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Summary: Wonderful way to involve early adolescents in Civil War.
Review: This book is a wonderful way to get junior high students interested in the Civil War. I used it as a read-aloud in my 7th and 8th grade class to introduce our unit on the CW. The story, which was well researched, revolves around a young teenager from Winona, MN. The text gets a bit graphic at times, but in the context it is to be expected. Some of the topics may not be suitable for children under sixth grade, but that would be up to the parents and teacher.
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Summary: Extremely powerful book
Review: In this book Paulsen dramatically reproduces the war through a boy of 15 years eyes. He describes war so realistically that it feels like you are there. This a must if you are a Paulsen fan.
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Summary: Don't miss this authentic novel of a citizen soldier
Review: Superb Civil War novel based on the life of a Minnesota Volunteer. Meticulously controlled narrative calmly, accurately, and, of necessity, gruesomely recounts the torments of body and spirit suffered by the soldiers of the Civil War. Highly recommended for junior high and senior high school students (and definitely for adults!) but too graphic for the elementary school child.
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Summary: A powerful book.
Review: Gary Paulsen's new book Soldier's Heart is a powerful, sad, and affecting potrayal of just how devestating the effects of the Civil War were. Charley Goddard was a young Minnesota farm boy eager to enlist and experiance the "glory" of war. But at his first battle he discovers the terrible truth about what war really is like. Wounded at Gettsyburg, he is sent home. While his wounds do begin to heal, their are inside wounds that will never go away, for Charley has been left with a "soldier's heart" - the term used after the Civil War to describe what today is called post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Summary: The time has come for Paulsen to receive the Newbery.
Review: The latest offering by Gary Paulsenreminds us all of the horrors of war. Without the use of technicolor and sound effects, Paulsen recreates the terrors endured by the young men who fight in war. Young Charley Goddard is a rather ordinary boy until his experiences in Civil War battles. His "soldier's heart" changes him permanently. This novel will do the same for readers, making them question the sterile facts found in history books. The writing is spare, not a single extra word, feeling, action, thought. This unity of effect makes this a novel worthy of classroom discussion and study.
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Summary: Real War
Review: I wouldn't consider "Soldier's Heart" to be one of Paulsen's best works, but for what it was, it sounded so true, which made it great.15-year-old Charley doesn't exactly know what this great war between the states is about; however, he lies about his age and goes off to fight, believing that it's something exciting, and not worth missing. At first the war is just an adventure to him, with rides on trains, bad camp food, and pretty girls waving at him. But after his first battle, he realizes that war truly is war - and Charley is no longer a boy. This book, though only one hundred pages, was really a great Civil War novel, that showed plainly how utterly stupid and terrible war is. It was based on a true story, which really adds to it, too. I'd also recommend "Rifles for Watie", by Keith, and also, "The Boy's War", by Murphy, which would go well with "Soldier's Heart".
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Summary: Soldiers Heart
Review: "Soldier's Heart: Being the Story of the Enlistment and Due Service of the Boy Charley Goddard in the First Minnesota Volunteers" is a novel by Gary Paulsen. The story follows a 15-year-old Minnesota boy who lies about his age in order to enlist in the Union army during the United States Civil War.
This is a well-written narrative that gets into graphic details of wartime death and violence. Paulsen integrates interesting technical details about Civil War weapons, tactics, uniforms, and medical care into the story. Also of note is Paulsen's account of encounters between troops and civilians. The novel is told in a simple, matter-of-fact style that, combined with the book's often grim subject matter, can be truly devastating.
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Summary: Teaching Soldier's Heart in middle school
Review: Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen would be an excellent book for lower level readers studying the Civil War in the eighth grade because it is short, interesting, and easy to understand. This book is historical fiction and tells the story of Charley Goddard and his experiences as a fifteen year old soldier from Minnesota. Soldier's Heart is authentic because the events portrayed are true, although Charley Goddard was not in every battle recorded.
One of the interesting themes is how the soldiers suffered emotionally from their experience with war. Students could investigate the effects of war and compare the American public's reaction to post-war soldiers from the Civil War, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and Iraq. Students could research soldiers from their area and possibly conduct interviews. A group of students could investigate diseases that impacted soldiers and the situations that caused soldiers to get sick. Another group of students could investigate how some people use war as an opportunity to make money.
For teaching literature elements, there are many examples of simile in this book. The bullets of the Rebel soldiers are "like a blade cutting grain"; the dead soldiers were "like broken dolls"; the bullets sounded "like a storm over" his head.
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Summary: Review For Soldier's Heart
Review: The book Soldier's Heart, written by Gary Paulsen is a tragic and heartfelt book. It chronicles the life of Charley Goddard and his service throughout the Civil War.
Charley, a fifteen year old boy living in Minnesota, is living through a tumultuous time in history. There is a war brewing, and he wants to be a part of it. Although only fifteen, Charley enlists in the First Minnesota Volunteers, and is quickly wisked away to the war. He experiences the rigors of Fort Snelling in "drilling" and "manual of arms", and learns how to cope with the less than filling rations. After remaining at Fort Snelling, his company left to relieve the regular army at the frontier forts.
Charley faces the horrors of war for the first time at Bull Run. Facing an unrelenting barrage of bullets from the Rebels, he sees his comrades shot dead as he himself fears for his life. After finally getting to safety (via "Falling Back in Good Order") it is evident that this is not what Charley expected, and he will never be the same again. This begins the sorrowful undertone that stays throughout the book. This was a horrible war, and this first battle delivers the harsh reality of what these men went through.
Throughout the next chapters, Charley is stationed in Washington D.C. He learns the important skill of "farming" (stealing food from rebel homes). He tries to live normally in camp, and when visiting the city. At this point in the story, he becomes sick with dysentery as many soldiers did at this time. It turns out that more soldiers actually died from disease than battle wounds.
After getting over his illness, Charley reports back to action just in time for his second clash with Rebels. Right before, he meets a replacement, Nelson. The battle is well won, and the Union has the Confederates running. On the way back, Charley notices Nelson laying wounded on the field. He had been shot in the stomach, and no amount of medical care could save him. This part conveys such hopelessness and sadness as Nelson knows he is already dead. He ends it quickly with a bullet from his own rifle rather than agonize through the pain.
Charley lived through another encampment through winter. When food was scarce the soldiers had to eat the horses rather than other meat. Many were repulsed by this, but were forced to eat it out of will to survive. This leads up to a large battle in Richmond, Virginia. His unit came upon a Rebel calvary, but quickly and easily defeated them only to turn around and face an infantry, 2,000 men strong. After a few volleys it came down to bayonets, and Charley fought his way through the line, until there were no more rebels to kill.
Charley's final battle was in Gettysburg. It began with him watching the Confederate army get demolished by Union artillery. But, the men alive still plowed forward up the hill. At this point Charley again clashes with the rebels in close combat and is hit multiple times, now realizing his own mortality.
Read the book to find out what happens in the final chapter.
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Summary: Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulson
Review: In the book, SOLIDER'S HEART, by Gary Paulsen Charley goes into the army even though he is under 18. He is only 15 and he wants to protect his country. Paul is Charley's father but he was killed when a horse ran over him. This was the Civil War in June of 1861. One of his most difficult conflicts wasn't being caught by the sergeant becuase he is only 15 years old. Charley almost got shot at one point by the rebels. Hey say somethings that no one should ever see in their life time like people dieing and suffering. It was set around a battlefield and Gettysburg. The book had its boring parts and parts where you were on the edge of your seat. This boook is boring theres only a couple times when you just dont wanna stop reading this book. i dont recommend this book.
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