I Survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 ( I Survived Series #7)

by Lauren Tarshis

Overview

The bloodiest battle in American history is under way . . .

It's 1863, and Thomas and his little sister, Birdie, have fled the farm where they were born and raised as slaves. Following the North Star, looking for freedom, they soon cross paths with a Union soldier. Everything changes: Corporal Henry Green brings Thomas and Birdie back to his regiment, and suddenly it feels like they've found a new home. Best of all, they don't have to find their way north alone-they're marching with the army.

But then orders come through: The men are called to battle in Pennsylvania. Thomas has made it so far . . . but does he have what it takes to survive Gettysburg?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545459365
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	02/01/2013
Series:	I Survived Series
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	3,553
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	660L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Lauren Tarshis is the editor of Scholastic’s Storyworks magazine and group editorial director for language arts for Scholastic classroom magazines, in addition to being the author of the I Survived series and the critically acclaimed novels Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love. She lives in Westport, Connecticut, and can be found online at www.laurentarshis.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912:

"The fast pace and intrinsically fascinating disaster story will keep readers turning the pages." -- Kirkus

Praise for I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916:

"This is a gripping story that will hold the interest of reluctant readers." -- SLJ

Praise for I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005:

“Expressive illustrations capture the drama of the storm and its aftermath, but the book’s real power comes from its exploration of what it means to be a hero.” -- Booklist

From the Publisher

The seventh (chronologically earliest) entry in the series pitches a young former slave into the middle of the Civil War's pivotal battle. Having saved a Union soldier named Henry Green by hurling a live skunk at his Confederate captors, young Thomas finds himself and his little sister Birdie adopted by Green's unit. Three weeks, an ambush and a quick march later, Thomas unexpectedly finds himself in the thick of the fighting--possibly on Missionary Ridge itself, though the author doesn't provide a specific location. Rather than go into details of the battle, Tarshis offers broad overviews of slavery and the war's course (adding more about the latter in an afterword that includes the text of the Gettysburg Address). She folds these into quick pictures of military camp life and the violence-laced fog of war. Afterward, Thomas and Birdie are reunited with their older cousin Clem, who had been sold away, and make good on a promise to Green (who doesn't survive) to settle with his Vermont parents and attend the school taught by his sweetheart. Sentimental of plotline but informative and breathlessly paced. (Q&A, annotated reading list) (Historical fiction. 9-11)

Kirkus Reviews