Winner of the Newbery Medal * An ALA Notable Children’s Book * Winner of the Lewis Carroll Shelf AwardA captivating and richly detailed novel about one young soldier who saw the Civil War from both sides and lived to tell the tale.Earnest, plain-spoken sixteen-year-old Jeff Bussey has finally gotten his father’s consent to join the Union volunteers. It’s 1861 in Linn County, Kansas, and Jeff is eager to fight for the North before the war is over, which he’s sure will be soo...

A captivating and richly detailed novel about one young soldier who saw the Civil War from both sides and lived to tell the tale.Earnest, plain-spoken sixteen-year-old Jeff Bussey has finally gotten his father’s consent to join the Union volunteers. It’s 1861 in Linn County, Kansas, and Jeff is eager to fight for the North before the war is over, which he’s sure will be soon.But weeks turn to months, the marches through fields and woods prove endless, hunger and exhaustion ...