Carolyn Reeder (1937–2012)

The Civil War may be over, but for twelve-year-old Will Page, the pain and bitterness haven't ended. How could they have, when the Yankees were responsible for the deaths of everyone in his entire immediate family?

And now Will has to leave his comfortable home in the Shenandoah Valley and live with relatives he has never met, people struggling to eke out a living on their farm in the war-torn Virginia Piedmont. But the worst of it is that Will's uncle Jed had refused to fight for the show more Confederacy.

At first, Will regards his uncle as a traitor--or at least a coward. But as they work side by side, Will begins to respect the man. And when he sees his uncle stand up for what he believes in, Will realizes that he must rethink his definition of honor and courage. show less

Bravery, war, shortages, death, slavery and a fight for freedom. Carolyn Reeder’s Across the Lines addresses all these topics and many more through a touching, historical fiction story. Although the story gets a bit slow in the middle, Across the Lines tells a great tale, while informing you about the civil war and giving you fascinating insights by divulging a story that focuses on two main characters, an escaped slave and his master.
This book, Across the Lines starts out on a plantation show more where two young boys play, one a slave, Simon and the other his master, Edward. As they play, huge Union ships, that “must be the whole Yankee fleet” (pg. 1), come to conquer their land and set up a Northern war base. Edward and his family are forced to flee to Petersburg to live with their aunt and in the rush Simon is able to escape to the freedom he has longed for all his life. Soon Simon discovers that being free is not easy. He goes to help the Union army, only to discover that just because he is free does not mean that he will get respect. While in Petersburg, Edward feels how hard it is to have loved ones fighting in the war, especially when they’re side, the south, is losing. As the book goes on, both boys really feel the harsh realities of war. Whether they face shortages, death or even having no place to turn, Simon and Edward learn that living through a war, no matter what side you’re on, is difficult and painful. “Numbly, Edward watched her collapse onto the bottom step sobbing. He stood there helplessly, wondering what he should do, until to his great relief Mary Beth ran down the stairs, eyes red and hair disheveled, drew the little girl into her arms.” (pg. 144)
Personally, I really liked Across the Lines and loved that I got to see how both the North and the South were affected by the war. The only part I was not a fan of was the middle of the book. It was a little dull and nothing really happened of importance or of excitement. I really liked, though, how the book gave me a real inside look and helped me learn things I never thought of. Throughout the book, Simon’s story taught me a lot. I had always assumed that because they were fighting for the North, Union soldiers strongly wanted slaves to be free, but I learned that they did not care about the slaves at all and still treated them terribly. “He stomped his huge boot just in front of Simon’s bare toes. They boy sprang back, and with a roar of laughter, the soldier stomped at him again. “Dance, monkey, dance!” shouted men who had quickly gathered in a circle around him to watch.” (pgs. 100-101) The author, Carolyn Reeder was very descriptive and had a nice flow to her writing. Overall, I extremely enjoyed Across the Lines and would recommend it to anyone who finds the Civil War interesting or even just wants to read an excellent story.
Across the Lines gives you so much information about the Civil War, but intertwines it with a heartwarming story about two boys who have to discover the good in themselves and in others. Even though the story dragged in the middle, the book still left you feeling satisfied and moved. I think everyone would enjoy this wonderful book and be touched by its message that no matter that color of your skin everyone deserves respect and freedom. show less

Two children have adventure as they travel for days on the canal through battle zones to deliver coal. Katie and her parents had made a living with their canal barge and two pairs of mules. Katie learned the trade and after her father passed away and her mother remarried she becomes determined to carry on as captain. But her traveling partner, younger step brother Seth is constantly challenging her authority as captain. To protect herself along the route Katie cuts her hair and dresses in show more boys clothes. There is plenty of danger and suspense along the way, and the conflict between the step brother and sister is interesting. This historical fiction juvenile book presents details about the Civil War, the water transportation system and the way people lived and worked in the mid 1800's in the United States. It would have been nice if there were a few drawings and maps to clarify the descriptions of the canals, locks and river waterways. Middle graders who are assigned to read historical fiction cannot go wrong with this book. But more importantly than the historical aspects of this book are the social and moral growth of the characters. Katie has had a hard time accepting her father's death, her mother's remarriage, the new members of the family and the baby on the way. Katie does not always make the wise decisions. Seth acts courageously because as he says its matter of "human decency." When the children return home Katie has realized she has come to accept her new step father because she has seen him reflected in his son. show less

ACROSS THE LINES Book Review
Imagine your best friend stolen from you. Even worse, he was stolen by free will. This is what happened to Edward. Although the reason his best friend ran away was because he was also a slave. Edward had never realized this. But Simon, his best friend, did. He liked Edward, but he wanted freedom more.
Across the Lines is a great book by Carolyn Reeder. It is a historical fiction about two boys, Edward and Simon. Edward is the “master” of Simon his show more “slave”. This book is full of drama, suspense, surprises, and racism from both Confederates and the Union. For example: “‘Must be a sheep,’ the soldier said, rubbing his knuckles across Simon’s bare head…’Or maybe a monkey.’” (100)The book Across the Lines was good because of all the action and startling elements creating a realistic Civil War Era setting.
The setting begins on a plantation called “Riverview”. It then moves to a City called Petersburg. It takes place like I said in the Civil War Era. The story is told from a third person point of view, focusing on the boys, Edward and Simon. Edward is rather shy, lonely, and confused. He uses all his feelings in art. “Edward swallowed hard and gripped his sketch pad.” (10) Simon is independent and intolerant. He notices more racism after leaving slave hood. Other characters include a servant named Jocasta, Edward’s mother, Simon’s brother Ambrose, and Edward’s siblings and cousins. The mood is very gloomy and dismal, with loneliness playing a key role as well.
The story starts out on a plantation called “Riverview” in the midst of the Civil War. When forced out of their house by Union soldiers, everything starts to fall apart. As Simon stays with the union and Edward leaves tension and suspense rises. The Climax arrives when it becomes obvious that the confederates are losing the war. “…Yankees in pursuit… little hope for us in the west now… Confederates abandoning Savannah.” (152)The book ends with a chance encounter and I can’t say anymore without spoilers.
I think the author achieved this purpose if it was to paint a picture of the division the Civil War caused between people you might’ve known your entire life. The book shows the timeline throughout the book by telling you which day the events described occur on. One downside may be that everything seems to happen pretty slowly. I would recommend it if you were to have to pick it out of a group of books from the same genre. 6.5/10 stars.
Don’t get me wrong the book itself was written very well but it seemed to drag things out and not move very far. It did leave me feeling for the characters, but in a way I could walk away from it. In the end the book was a good junior high level read but lost entertainment a little. If you decide to read it remember anything can happen during war. show less