With Every Drop of Blood

I was browsing in the children's section of the library, found this book, and thought it looked interesting, so I borrowed it. Generally I enjoy historical fiction and this was no different. It even got me interested enough to check out some of the details mentioned in the book--General Early, Mr. McLean, etc. (From wikipedia: "It is said that the American Civil War started in Wilmer McLean's back yard and ended in his front parlor.") This is an excellent book to get kids interested in the Civil War, if they don't see reading it as a "chore". Aside from friendship, which other reviewers spoke about, I like the way Johnny does what needs doing. He doesn't complain about all the work he has to do while his father is away fighting. He just accepts it. The whole concept of responsibility is foreign in our culture. Maybe Johnny's attitude will rub off on readers. One con--I could see how a kid could get bored with the book early on. Parts of it may seem weird to kids--mules?! butchering pigs?! hard work?!?!?! and therefore make it hard for them to relate. Still, I definitely recommend this book.

Mallory Book Review!I hurried outside. Ma had got the mules out of the harness and into the stalls."I'll do that, Ma. You go on in and tend to Pa.""What did he want to tell you?""He made me promise to stay here and help with things.""I figured that was it, " she said. "Did you promise?""Yes.""I'm glad," she said. "It'd kill me to lose another one." In the book With Every Drop of Blood by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier, 14-year-old, Johnny, finds out his father dies after fighting in the war for three years. Johnny has to find a way to help his family, but he goes to fight in the war without his mother knowing. A black Union soldier captures Johnny. Somehow these two must find a way to conquer their differences and try to get along. On the way, they form an unlikely friendship that keeps growing each minute.I think this book is mostly for boys, but girls will like it, too. It is good for boys because it has a lot of action. It is good for girls because a friendship forms, as the story gets deeper and deeper into the plot. I think this is a good book for children 10 and older.By Mallory

Every Drop of Blood is about the Civil War. A young boy decides to join a wagon train but their is a risk it is in the middle of the war. A black soldier from the Union army ends up captureing him. Even though one of them is black and the other is white they both find out that they have a lot of similar things about them. Towards the end of the book they become really good friends. They end up saving each others lives. This book is really good.

On his deathbed, Johnny's father made him promise not to go fight in the Civil War for the South but to take care of his mother and the little ones. Then, Johnny is offered 400 dollars to go on a mission to supply the Rebel troops with supplies. His family is suffering and he just can't say no. On the road, the wagon train is attacked and Johnny is captured by a black confederate soldier named Cush. Now he and Cush, though from different backgrounds, must become friends in order to get through the war. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was written in a way that I felt like I was there watching it happen. The plot was full of surprises, but easy to follow and to the point. The characters were realistic of the time period in the way that they talked and acted. The book included real places and events from the Civil War such as City Point and Appomattox. These elements made the book very historically accurate.

I really liked this book, even though I read it for school. I am a fan of historical fiction, and found it hard to put down! When I read it over for the test, I only put it down once! It gets even more suspense-filled when Johnny gets captured. It is a wonderful tale of the epic battle between the North and the South. In it, you can see the hard, cold emotions of war and the hostility toward blacks that was one of the primary reasons of the war.