Will at the Battle of Gettysburg is an exciting, suspenseful historical fiction. Laurie Calkhoven writes this story with an exciting point of view from a young child named Will during the Civil War. In addition to Will's first person perspective, this story is jam packed with engaging diction that describes the many intense moments experienced by this young boy. Will is brought in to this story daydreaming of himself performing heroic acts against the enemy confederate soldiers, little does he know that the Confederate soldiers are marching in to his town of Gettysburg and he may have to make these day dreams of his a reality. The reader is brought in to frightening scenarios as Calkhoven describes moments like the one where the Rebels invade Will's town and nearly kill Will, "The next thing I knew I was flat on my back with a Rebel boot on my chest. There was a hole in the shoe, and I could see Joe's crusty, dirty toes. I tried to lift my head, but he held it down with the business end of his musket". As the story progresses Will is doing everything he can to help the scrambling union soldiers during the intense battle taking place in his town of Gettysburg. Will is along for the fight doing anything he can as cannons blast through neighboring streets, "I closed my eyes and slumped against the wall, this was not the battle of my daydreams". Will recalls the smell of "hot blood mixed with saltpeter" and Calkhoven further describes instances of Will's heroism as he cares for wounded soldiers during the midst of gun and cannon fire. Will at the Battle of Gettysburg is an action packed story of a young boy who desperately does anything he can to help the Union army as the confederates raid Gettysburg. ( )

From March 2011 SLJ:
Gr 4-7–Twelve-year-old Will dreams of the heroic exploits he will undertake once he convinces his parents that he is old enough to be a drummer in the Union Army. However, when war comes, he finds that combat isn’t nearly as glorious as he had imagined. At the end of June and into July, the 2400 residents of his town are thrust into the middle of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Will finds himself actively participating–more reluctantly than in his earlier daydreams, but determined nonetheless. He challenges a Confederate soldier who is rounding up free Negroes to sell as slaves, helps a Union colonel get an urgent message to General Meade, and endangers himself to save the life of a Confederate friend. Will sees firsthand the chaotic and horrific realities of war and death. His level of involvement could come across as contrived, but Calkhoven’s notes make clear how townspeople of all ages were pressed into action. Will is a more contemplative protagonist than Rodman Philbrick’s protagonist in The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (Scholastic, 2009), and while his internal struggles may seem a little moralistic for his age and time, his confusion about how he can count a Confederate drummer among his friends rings true. With back matter that includes an extensive time line, a list of historical figures who make an appearance in the story, and a detailed author’s note, this solid piece of fiction will appeal to history buffs and reluctant readers alike.–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA ( )