All Their Names Were Courage [Hardcover]

Sharon Phillips Denslow (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Black Bess.
Kangaroo.
Burns.
Traveller.
All the horses of the Civil War.
And Belle,
the Burd family's mare.

Sallie Burd loves horses. She wants to know everything about them. What she's going to find out is that all their names are Courage.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-Written as a series of letters mainly between Sallie Burd and her older brother, a Union soldier, this story lacks the depth that good fiction should have. Sallie decides to occupy herself as the war continues by creating a book about the brave horses used by soldiers on both sides of the conflict. She writes to well-known officers, including Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant, to find out about their horses, too. The letters between Sallie and her brother lack real emotion and do not offer any insight into either character. History is really the main character here, and the descriptive information vividly depicts life at the time, but does little else. There are many more satisfying and absorbing historical fiction selections set during the Civil War.
Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. The winning premise of this epistolary Civil War tale should hook plenty of readers. Inspired by her love of horses and her friend Isaac's facility for drawing them, 11-year-old Kentuckian Sallie Burd asks both Union and Confederate generals to describe their favorite steeds, and then compiles a book of their responses. In letters to her older brother, William, a Union soldier, Sallie describes her project's progress, as well as keeping him up to date on local events and conditions; William in turn provides vivid, sometimes poignant, reports on camp life and his state of mind. By war's end, Sallie has received 13 answers--ranging from Stonewall Jackson's affectionate tribute to his Little Sorrel ("When we pause in our marches, Sorrel lays himself down like a dog") to Sheridan's quiet praise for his Rienzi. There's a note from a wounded veteran rebuilding his life with a horse's help. Drawing many, perhaps all, of her anecdotes from historical records, Denslow opens an inviting window to the past with these consistently short, simply written missives and appreciations. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (September 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0066238099
• ISBN-13: 978-0066238104
• ASIN: 0066238102
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,828,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely Civil War story, December 26, 2006

By 

Arlington Arlo (Arlington, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All Their Names Were Courage (Hardcover)

This is a lovely story that takes place during the Civil War, and should be especially interesting to any child who loves horses. The book is not long, which may also make it a pleasant read for kids who hesitate to pick up longer books. The story details have an amazing ring of authenticity.

4.0 out of 5 stars Astonishingly Riveting Tale of the Civil War, January 16, 2005

By 

Naomi DeBruyn "faecanuck" (Victoria, BC Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All Their Names Were Courage (Library Binding)

This is an astonishingly riveting tale of the Civil War, as experienced by a young girl, Sarah, who is left at home to watch over her brother's horses while he goes off to fight. As explained in the "note to readers" at the beginning of the book, Kentucky had boys fighting on both sides of the war, the Union and the Confederate. Sometimes families were torn apart, as members found themselves sympathizing with opposite sides. Friends and kin found themselves facing one another over the barrel of a gun. No major battles were fought in Kentucky, but it was a state that both the Yankee and Rebel forces fought for control of. Some of the most colorful and famous leaders of the war led guerrilla raids across the state of Kentucky, and this book opens up history a little more to the eyes and minds of children.

Sarah McAlister Burd, known affectionately as Sallie, misses her brother William something fierce, and this entire story is built around the correspondence they share. Sallie's friend, a very talented young artist by the name of Isaac Mills, comes upon a wonderful idea. Both 11 years of age, they plan to put together a book featuring the mounts of the war. There will be both pictures and stories of the horses, as well as the letters from the generals who deign to respond to the pair.

William encourages his sister, and her quest gives William and his friends something to think on besides the war they're fighting. For the most part, the Generals whom Sallie contacts feel the stories of their courageous horses shouldn't be lost. Although there are the odd ones who don't respond, most do, including General Robert E. Lee and General Ulysses S. Grant. The anecdotes these war heroes share about their mounts are wonderful, and perhaps as William says, everyone loves to brag about their horse.

It isn't an easy job, nor does everyone think it is a good idea, but Isaac and Sallie managed to put together a wonderful book that captures the courage of these fine horses that carried men into battle. In the end, it is a wonderful glimpse into the horrors of war, and the love that an animal can have for a human being - love that is strongly returned in most cases. It took great courage for these animals to go where even men feared to tread, and sadly some of them met their fates upon the field of battle as well, but thanks to Sallie and Isaac, not all were forgotten.

Sharon does an incredible job with this story, and captures the attention of the reader right from the start. While not a long book, it is an enjoyable and sometimes all too close up view of the Civil War. This is a book that ought to appeal to both young boys and young girls, while opening the doors of time and letting the past filter through to the now, where thankfully, we can experience it without suffering the horror of a country torn apart by an internal war.

Review Originally Posted at LinearReflections.com