Bull Run [Library Binding]

Paul Fleischman (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

A collection of stories of the Civil War recounted by a war-fevered boy, a doctor, a slave woman, a lover of horses, a black man determined to become a soldier, and others form an account of the war's first great battle.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like a Shaker cabinetmaker, Fleischman creates stories of deceptively simple design (his books are characteristically slim, his prose as taut as a violin string) that resonate with grace and beauty. His distinctive style has seldom been more effective than in this powerful and poignant account of the first major battle of the Civil War. Reminiscent at times of the technique used to remarkable effect in the acclaimed PBS-TV series The Civil War , the novel relies on individual voices to give a human face to history. The result is at once intimate and sweeping, a heartbreaking and remarkably vivid portrait of a war that remains our nation's bloodiest conflict. In a series of snapshot-like first person accounts, 16 characters (all fictional excepting Gen. Irvin McDowell) from all walks of life--male and female, black and white, Northern and Southern--trace their thoughts, emotions and experiences, from their first bright hopes through the brutal reality of battle. Lily Malloy watches her beloved 17-year-old brother run off to fight for the Union. In Cincinnati, Gideon Adams, a light-skinned African American, dons a disguise and enlists, fearing discovery at every turn. Eleven-year-old Toby Boyce fakes "Dixie" on the fife and his audacity convinces the Confederate recruiter to let him join the band. Virginian Flora Wheelworth nurses both Rebel and Yankee in her home near Manassas. Like a fugue, the voices appear, retreat, reappear and blend, gathering momentum and intensity as the current of events pulls the characters inexorably toward the bitter clash by the quiet Virginia stream. Fleischman's artistry is nothing short of astounding. With a few swift strokes of the pen, he creates characters readers care about, and with whom they can sympathize, regardless of their loyalties. Typically deft with a metaphor, here he soars: "the slimmest of smiles fled his lips, like a snake disappearing down a hole." He even manages to inject dry humor into what on the whole is an unflinching look at a grim subject, as when Toby Boyce boasts of his skill on the fife, remarking that he finished "not . . . much behind the others on most of the pieces and well out in the lead on 'Dixie.' " This is a tour de force that should not be missed. Children's BOMC selection. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up. Through the alternating viewpoints of 16 characters from various walks of life, readers gain insight into the first battle of the Civil War and into the nature of war in general. Poignant, dramatic cameos seamlessly woven together make for compelling historical fiction.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Library Binding: 112 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (March 20, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060214473
• ISBN-13: 978-0060214470
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,032,111 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California, the son of children's book author Sid Fleischman. Drawing on history, music, art, and theater, his books have often experimented with multiple viewpoints and performance. He received the Newbery Medal in 1989 for JOYFUL NOISE: POEMS FOR TWO VOICES, a Newbery Honor Award for GRAVEN IMAGES, the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for BULL RUN, and was a National Book Award finalist for BREAKOUT. He lives on the central coast of California.

For more information, visit paulfleischman.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mondo monologues sans monotony, October 4, 2005

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bull Run (Paperback)

You can accuse Paul Fleischman of a lot of things. Laziness is not one of them. When I told the kids in the bookclub I run that we were going to be reading something called "Bull Run" by a Mr. Paul Fleischman, they were quick to inform me that they were already familiar with him. "He's the guy who wrote, 'Joyful Noise'!", cried one delightedly. I agreed that this was indeed his best-known work but that, "Bull Run" was probably going to prove to be a little different from a poetry book of insect noises. This turned out to be a particularly foresighted statement when some concerned parents informed me that they were not comfortable with the violence of this book and would rather that their children not read it. I was caught a little unawares. I shouldn't have been. If you are one of those concerned parents, allow me to tell you that yes, there is violence in "Bull Run". Heck, you're not going to have a whole book about a single exceedingly bloody battle without some blood actually making it into the text. However, the battle violence is brief and the story a compelling one. If you've a kid just hankering for the glories of combat, this should snap them out of THAT little fantasy right quick.

The story follows the narratives of sixteen people. Some are black. Some are white. Some are men fighting against the South and some are women fighting against the North. Each voice is distinguished from its fellows and tells its own very particular tale. Sometimes these voices repeat within the book. Other times, they speak thrice and then vanish without a trace. People die, others survive, and some just linger on the sidelines. Most stories, however, end up at the Battle of Bull Run. Fleischman deftly weaves together historical facts with fictional characters to provide an honestly interesting view of the entirety of the Civil War encapsulated in a single book.

There are many similarities between this title and "Soldier's Heart" by Gary Paulson. Of the two, however, "Bull Run" is the more interesting book. "Soldier's Heart" just follows a single soldier. It's more a kind of "Red Badge of Courage" than a multi-person point-of-view. This is where Fleischman has the advantage. At the end of this book, he includes the page numbers of each character. If readers would like to perform this book as a kind of Readers' Theater, this is how they can do so. Likewise, if you've a child that needs to deliver a monologue, I can think of no better resource than this book for them. That's all "Bull Run" is anyway. Monologue after monologue after monologue.

There's no monotony, though. Fleischman expertly picks out the most interesting aspects and characters of the war (that are appropriate for child readers to meet) and displays them before our eyes. I was much attached to the livery cab driver Edmund Upwing, who brings rich residents out to the hills above Washington D.C. to watch the battle like a football game. Ditto photographer Nathaniel Epp who acts the ultimate profiteer, making money out of death and destruction. If there are lessons to be learned from this book, they probably boil down to, "War is Hell", and that's that. Fleischman is just as willing to show the tawdry side of Northerners as he is Southerners. A wonderful look at two sides of a oddly viewed controversy.

"Bull Run" is a far cry from bug poetry. Just the same, it's a well-written take on a difficult time. I wouldn't mind saying that certain characters in this book should be required reading in schools. Kids could pick who they wanted to read. Then they could read the opposite point of view. Few books offer as much.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Z.A.K.'s Review, December 14, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Bull Run (Paperback)

As america entered the civil war, 16 men and women must survive as they and their loved ones go off to war. This compelling tale by Paul Fleischman talks about the hardships that had to be taken during the time of the Civil War. The story starts out with Colonel Oliver Brattle, a Southerner who is in the midst of battle. Then the story goes on to talk about Lily Maloy, a northerner whose brother had gone off to war. And the story goes on to talk about other characters, from the north and south, men and women, black and white. Also in the beginning it talks about the attack on Fort Sumter, and the movement of troops to Bull Run.
You will notice that most of the story revolves around the march of troops to Bull Run. There are a lot of battles in this book. The battles usually revolve around the battles between the attack on Fort Sumter and the battle at Bull Run.
Characters like Colonel Oliver Brattle, Shem Sugs, and Carlotta King were from the south. Other characters like Lily Malloy, Gideon Adams, and A.B. Tilbury were from the north. Though these characters were seperated by the north and the south they had some of the same interests of either to stop war or going into war.
As you read through the book you start to see the personality of each character, some of the personalities you can relate to. Dr. William Rye has a careless personality in some of the story. Toby Boyce has a independent personality along with a kids personality. Hopefully you will find a character that has a personality that best fits you. I think that Im most like Virgil Peavey.
In my own opinion this novel is a good buy. Its my favorite book of 2006 and maybe 2007. It has great detail of the battle of Bull Run and is great for schools, but that is my own opinion. The characters use a lot of additives, and similes. This is a great book for silent reading at home or at school.
This book also contains information on what it was like for the soldiers who fought during the civil war, and what it was like to have a family member in the civil war. Not only does give that information but it gives information on famous leaders of the Civil War and information on famous battles during that time.
One thing about the book that makes it so special is that it can be used in a readers theater. You can have certain people do certain parts. Another reason why this book is so special is because after you read even a sentence, it will make you want to read on until you reach the end of the book.
If you don't like to read about the Civil war, this is still a good book to read. It still relates to recent wars, and problems that must be overcome everyday. An example of this is when Toby Boyce said he could play a fife, though he didn't know how, just because he wanted to enter the war. That example talks about how sometimes we lie to get what we want most.
Just to encourage your buying of this book I have decided to add some text entries from the book. Toby Boyce: "I was eleven years old and desperate to kill a yankee before the supply ran out." Gideon Adams: "To be a Negro living in the midst of whites, unknown to them, is to be a ghost spying among the living." Hopefully this entries encourage you to buy this book.
If you do not want to buy this book, check out other books by Paul Fleischman like the Borning, Saturnalia, and Joyful Noise. Thank you for reading my review.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put this book down., March 4, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Bull Run (Paperback)

Paul Fleischmen does it again in The Great Battle of Bull Run. This novel received many awards and starred reviews such as the 1994 Scott O'Dell Award, The Best Book for Young Adults, A Notable Children's Book, and Publisher's Weekly Best Books of 1993. It's based on the battle of Bull Run. Even though the characters are fictional, the factual background is true.

Bull Run, which was the first battle in the Civil War, is a story told from 16 different points view. Women or men, black or white, they were all involved in the great Battle of Bull Run. All of the characters are facing the same problems but describe the events from a different perspective. They are either whirled into flowers of joy, or kicked into a mass of frightening knots. Each character describes his or her experience during the Great Battle of Bull Run.

The writing style is unique because it varies with each person speaking. For example, Gideon Adams, who is African American, feels lost in a world full of whites. His language is uneducated and you can tell. Lilly Malloy has much more educated speech and can definitely be putrid to other people, while Gideon Adams couldn't criticize anyone if he tried. This book is definitely worth your time and money because the events are true, the individuals are real, and the battle was the first and bloodiest conflict in the Civil War. The story does not try to make you feel happy, which makes you feel like you're really there.