The Boys' War by Jim Murphy (2 books)

Murphy, Jim. (1990). The boys’ war. New York: Houghton Mifflin. 110 pages. ISBN 0-
590-45604-0

Awards: Golden Kite Award, 1990
School Library Journal (starred review)

Genre: informational

Content area: Social Studies (United States History)

Grade level: 4th and up

Credibility of author: The author used diaries, letters, photographs, memoirs, autobiographies, and regimental histories of Civil War soldiers collected by various libraries and institutions including the following: The East Orange, Newark, and New York Public Libraries; Jerry L. Kearns, The Library of Congress; Philip Gibson, Photographic Services, the American Red Cross; The Mississippi Department of Archives and History; and The Smithsonian Institution.

Summary: This book is about Confederate and Union soldiers sixteen years old and younger. The author used quotes from their journals and letters to give vivid descriptions of what life was like for them before, during, and immediately following the Civil War. It follows them as they journey from idealistic young boys looking for adventure to scared, homesick young men forced to endure the horrors of war.

Standards: National Social Studies –Time, Continuity, and Change II; People, Places, and Environment III; Power, Authority, and Government VI

Illustrations: sepia-toned photographs with captions throughout the book

Text structure: narrative

Tone: conversational using first and third person narrative style

Voice: The author used diaries and letters to give the boy soldiers voices and allow the reader to see the war through the boys’ eyes, which offered a variety of perspectives.

Language: The author used quotes from diaries, journals, and letters with direct, simple, and descriptive details in order to create vivid images.

Access features: table of contents, chapter titles, foreword, afterword, acknowledgements and sources, select bibliography, subject index

Use: I would use this book when teaching about the Civil War. It could also be used to make a connection from the past to the present by comparing/contrasting the Civil War to the war in Iraq. Many good debates/discussions could stem from reading this book. One such discussion might center on the age at which soldiers can serve their country. This was the last war that the United States allowed boys to enlist; however, in other countries such as Iraq and South Africa boys are still recruited to fight for the cause. Another discussion that could stem from this would be that of equal rights and how women are now allowed to serve in the military. There are endless possibilities to link this book to current events.

Response: Because I grew up around where the Battles of Corinth and Shiloh took place, I’ve always had a fascination with the Civil War. The descriptive paragraphs concerning marches through Corinth, Shiloh, and Vicksburg were of particular interest. While I’ve read several books about the Civil War, this was my first centering on the boy soldiers. I found this book to be extremely interesting and heartbreaking as I read about those poor little boys who thought they were exchanging boredom for adventure. I definitely plan to read more of the related texts.

Related texts:
Private Elisha Stockwell, Jr. Sees the Civil War (Abernathy)
Respects to All: Letters of Two Pennsylvania Boys in the War of Rebellion (Truxall)
A Wisconsin Boy In Dixie: The Selected Letters of James K. Newton (Ambrose)