Red Legs: A Drummer Boy of the Civil War

From School Library Journal Grade 3-4-On the eve of an unnamed Civil War battle, a drummer boy "composes a letter in his mind" telling his mother that he hopes he will be brave in the upcoming clash. "I may be only nine, but I want to do my part to save the Union." The next morning, soldiers from each camp line up. Amidst the cannon shots, figures are running, muskets are firing, and sabers are wielded. A red spot appears over Stephen's heart as he falls to the ground. Taps plays mournfully. The mood changes suddenly as a hand reaches down to help the boy up and it is revealed that he, his father, and their fellow Union and Confederate soldiers are modern-day reenactors, or "living historians," as they call themselves. An endnote provides background information on these reenactments and the real 19th-century drummer boy Stephen Bartow. Lewin's luminous watercolor paintings are beautiful; his depiction of light coming through trees is stunning. The story, however, seems manipulative. Readers will not be prepared for Stephen's "death." Also, those seeking a sense of the Civil War experience do not gain authentic insight. Those looking for picture-book treatments of the Civil War should consider George Ella Lyon's Cecil's Story (1995) and Tres Seymour's We Played Marbles (1998, both Orchard). Patricia Polacco's Pink and Say (Philomel, 1994) helps readers understand the emotions that war causes. Ann Turner's Drummer Boy (HarperCollins, 1998) offers a poetic but detailed examination of why a boy would join the army and the changes he undergoes as a result of his experience.