Meet the youngest person to fight in the Civil War in this middle-grade historical fiction novel, part of the Based on a True Story series.
Do you have what it takes to run off and join the army, leaving your family behind? That’s what John Lincoln Clem, a nine-year-old boy living in Ohio, does as the American Civil War rages on.
In 1861, Johnny sneaks onto a train filled with men from the 3rd Ohio Union Regiment, determined to fight for his country. Taken in by the older soldiers, Johnny becomes a drummer boy—not to mention the youngest person to serve in the war. Living a soldier’s life, Johnny experiences the brutalities of battle and the hunger and illness in between. Eventually he is captured by the Confederates, imprisoned, and then sent home a hero.
John Lincoln Clem: Civil War Drummer Boy by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb, writing as E. F. Abbott, is a fascinating novel for young listeners. The Based on a True Story books by E. F. Abbott are exciting historical fiction stories about real children who lived through extraordinary times in American History. This book has Common Core connections.
A historical fiction middle-grade novel in the Based on a True Story series about the Revolutionary War experiences of Sybil Ludington, who gathered troops to fight the British
What would you do if your country was counting on you to deliver an important message? That’s the story of sixteen-year-old Sybil Ludington’s famous midnight ride.
In 1777, Sybil and her family believe the American colonies should be free from British control, and Sybil’s father leads a regiment of New York militiamen. Using spy tactics and codes, the Ludingtons gather intelligence, hoping to stay one step ahead of their enemies. When British troops raid nearby Danbury, Connecticut, Sybil gallops through the night to call out her father’s men. With obstacles at every turn, will she make it in time to stop the British?
Based on a True Story books are exciting historical fiction about real children who lived through extraordinary times in American History.
