I Survived #7: I Survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863
Tarshis, author of the popular Emma-Jean Lazarus novels, presents a highly personalized narrative of the Battle of Gettysburg. The story follows former slave Thomas and his little sister Birdie as they fall in with Union forces and make their way north. The Union army rolls toward its epic clash in a small Pennsylvania town, and Thomas becomes a unwitting participant in one of the most formative events in American history. Tarshis writes with sharp, clear, emotional language: “There they were, rebel soldiers ready to charge. There were thousands of them—men in front on horseback, waving gleaming swords.” Back matter includes common questions and answers about the Civil War, along with the text of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Others in the I Survived series include high-interest topics such as Pearl Harbor and September 11. Grades 1-4. --Erin Anderson