My Vicksburg
Grade 5-8–It's 1863 in Vicksburg, MS, and 13-year-old Claire Louise Corbett and her well-to-do family flee their comfortable home for the safety of a cave as Union soldiers shell the town. On one of Claire's infrequent trips outside, she comes upon her older brother, Landon (a doctor in the Union army), tending to Robert, a wounded Confederate soldier. Claire befriends Robert and learns that he is responsible for misplacing an order issued by General Lee, causing the South to lose the battle of Antietam. Her brother feels honor-bound to turn Robert over to the authorities, and Claire is torn between letting Landon do so and somehow helping Robert escape. This choice weighs heavily on her mind and almost ruins her relationship with Landon, but in the end, all turns out well. Though readers will find the idea of living in a cave fascinating, Rinaldi focuses more on the protagonist's heroism and her difficult decision. Claire comes across as a strong-willed individual who is not afraid to think for herself. A good choice for fans of historical fiction, particularly the Civil War era.–Shannon Seglin, Patrick Henry Library, Vienna, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.