Instead of playing his beloved Game Boy, wisecracking Stonewall Hinkleman spends his weekends reluctantly playing bugle boy at the Civil War reenactments to which his lame and geeky parents insist on dragging him. If that wasn’t bad enough, he’s soon hauled into actual battle by none other than the real Stonewall Jackson, who tricks his young namesake into going back in time to the Battle of Bull Run. Stonewall must follow a South-will-rise-again fanatic named Nathan Bedford Dupree and thwart his plans to change the course of the Civil War so that the South wins. Why doesn’t Stonewall Jackson side with Dupree? Because he has come to “understand the extraordinary injustice of slavery,” of course. When Stonewall Hinkleman meets his Hinkleman ancestor and gets to know some other soldiers, the sharp lines between right and wrong finally blur a little, but never as much as one would expect in a work that dares to take on this morally tangled premise. A fast-paced, on-the-preachy-side time-travel adventure that could, almost despite itself, spark some fascinating discussions. (Fantasy. 10-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3179-0
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2009
An outstanding new edition of this popular modern classic (Newbery Award, 1961), with an introduction by Zena Sutherland and...
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1990
ISBN: 0-395-53680-4
Page Count: -
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Navigating this stunning novel requires thought and concentration, but it’s well worth the effort.
Returning to themes she explored so affectingly in Moon Over Manifest (2011), Newbery Medalist Vanderpool delivers another winning picaresque about memories, personal journeys, interconnectedness—and the power of stories.
Thirteen-year-old Jack enters boarding school in Maine after his mother’s death at the end of World War II. He quickly befriends Early Auden, a savant whose extraordinary facility with numbers allows him to “read” a story about “Pi” from the infinite series of digits that follow 3.14. Jack accompanies Early in one of the school crew team’s rowing boats on what Jack believes is his friend’s fruitless quest to find a great bear allegedly roaming the wilderness—and Early’s brother, a legendary figure reportedly killed in battle. En route, Early spins out Pi’s evolving saga, and the boys encounter memorable individuals and adventures that uncannily parallel those in the stories. Vanderpool ties all these details, characters, and Jack’s growing maturity and self-awareness together masterfully and poignantly, though humor and excitement leaven the weighty issues the author and Jack frequently pose. Some exploits may strain credulity; Jack’s self-awareness often seems beyond his years, and there are coincidences that may seem too convenient. It’s all of a piece with Vanderpool’s craftsmanship. Her tapestry is woven and finished off seamlessly. The ending is very moving, and there’s a lovely, last-page surprise that Jack doesn’t know but that readers will have been tipped off about.
Navigating this stunning novel requires thought and concentration, but it’s well worth the effort. (author’s note, with questions and answers, list of resources) (Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-385-74209-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 30, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
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