scholarly work. As a history teacher, I loved that Blackman set the stage for the Civil War by mentioning all the events of the 1850s and how they connected to Rose. The connection between Rose and many key players for both sides of the war is fascinating. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the role of women in the Civil War.
My one word of caution is this: she was a southern sympathizer. The reader must understand that this book will point out Rose’s views and beliefs about slavery and the Confederacy. Blackman does a great job of presenting Rose’s point of view without belittling any one group of people. Rose is also thought to have had intimate relations with multiple men in order to receive important information. Blackman only mentions this to educate the reader on how Rose knew so much. She does make a point to mention that there is no evidence to support these claims. Only Rose will ever know what truly happened in her personal space.