Nurse, Soldier, Spy -- The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero (ages 7-12)

Do you read aloud much nonfiction with your children? If they're reluctant, try reading them Marissa Moss's terrific picture book biography Nurse, Soldier, Spy -- The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero. Our students LOVED the way Moss drew them into Sarah's story with unexpected twists and turns. They especially commented on John Hendrix's art and design.

Nurse, Soldier, Spy
The Story of Sarah Edmunds, a Civil War Hero
by Marissa Moss
illustrated by John Hendrix
Abrams, 2011
Amazon
your local library
ages 7-12

At age nineteen, Sarah Edmonds disguised herself as a man and joined the Union Army to fight in the Civil War. She took the name Frank Thompson, and headed off to battle the Confederacy with her Michigan regiment. Frank, as Sarah was known, was an outstanding soldier, brave and true, risking his/her life to help others.

My students loved the way Hendrix showed the battle scenes, using both color and dramatic lines to bring readers right into the scene.

Hendrix also makes the words pop out from the page with his dramatic design. My students found this particularly effective. I was very interested to learn from Elizabeth Bird's Fuse 8 post in the School Library Journal that "Hendrix takes his hand-drawn letters from the illustrated letterforms found on broadside posters from that era."

You might want to share with older children Marissa Moss's novel A Soldier's Secret. I have not had a chance to read this, but here is the publisher's description:

Historical fiction at its best, this novel by bestselling author Marissa Moss tells the story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, who masqueraded as a man named Frank Thompson during the Civil War. Her adventures include serving as a nurse on the battlefield and spying for the Union Army, and being captured by (and escaping from) the Confederates. The novel is narrated by Sarah, offering readers an in-depth look not only at the Civil War but also at her journey to self-discovery as she grapples with living a lie and falling in love with one of her fellow soldiers.
Using historical materials to build the foundation of the story, Moss has crafted a captivating novel for the YA audience.

All illustrations are copyright © John Hendrix, 2011; see his website for more terrific examples. The review copy came from our school library. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.

©2014 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books