Jonathan W. White’s Top Ten Civil War Kids Books

Originally published November 2020 · pp. 26–27

Jonathan W. White’s Top Ten Civil War Kids Books Many of us wish that Americans, especially young Americans, knew more, and cared more, about American history. One way we can instill a love of history in our children and grandchildren is by buying them good books. We have more than 150 kids’ history books in our home library, covering every aspect of American history. The following are some of my favorite Civil War books that I read to my daughters (ages 4 and 7). All of them are large picture books except for the last one on the list. 1. Abe’s Fish: A Boyhood Tale of Abraham Lincoln by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Amy June Bates. New York: Sterling, 2009. This delightful book tells the true story of a young Abraham Lincoln during the War of 1812.

After catching a fish in Knob Creek, Abe gave it to a hungry soldier he saw walking down the road. The author and illustrator capture themes in Lincoln’s life that would loom large during his presidency. The only downside of this beautiful book is that it has been out of print for a decade and copies online are scarce and expensive. But if you can get one, you will not be disappointed. 2. Soldier Song: A True Story of the Civil War by Debbie Levy, illustrated by Gilbert Ford. Los Angeles: Disney/ Hyperion, 2017. This exquisite book tells the story of the temporary truce that took place just after the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, as Union and Confederate soldiers sang “Home, Sweet Home” together. Readers who are familiar with Civil War music will enjoy singing the songs that appear in the text. Young readers can also experience what it is like to read original primary sources as the author reproduces original letters and diaries from soldiers. 3. The Eternal Soldier: The True Story of How a Dog Become a Civil War Hero by Allison Crotzer Kimmel, illustrations by Rotem Teplow. New York: Little Bee Books, 2019. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Sallie, the mascot of the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteers (I have an ancestor, Pvt. William S. Allen, who served in the regiment). This charming book tells the story of that famous pup, from when she joined the 11th until her death. I found The Eternal Soldier at Gettysburg National Military Park when I was in town for The Lincoln Forum symposium in 2019. After reading it to my daughters a number of times, we returned to Gettysburg in July 2020 to pay our respects to the men and the dog of the 11th Pennsylvania. (Readers from the Midwest may wish to read about a mascot from their region: The Legend of Old Abe: A Civil War Eagle

by Kathy-Jo Wargin and illustrated by Laurie Caple.) 4. Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers written and illustrated by Karen Winnick. Honesdale, Pa.: Boyds Mill Press, 1996. When we think of Abraham Lincoln, we usually envision a statesman with a beard. Yet Lincoln did not grow whiskers until the time of his election to the presidency in the fall of 1860. This book tells the delightful story of a young girl, Grace Bedell, who wrote to Lincoln in October 1860 encouraging him to grow facial hair. In this story, Grace’s older brother teases her for writing to Lincoln, but when the president-elect stops to meet her in Westfield, New York, on his way to Washington, D.C., she becomes the hero of the town. 5. So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom by Gary D. Schmidt, illustrated by Daniel Minter. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2018. Born into slavery in upstate New York about 1797, Isabella Baumfree would overcome incredible oppression in her lifetime, including having her son sold illegally to Alabama (she would fight in court to have him returned and she won). In adulthood Isabella gained her freedom, changed her name to Sojourner Truth, and became a powerful advocate for liberty. This powerful and beautifully illustrated book tells Truth’s life story, including when she met Abraham Lincoln at the White House in 1864. 6. Abraham Lincoln Comes Home by Robert Burleigh, illustrations by Wendell Minor. New York: Henry Holt, 2008. This touching story depicts the sad ride that a father took with his son one night to see the Lincoln funeral train as it passed through a prairie in the spring of 1865, beautifully capturing what Lincoln meant to most northerners in the wake of his assassination. Readers who want to share Lincoln’s immortal words with children should get The Gettysburg Address, illustrated by Michael McCurdy (originally published by Houghton Mifflin in 1995, and released in paperback by Scholastic in 1997), which reproduces Lincoln’s famous speech along with powerful images of Americans working to honor the dead of Gettysburg. I read this book to my older daughter so many times that she had the Gettysburg Address memorized at age 3. 7. The Last Brother: A Civil War Tale by Trinka Hakes Noble, illustrated by Robert Papp. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Sleeping Bear Press, 2006. This is a fictional story about two eleven-year-old buglers— with the 71st Pennsylvania and 11th Mississippi—who met during the Battle of Gettysburg. It is a touching narrative about youth and friendship that humanizes the combatants and their families. The Last Brother is part of the “Tales of Young Americans” series that tells heartrending stories of children in different eras of American history. 8. How Kate Warne Saved President Lincoln by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk, illustrated by Valentina Belloni. Park Ridge, Ill.: Albert Whitman and Co., 2016. This delightful book tells the exciting story of Kate Warne, a young woman who joined the Pinkertons and helped protect Abraham Lincoln during his journey to Washington as president-elect in 1861. Kate can serve as a role model for young girls who want to read about the adventures of a brave and important woman during the Civil War. 9. Duel of the Ironclads: The Monitor vs. the Virginia by Patrick O’Brien. New York: Walker, 2003. When I was writing Our Little Monitor: The Greatest Invention of the Civil War (Kent State University Press, 2018) with Anna Gibson Holloway, I enjoyed reading Duel of the Ironclads with my children. This beautifully illustrated book presents young readers with a history of naval warfare that will enable them to understand the history (and technology) of the Monitor and Virginia and the Battle of Hampton Roads. 10. Magic Tree House #21: Civil War on Sunday by Mary Pope Osborne. New York: Random House, 2000. In this wonderful series, two young siblings, Jack and Annie, travel to other times and places through a portal they’ve discovered in a tree house in the woods. In this adventure, they meet Clara Barton, a former slave-turned-Union-soldier, a wounded Confederate infantryman, and their greatgreat-great grandfather, a Union drummer boy named John. Geared toward early readers (grades 1-3), these stories will engage the imagination of students in early elementary school. Along the way, they incorporate a good deal of factual information about the period in which the story is set. As my daughter (second grade) read this one to me, she frequently stopped to ask me questions about the Civil War. Jonathan W. White is associate professor of American Studies at Christopher Newport University and is the author or editor of ten books, including Midnight in America: Darkness, Sleep, and Dreams during the Civil War (2017) and “Our Little Monitor”: The Greatest Invention of the Civil War (2018), co-authored with Anna Gibson Holloway. Visit his website at www.jonathanwhite.org.