Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt

This classic has been sitting on my bookshelf for a while and I finally picked it up. I'm very glad I did. It tells the story of Jethro Creighton, who is nine years old when the Civil War breaks out. Jethro lives with his family on a farm in Southern Illinois and one by one, brothers, friends and other relatives go away to fight, some on the Southern side. Jethro studies the papers and follows the battles anxiously, then matches people and places as letters come from far away soldiers telling of their experiences in battle. Eventually the war ends and friends and family return, but the vivid descriptions of life on the farm and coming of age in such a turbulent time stay with you. In a note, the author states the book is based on stories told by her Grandfather. We are fortunate that she listened so closely. A Newbery Honor Book (Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt. Berkley Jam Books, 1964.)