| 9781484725986 |
| 1484725980 |
Available:*
Library | Material Type | Call Number | Shelf Location | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Library 21c | Children's Book | 973.7 LEVY | Children's-J-Nonfiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
Amid the fearsome battles of the Civil War, both Union and Confederate soldiers were urged onward by song.
There were songs to wake them up and songs to call them to bed,
Songs to ready them for battle and to signal their retreat,
Songs to tell them that their side was right, and the other wrong . . .
And there was one song that reminded them all of what they hoped to return to after the war.
Defeated in the battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, the Union soldiers retreated across the river. There, a new battle emerged as both armies volleyed competing songs back and forth. With the Christmas season upon them, however, Federals and Confederates longed for the same thing. As the notes of "Home, Sweet Home" rose up from both sides, they found common ground for one night.
Interwoven with soldiers' letters and journal entries, this is a true story of duty and heartbreak, of loyalty and enemies, and of the uniting power of music. Debbie Levy's moving text and Gilbert Ford's vibrant, layered illustrations come together to create an unforgettable tale of American history.
Author Notes
Debbie Levy (www.debbielevybooks.com) is the author of The Year of Goodbyes, Imperfect Spiral, Maybe I'll Sleep in the Bathtub Tonight , and many other books for young readers. A former newspaper editor and lawyer, Debbie is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan Law School. She loves to read, kayak, fish, swim, and take long walks. Debbie lives in Maryland with her husband. They have two grown sons.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Levy (We Shall Overcome: The Story of a Song) once again combines music and history, this time penning a sophisticated picture book that presents a moment in the Civil War through the framework of soldiers' songs. An introductory note places students within the context of the Civil War, but the bulk of the story revolves around the Battle of Fredericksburg. While stuck at an impasse on opposite sides of a river after an unexpected Rebel victory, recovering soldiers marked their days with musical military rituals and spent their nights trading opposing patriotic songs that they "fired back and forth like musical cannonballs." This engaging and descriptive narrative is interspersed with first-person soldiers' accounts. The culmination of the tale is when one side began to play "Home Sweet Home" and the other side joined in, resulting in a night of mutual celebration. Through this event, soldiers were revealed to one another, and thus to readers, as entirely human; "the enemy was also a son, a brother, a husband," to the point where the song was forbidden. Ford (The Wonderful Thing That Came from a Spring) illustrates this heartfelt account with deep colors and silhouetted cutouts. The warmth and explosiveness of music are represented by swirling orange and red lines, along with the actual notations of many of the songs. Ford does not shy away from the brutality of war but avoids gruesomeness with the muted palette and stylized art. The unifying point in time is depicted in a wordless moonlit spread, with layered shades of purple, blue, and green. Concluding with extensive back matter, Levy and Ford leave readers satisfied. VERDICT An up-close look at a moment in U.S. history and the reality, and unexpected humanity, of war; for sophisticated readers.-Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Through insightful narration and vibrant silhouettes and cartooning, Levy (I Dissent) and Ford (The Marvelous Thing That Came from a Spring) vividly bring to life a chapter in the U.S. Civil War and the integral role music played during the conflict. Levy sets the stage two years into the war, just before the Union defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg; excerpts from soldiers' letters are incorporated throughout, giving the account striking immediacy. When opposing troops became entrenched for the winter, music created a temporary connection: "Across the river the melodies floated. Sometimes the soldiers fired tunes back and forth, like musical cannonballs." Ford depicts this volley with swirling music staffs that rise like orange smoke from the encampments. The motif crescendos at the story's climax, when one song, "Home, Sweet Home," unites both sides one winter night. A timeline, bibliographies, and history of the battle, as well as of the poem and song that uplifted homesick soldiers, conclude a bittersweet account of a sharply divided America. Ages 8-10. Author's agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* The Battle of Fredericksburg was one of the most significant of the Civil War battles. It was a time of unimaginable horror: cold, death, sickness, and despair. And yet, as revealed in this remarkable book, it was also a time of shared emotions. In the battle's aftermath, Union and Confederate soldiers were trapped on either side of the Rappahannock River and set up camp for the winter. As they nursed the wounded and buried the dead, they heard familiar bugle calls and music of the military bands from either side and sometimes traded songs, firing melodies like musical cannonballs across the river. Levy's prose is elegant and precise, and her tone positions readers at a respectful distance from the soldiers coping with fear, homesickness, and vulnerability. The text incorporates quotes from soldiers' letters and musical scores, alternating songs just as the battling bands did. Uniting both sides, ultimately, were the tender strains of Home, Sweet Home. Ford's vivid illustrations capture the desolation of the cold, dark evenings in blues and grays, and the vibrancy of the music that sustained the soldiers, in swirls of orange and red. Back matter includes additional information about the battle, Home, Sweet Home, and resources for further research. An arresting, soulful tribute to the power of music and the shared humanity that underlies conflict.--Chaudhri, Amina Copyright 2017 Booklist
