My America: My Brother's Keeper: Virginia's Civil War Diary, Book One (Mass Market Paperback)

by Mary Pope Osborne (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Virginia Dickens is angry. Her father and brother Jed have left her behind while they go off to Uncle Jack's farm to help him hide his horses from Confederate raiders. It's the summer of 1863 and Pa and Jed believe 9-year-old Virginia will be out of harm's way in the sleepy little town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Too soon they all discover how wrong they are, as Union and Confederate soldiers descend on Gettysburg for the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Virginia has front-row seats to this horrific episode of history, and she records every incident and feeling she experiences in her journal (which is actually Jed's; he entrusted it to her when he went away, asking her to be his "eyes and ears in Gettysburg").

Mary Pope Osborne's gripping story is a welcome addition to the popular My America historical-fiction series. Neither Osborne nor Virginia shy away from telling the truth, brutal and painful though it may be. This lends a certain depth, appeal, and integrity to the book that a history textbook could never match. Real players in the Civil War, including Robert E. Lee and Abe Lincoln, make cameo appearances, while the fictional characters seem just as authentic. Osborne has written a wide variety of other engaging stories, including Adaline Falling Star. (Ages 8 to 11) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5-Resembling the "Dear America" books (Scholastic), these titles are aimed at a slightly younger audience. In the first book, nine-year-old Elizabeth records her experiences as she, her family, and other colonists adjust to the harsh weather conditions, illness, endless hard work, and nascent social strata in the new land. In the course of three months, Elizabeth meets Captain John Smith, Pocahontas, Gabriel Archer, and George Percy. This is a quick, easy read. Hermes has created a sensitive main character and readers will empathize with her fears and emotions as she adjusts to her new life. In My Brother's Keeper, nine-year-old Virginia Dickens is left in the care of Reverend and Mrs. McCully while her father and brother help her uncle hide his horses from the Confederate raiders. Her journal documents the battle at Gettysburg and the horrors of war. After the battle, she and her father find her brother in a makeshift hospital. The novel ends as the town slowly recovers and Virginia hears President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Osborne successfully creates individual characters, and she poses difficult questions about war and the waste of human life. There is a lyrical quality to several passages, and the author slowly builds suspense and release. However, this book seems more fitting for older, more experienced readers, and the intended audience may have difficulty digesting some of the material. Fans of "Dear America" will enjoy it.
Shawn Brommer, Southern Tier Library System, Painted Post, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439369037
• ISBN-13: 978-0439369039
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #65,933 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A young girl witnesses the Battle of Gettysburg., May 21, 2000

By	Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: My America: My Brother's Keeper: Virginia's Civil War Diary, Book One (Hardcover)

Virginia Dickens is an ordinary nine-year-old girl growing upin the sleepy farm town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1863. She worries about her father and her brother Jed, who have gone to hide the family's horses from the Confederates. Virginia is left behind for her own safety, but she ends up being caught up in the battle and witnesses many horrifying events while growing up. I am older than the level that this book was intended for, but I still enjoyed it. This is a good book for fans of the American Girls series (which I liked when I was younger). It teaches kids about the events of the Civil War through the diary of a young girl readers can relate to.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My Brother's Keeper, December 14, 2005

A Kid's Review

My America: My Brother's Keeper: Virginia's Civil War Diary, Mary Pope Osborne, 4 stars.
I thought that My Brother's Keeper was a very good book. It was about a girl named Virginia Dickens. She lives in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in the year 1863. Her father and brother, Jed, have gone to Uncle Jack's house to help hide his horses from the Conferate soldiers. She is staying with Reverend McCully and his family while they are away. The whole time she is scared for her brother and father and wants them to come home.

I gave this book four stars because, even though it was a very good book, there were some parts that were very boring/confusing. Sometimes Virginia would be talking about something, then she would start talking about something else and it would be very confusing and hard to follow. Sometimes she just was rambling on and it got boring.

The book, overall, was very good though. It had some very suspenseful parts where I was on the edge of my seat. For example, when Virginia was sitting in the tree while the Confederate soldiers were passing, I wasn't sure whether she would get caught or not and I was anxious to find out.

Some other books I would recommend are: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Picking Up the Pieces, and Nicola and the Viscount. (...)

5.0 out of 5 stars Witness to the Battle of Gettysburg, May 13, 2006

By	Green Marker Girl "Bernadette" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

Young Virginia, named after the state, shares her emotional journey through the Civil War, missing her dead mother, worriying constantly about her brother and father, and being afraid so often.
Living in Gettysburg isn't exactly safe - especially when one of the most famous Civil War battles is fought right there. Virginia witnesses it all, and writes it all down in the journal her brother gave to her.
But when she finds out what ahs happened to her brother, she must gather up all her courage and face the world as best as she can.