Across Five Aprils

Rating:
Summary: Interesting and thought-provoking
Review: This book offers a different perspective on the Civil War - a boy too young to fight in the war, but old enough to understand the consequences. This isn't an action-adventure book - the battle scenes are told through letters written home - but Jethro, a nine-year-old boy, becomes a man during the four years of the war, as he takes on the responsibilities of the family and the farm. This book really makes you think about the Civil War, and how complicated it was for everyone, not just the soldiers and politicians and slaves, but even for a young boy in a small farming town in Illinois.

Rating:
Summary: School Project
Review: This book was so boring! Out of the 188 pages 3 were interesting. I normally read a book this size in 2-3 hours with no problem. After 10 min. of reading this book I had to stop because it was so boring. I might have enjoyed the book better if I didn't have to read it, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. Overall I think that it is a waste of time unless you are really, really, REALLY into the Civil War and have a lot of time on your hands..................

Rating:
Summary: THE BEST PART WAS THE REVIEWS ABOUT OTHER BOOKS IN THE BACK.
Review: I HAD TO READ THIS FOR SCHOOL. THANK GOD I DID NOT HAVE TO TAKE A TEST,WOULD HAVE FAILED. I SPENT MOST OF MY READING TIME READING A SCARY REVIEW ABOUT A HIT AND RUN ACCIDENT. QUITE UNLUCKALLY I AS READING BY THE FIRE. I WAS QUITE TEMPTED. I WASNT TO YOUNG EATHER. IWAS 9,THE BOOK IS 8.7, MY LEVEL IS 12.9, I HAD TO PROP OPEN MY EYES!

Rating:
Summary: Literary analysis of across five aprils
Review: This book is a very good book. It is about a boy who enlists in a war. I will tell you about the setting, and give you some character traits, on the main characters. The setting is a very important part of the story. It is in the 1800's and Jethro, Ellen, and Matt live on a farm. The war is going on, so Jethro enlists in the war. His father never went to war because, he wasn't born in that part of the time. But Jethro was, so he enlists in the war. The character traits of some of the main characters, are a very important part of the story. Some character traits of Jethro are that he is very hard working and he is a potato farmer. He is also one of the main characters. Matt is Jethro's father, and he is strong and very hard working too. Ellen is Jethro's mother. She is the lady of the house, so she does the washing, and house stuff. She is very hard working too. All of their family is very hard working. Those are some character traits. Well that is the setting, and some Character traits. So this is a good book. I would rate it a five, because it was a good book but it wasn't the best book I have read.

Rating:
Summary: Literary Analysis of Across Five Aprils By Irene Hunt
Review: In this thrilling and exciting story of a boy named Jethro who went from a safe house to the treacheries of the Civil War, Irene Hunt keeps her readers interested in seeing how the family will overcome many obstacles. {Irene Hunt shows the importance of the setting and her character traits are great.} The Civil War and the fields at his house is the setting of the story. By the second week of April that year,the fields were dry enough for plowing, and Jethro, full of the optimism of inexperience, harnessed his team and went out to the field alone. This once young little boy who didn't know how to do much is now plowing the field as a young man. The characters in this story are Jethro and Shad. "He watched the wagon from the corner of his eye as he worked, and when the team started coming down the road toward the potato patch, he put the heavy bag of cuttings aside and raced across the field to the roadside." Jethro is a very hard working boy. He is young smart and a fast learner. He was about 10 years old when he started hearing about the Civil War. After a little while his brothers left and then Shad. As he grew older he became stronger and wiser, then he was old enough he joined the army. He had book learning and was almost 21; still he could make a boy feel as proud as a man. Shad was much older than Jethro and smarter. He was the school master of the kids around the area. He was also the on who Jenny loved. He was a book taughtperson from the east he also joined the army. Irene Hunt's historical knowledge gives this book a sense of realness.

Rating:
Summary: THS BOOK STUNK!
Review: I ALMOST FELL ASLEEP I WAS SUPRISED ANYON GAVE IT A 2! I DIDNT EVEN FINISH IT IT WAS SO BORING!

Rating:
Summary: Slow, Hard to follow
Review: I was assigned to read this book for an English class. At first I thought it wouldn't be too bad, but lo' and behold it had a slow and simple plot. I heard about this author as being awarded and plaudited for her work. Sadly, this book just didn't reach me or my class. I zealously believe that some of the facts about the battles are wrong. I would recommend, however, her other book, "Up a Road Slowly".

Rating:
Summary: give it a chance
Review: For me, this book wasn't at all bad. In fact, I started it yesterday and today I'm finished. If you want a short little story that will keep you interested, then you should try this one. But that's not all it did; I picked up a lot from what I didn't remember in the Civil War. This book hardly made it an American history lesson--it made the Civil War come alive instead. For the kids, well I can understand your pain. In junior high I wouldn't have given this book a second look, but wait a few more years until you can appreciate the history and writing in it. All right, take care.

Rating:
Summary: Got Five Aprils
Review: The Best book I have ever read. Across Five Aprils takes place on a Southern Illnois farm during the civil War. Jethro Creighton, a ten-year old farm boy is split between his favorite brother Bill, and his three other brothers John, Tom, and Eb. John, Tom, and Eb fight for the Union while Bill fights for the Confederates. Neighbors find out that Bill is fighting for the Confederates so they burn the Creighton's barn. Then Tom dies, Matt Creighton (Jethro's dad) has a heart attack, and Eb deserts. Now Jethro is faced with a man's work on the farm. I give Across Five Aprils 5 stars because it is a great drama story, it is well written, and it has the best wording I've ever seen. Read this book if you like the Civil War and and drama.

Rating:
Summary: Brothers at War
Review: Six brothers who live on a small farm in Southern Illinois durng the Civil War, have a family conflict. Four of the five brothers went to fight for the North and one brother fights for the South. Jethro, the youngest brother, has to stay home with his mother and sister to run the family farm. Everyone at home worries about the brothers at war. Getting letters helps the family know about the war battles. I gave Across Five Aprils a three star rating because it was slow moving in the beginning. If Hunt had added information about war scenes, the story would have been more interesting.