The Journal of James Edmond Pease: A Civil War Union Soldier, Virginia, 1863 (My Name is America) [Hardcover]

Jim Murphy (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Series: My Name Is America

Newbery Honor author Jim Murphy portrays the brave and rigorous army life of a 16-year-old Union soldier who has been ordered by his commanding officer to keep a written record of "G" Company during the most brutal years of the Civil War.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-James, a 16-year-old private serving in G Company of the 122nd Regiment, New York Volunteers, is baffled when his lieutenant assigns him to be the company historian in his Union regiment. He is initially at a loss as to what he is supposed to record, but gradually becomes more at ease with his responsibility and even finds solace in the task. James's account captures the tedium and drudgery of day-to-day life in the infantry, the confusion and terror of battle, and the horrors of medical practices of the period. Murphy bases this "journal" on real diaries of actual Civil War soldiers. He attempts to lend authenticity to the farm boy's writing by using expressions such as, "We was" or "the shadows was"; other times, he writes in literate and affective prose. For example, "The damage to the enemy lines was severe and their screams terrible." If anything, the author includes too many details and keeps readers from connecting with the protagonist's thoughts and fears. The story gets more exciting when James is lost behind enemy lines and is hidden from Confederate soldiers by a slave woman. The action is neatly wrapped up and the epilogue is a bit too tidy. Nonetheless, this is a solid addition to a popular series.
Ann M. Burlingame, North Regional Library, Raleigh, NC
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 180 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; 1st edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059043814X
• ISBN-13: 978-0590438148
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #429,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jim Murphy began his career in children's books as an editor, but managed to escape to become a writer, entering a life of personal and creative happiness and enduring financial uncertainty. He's convinced that the latter keeps him coming back to his computer to write every day and feels that a sense of impending doom is the doorway to creativity. He has never counted the number of books he's published (feeling the time and energy is better spent doing research and writing) but guesses that he has over thirty books to his credit. Jim's work has been honored with numerous awards, including two American Llibrary Association Newbery Honor Book Awards, an ALA Robert F. Sibert Award and Sibert Honor Book Award, three National Council of Teachers of English Orbis Pictus Awards, a Boston Globe/Horn Book Award and a BG/HB Honor Book Award, two SCBWI Golden Kite Awards, and been a finalist for the National Book Award. Recently, he was given the ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award for "his significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thank goodness my mother made me read it!, September 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Journal of James Edmond Pease: A Civil War Union Soldier, Virginia, 1863 (My Name is America) (Hardcover)

I'm a sixth grader, and I read this book over the summer. I highly recommend this book for history-lovers. I went to Gettysburg, PA, this Spring and it really got me into the Civil War. When my mother showed me the book, I couldn't pass it up. It's a great book with lots of true background. James Edmond Pease goes through lots of interesting things. I don't know how he did it. Some parts were so exciting I couldn't sit still!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accurate depiction of a boy coming to age as a soldier, January 9, 1999

By 

Rick Walton (Wendell, North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Journal of James Edmond Pease: A Civil War Union Soldier, Virginia, 1863 (My Name is America) (Hardcover)

I have been a student of the Civil War and a reenactor for over a decade. I have read many journals and reports and have even "experienced" life on the march and in battle first hand. The Author does a superb job of capturing the camaraderie, petty jealousy and drudgery of camp life. Many of the camps scenes would be very familiar to any reenactor. He also vividly captures the excitement and devastation of battle without being overly gory or morose. His depiction of a scared young boy making his way back to camp from behind enemy lines was so exciting I couldn't put the book down. Underlying a vivid description of life during the Civil War is a charming story of a boy coming of age. By the final chapter, the boy who thought he was jinxed has realized what an important contributor to the war effort he really was. Though written for a child to enjoy, anyone with a love of history will find the time spent reading this delightful story well spent. My Dad gave me this thoroughly enjoyable book for Christmas. I would recommend it as a great gift for anyone wishing to develop or continue an interest in the Civil War.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST read!!, August 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Journal of James Edmond Pease: A Civil War Union Soldier, Virginia, 1863 (My Name is America) (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this book. It was serious but enjoyable