Robert Henry Hendershot

by Susan E. Goodman, Doris Ettlinger (Illustrator)

Overview

War!

Over his mother's objections Robert Henry Hendershot has joined the Union Army as a drummer boy. He wants to see battle and capture a confederate soldier — but his company commander says he's too young and removes him from the pontoon carrying troops across the Rappahannock to face the rebels at Fredericksburg.
Can Robert find a way to become a hero?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780689849800
Publisher:	Aladdin
Publication date:	03/01/2003
Series:	Brave Kids
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	64
Sales rank:	443,751
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

To research her various books and magazine articles, Susan E. Goodman has snowshoed through mountain forests, tried using a blowgun in the Amazon, and scared a moose at rest — and herself in the bargain. Years ago, she went to U.S. Space Camp as a participant and loved the 1/6 Gravity Chair. Ms. Goodman lives with her family in Boston, Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 1-4-A fictional account of the defining moment in the life of a 12-year-old drummer boy. The story opens as Robert joins the Union Army despite his widowed mother's misgivings. At the Battle of Fredericksburg, he sneaks into a group of soldiers who are ferreting out Confederate sharpshooters. Despite his youth, he takes a prisoner and becomes the hero of the day. His bravery brings him to the attention of President Lincoln. An extensive afterword provides additional information about the real Hendershot, and about the nature of history. Adventure and a youthful point of view keep this story moving right along. The Civil War background combined with pencil illustrations of the boy's experiences result in effective historical fiction for beginning chapter-book readers.-Pat Leach, Lincoln City Libraries, NE Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Goodman tells the story of Robert Henry Hendershot, the famous "Drummer Boy of the Rappahannock." Robert runs away from home to join the Union army and finds himself at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, three months after Antietam. Ambrose Burnside is now in command of the Army of the Potomac, taking General George McClellan’s place, and Robert is his drummer boy. Not so much the story of the war or even the single battle, this is about one boy’s chance to prove himself and make his mother proud. It is a 12-year-old’s view of his role in one major battle. Robert crosses the pontoon bridge, takes a prisoner, becomes famous, and meets President Lincoln. He even has a poem written about him. As the author is careful to point out, this is a novel based on a true story. She has "dreamed up" Robert’s conversations and private thoughts while staying true to the essence of Robert’s actual story. This entry in the Ready-for-Chapters series succeeds in presenting an interesting slice of history and explaining its context in an afterword. It is a good example of how an early chapter book can provide substantial historical material in a simple format and still do its subject justice. A solid offering for young readers. (poem, bibliography) (Fiction. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews