Fight for Freedom

Gr 4–6—In this informative and entertaining complement to Civil War studies, Sam is a young house slave at the Twin Oaks plantation in 1861. Annabelle Beauregard is the daughter of the plantation owners. After a brief "How We Got Here" prologue, the story picks up following early Confederate victories. Things begin to change when Annabelle's father, Beau Beauregard, dies on the battlefield. Twin Oaks slowly becomes a military hospital, while Sam escapes to the North to find his father and help the Union army. While the main characters are fictional, the setting and events are historically accurate. Back matter includes a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of what is fact and what is fiction. The sketchy, full-color pen and watercolor illustrations are straightforward and fairly spare, with minimal backgrounds. They capably pair with the text, clearly signaling the emotion of the dialogue. Fight for Freedom provides classroom connections as well as pleasure reading for young military and history buffs.—Travis Jonker, Wayland Union Schools, MI