Moon Over Tennessee
Publication Information
Author:  Crist-Evans, Craig	Illustrator:  Christensen, Bonnie
Title:  Moon Over Tennessee	Date:  1999
Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin	City:  Boston
ISBN, paperback:  0-359-91208-3	ISBN, hardback:
Recommended audience:
ABE/ABLE:   Yes	ESOL:
Family:	Young Adult:   Yes
Picture:   Yes
General Information:
Book Type(s):    poetry, historical fiction, diaries and journals
HSE Descriptor(s):    social studies
Summary:
A boy accompanies his father into the Confederate Army in the Civil War, eventually arriving at the battle of Gettysburg. The story-poem is told in a format of journal entries. Somber black and white woodcuts contribute to the tragic tone. A map and an historic afterword provide important facts.
Teaching Ideas:
Although the free verse reads easily and smoothly, teachers may want to introduce this by reading aloud a passage. This is a worthwhile addition to a text set on the Civil War because the father, a Confederate, is depicted as a decent and unbigoted man. Learners could keep a journal of the stages of the boy's understanding of war and his maturation. Students might enjoy comparing and contrasting this boy's experiences in the Civil War with two others: Toby Boyce in Fleischman' Bull Run, and Charley in Paulsen's Soldier's Heart. Because the book provides a vivid picture of the horrors and hardships of war, students could look at emotional words and how the author used them to create intense feelings.
Keywords: select any link below for a list of resources which also have that keyword
Emotions-Personal Issues > personal issues > individual > coming-of-age Emotions-Personal Issues > emotions > death Emotions-Personal Issues > personal issues > individual > responsibilities Family > father > father-child relationships History > topic > war > Civil War History > topic > war > Civil War > Gettysburg History > topic > war > children and war Family > family life

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