Bull Run

Excellent covering of the reality of the Civil War in a palatable form for younger readers. Fleicshman's stylistic choices personalize the history of that time whil allowing details of the battle to unfold in a natural way. Very unlike history books. The different speakers allow for the reader to understand how far-reaching the effects of conflict are and are a great way to connect the events of the past to current conflicts. Especially powerful was the retelling of more ambivalent characters (the cabman, Upwing and the photographer, Epp) that sided with neither the Union nor the Confederacy.

This is less a novel and more a chorus of voices each shedding light on an aspect of the Civil War during the lead up to the first Battle of Bull Run. Memorable voices include Shem, who joins the Confederate cavalry just because he wants a horse, and Lilly, whose brother runs away to join the Union army. This didn't come together in a very satisfying way for me, but it is definitely useful in sparking a discussion about what the Civil War meant to people who were alive at the time. (Hint: Many of them did not really care about whether slavery remained legal.) It's also a quick read, and I'll forgive a lot for a book that doesn't take forever to get through.

Although I have read this book in the past, I decided to try it again, this time on audio. The audio recording (this one by Recorded Books) was done in a very unique way. The book itself is written in the style where each chapter is written as a first person account by a single individual of his/her associations with the Civil War in general, and Bull Run in particular. As the book progresses, those individual show up in multiple chapters throughout, each chapter coming closer to the culmination of the battle itself. What Recorded Books did was assign a different narrator for each character, making for a far more “personal” experience where the voice is recognizable as each chapter begins. (Multi-Actor narrations is not a normal show more recording style for Recorded Books, and they pulled it off admirably) show less

What a wonderful book to about the first major battle of the Civil War. In it the background and perspectives of the start of the Civil War is viewed through the eyes of 16 different people - some from the north and others from the south. Their lives intersect in powerful ways and the story allows its readers to view history through the multiple perspectives of the people involved. There is action, fear, hope, and light hearted moments too.

I think this is a fabulous book to use either in an ELA or Social Studies class to help introduce the topic of the Civil War. Even though this is a fictional story, the events and perspectives are based in historical facts. I think there are many tools that teachers can use with this book - such as, show more reading for multiple perspectives, helping students understand that a person's background influences their perspective and motivation, as well as shedding light on the complexities of war and its consequences. This is a wonderful book to use for readers theatre as well. I think this book as the opportunity to bring the Civil War to life in a meaningful way, that will encourage readers toward further exploration and inquires about this important war. show less

POW! The sound of gunshots echoed during the Civil War. The beginning of it all started at the Battle of Bull Run. The historical fiction book Bull Run was interesting because of the different points of view used throughout the book.
Bull Run is told by many different characters with different likes, hobbies and personalities. The setting is in both the north and the south and in the country. Some people live with poor conditions, some are wealthy and happy. Most people were white, some were black. Men went to war; women stayed home with the children and did chores. Women kids and Africans were not supposed to go to war. Some people hated war, but some favored war like the 11 year old boy named Toby Boyce. He wanted to kill a Yankee, show more but he wasn’t allowed to go to war because he was so young. The mood of Bull Run is mostly sad depending on the person.
Bull Run tells the stories of people during the war whether they were actually going to war or staying home. Each character had a different perspective on what was going on. People had different hobbies as well. Some had jobs, some were staying at home moms, and some loved horses. The book started by telling what was happening before the war began. Before soldiers went to war, a man named Nathaniel Epp, a photographer, took pictures of soldiers and their families because the soldiers knew they were going to die. The book also went onto explaining the beginning of the war to the end. Many soldiers suffered, but everyone was about to be surprised with the result of the war.
As you can see, the book Bull Run was interesting because of the different points of view. It was a moving and informative book, but is recommended for a more advanced reader. The Battle of Bull Run during the civil war was bloody, but it paid off in the end. show less

This is an excellent book, but it’s not for the young or tender hearted.

It’s graphic.

Obviously fighting, death, dying, maiming.

A story of the first great battle of the Civil War as told by various people from various perspectives. This will work great as a reader's theatre when we study the Civil War. Written for 9-13 year-olds, but it's a good read for anybody. 102 pages