Moon Over Tennessee: A Boy's Civil War Journal

I read this a year or two ago and loved it. It's sad, but beautiful. People who wonder why someone would fight for the south when they don't really believe in slavery do not understand the South or Southerners. Many Southerners fought even though they didn't believe in slavery. What they believed in was the South and the right for the state to make it's own decisions. It's a haunting story of a young boy and his father at a time when the North and South squared off and no one really won, in the long run. A well-written story that even children can understand and that adults will understand on a deeper level.

This is the diary of a 13-year-old boy who accompanies his father to fight for the south in the civil war. I found it to be far to brief and shallow, considering the topic. It seems to be arguing the justice of fighting for the south, but doesn't explain why the father is willing to die, when the family is obviously against slavery. The book is,however, well written and will leave you wanting more. I would recommend this book to 5-7th graders who are looking for an easy read and new perspective on the civil war.