Soldier's Heart : Being the Story of the Enlistment and Due Service of the Boy Charley Goddard in...
In June 1861, when the Civil War began, Charley Goddard enlisted in the First Minnesota Volunteers. He was 15. He didn't know what a "shooting...
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Mar 16, 2009
Brian
rated it: 
Pre-Read
When I first read this over two years ago, prior to teaching it to 7th graders, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I heard Gary Paulsen was a good young adult author but up until this point, I had never read any of his work. I remember hearing about it from coworkers who said it was good and gave me a brief description of the book.
During
Soldier’s Heart is a quick read. As I am re-reading this for the second time, I am find the pages are flying by. Paulsen does a More...
When I first read this over two years ago, prior to teaching it to 7th graders, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I heard Gary Paulsen was a good young adult author but up until this point, I had never read any of his work. I remember hearing about it from coworkers who said it was good and gave me a brief description of the book.
During
Soldier’s Heart is a quick read. As I am re-reading this for the second time, I am find the pages are flying by. Paulsen does a More...
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Nov 01, 2011
Cindi
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Gary Paulsen is the author of the fictional story of Charley Goddard, a fifteen-year-old boy, who joins the First Minnesota Volunteers in the middle of 1861. Charley lies about his age and is promptly accepted into the Union army at Fort Snelling. Soldier's Heart tells of Charley's experiences with the monotonous drilling, endless marching, ever-present illness, and battles that marked the Civil War and forever changed the United States of America.
Although a fictionalized account, More...
Although a fictionalized account, More...
Apr 28, 2011
Bryer
rated it: 
This book is about a boy named Charley who quickly learns to become a man. Charley lived in the civil war era and decides to join the Union forces. The only problem is that Charley is underage and can't join in his town. So Charley goes to a diffrent town where no one will reconize him. He is able to join up but dosen't go into action very fast. He has to go through training and just prepare for what he was about to do. The day finally comes where his platoon is sent out on a train to fight the
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Sep 01, 2009
Sandra
rated it: 
The reading level on this novel is misleading. The reading level and briefness (102 pages with large type and much space between lines) imply it might be suitable for middle school readers. It isn’t. If it were a movie, it would be R for graphic war violence, complete with much blood and gore. The novel traces the Civil War service of 15-year-old Charley Goddard (an actual person), part of the First Minnesota Volunteers, who served from Bull Run to Gettysburg, when he was badly wounded. The
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Oct 13, 2011
Scott
rated it:
A soldiers heart is an amazing book, its very suspenseful and its one of those books that you just cant put down. "Gary Paulsen the author of a soldiers heart is one of my favorite authors it always seems that every book he writes its just as good or even better than the last book". The book a soldier's heart Based on the life of a real boy, it tells the
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Apr 13, 2009
Maggie
rated it:
This is a well written novela for tweens about the horrors of war, most especially the Civil War. I'm a fan of Paulsen's work, both his adult and young adult books, and I enjoyed this book, which carries an important and obvious message, but felt there was a lot missing. I wanted much more of Charley's back story, especially his relationship with his father and mother. I also wanted to know more about his "after" life at the end of the war. I didn't find Charley's eagerness to joi
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Sep 19, 2010
Megan
rated it:
Fifteen-year-old Charley lies about his age and enlists in the army during the Civil War. The story follows his journey through the terrors of war--not just battles, but also battling fatigue, starvation, and harsh weather.
Let's be clear: this book is not for the faint-of-heart. People die...brutally. People suffer...horribly. I would classify this book as being for 6th grade and up, though I have known some 5th graders who have read it. Some would argue that, given the descriptive More...
Let's be clear: this book is not for the faint-of-heart. People die...brutally. People suffer...horribly. I would classify this book as being for 6th grade and up, though I have known some 5th graders who have read it. Some would argue that, given the descriptive More...
Jan 12, 2012
Momo
rated it:
I read this in a night. It was a very gripping short story about a young man’s journey from youth into premature adulthood brought on by the horrors of war. It is not an entirely accurate telling of events, but the events are all drawn from truth which gives it an eeriness that is repellent and luring all at once.
I hate to love war novels. I hate the death and destruction but love the honor and brotherhood. These things are all present in Paulsen’s book and despite the brevity of More...
I hate to love war novels. I hate the death and destruction but love the honor and brotherhood. These things are all present in Paulsen’s book and despite the brevity of More...
Feb 14, 2011
Alex
rated it:
The book "Soldier's Heart" was about a 15 year old boy named Charlie that wants to into the military. This book took place during the civil war. He enlisted in the First Minnesota Volunteers and goes to war. The book is fiction and non fiction. It has parts where its fact and some parts that are made up. Charlie was in a lot of battles including gettysburg. Charlie got wonded in that battle but lived for another day.
I did like this book. I liked it for alot of reasons. It was a g More...
I did like this book. I liked it for alot of reasons. It was a g More...
Sep 17, 2009
Keri ★TX
rated it:
Post traumatic stress had no name during the Civil War. Instead as Paulsen writes in the foreward, these men "were said to have soldier's heart." A wonderful read, well told; not overly graphic but enough to give an insight as to what wartime was like during the Civil War. One can't begin to even imagine the horrors that were seen during this time, but Paulsen does an excellent job providing a realistic glimpse through one soldier's eyes, Charley Goddard--a real person, merely 15 years
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Dec 07, 2011
Clint
rated it: 
Charley is a young man from Minnesota that has signed up to fight in the Civil War. Leaving his home to go join the fight he must learn to be brave. Soldier's Heart tells of Charley's struggles and experiences during the Civil War. Soldier's Heart shows accurately what it may have been like for young men joining the war effort.
I thought this was a decent book. I enjoyed reading about Charley's fears and felt like I would feel the same way if I were in his shoes. I though it was interesting More...
I thought this was a decent book. I enjoyed reading about Charley's fears and felt like I would feel the same way if I were in his shoes. I though it was interesting More...
Mar 28, 2009
Billie
rated it:
Wanting to be a man and do the things a man should do, Charley joins the war initiative as a volunteer. The problem, Charley is only 15 years old, too young for war. But there was going to be a shooting war and he wasn't about to miss it. War practice games just didn't satisfy the imagination! When will they see battle? When will they shoot? Where will they be sent? After months of preparation, the men - the boys, weren't prepared for the ravages of real war. The injuries, the rancid smel
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Nov 06, 2009
Drewski
rated it:
If you were just fifteen years old, and voluntered for the war between the north and south which became nown as the cival war how would you feel. Well Charley did just that. He thaught that the war wasnt going to last long, but he is in for a big surprise. Charley decides to join the army in michigan,he figures that the war wont last long, and he wont have to fight. When he finally gets his basic training in, he realizes that he will have to fight. He goes thruogh many entense battles, and
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Jul 11, 2011
Nora
rated it:
This is a good Civil War book for 4th-8th grade students because it's short, relatively easy to understand (although the topic is not easy), and is about a 15 yr. old northern soldier that my Chicago students can relate to.
My favorite part is the introduction, where Gary Paulsen explains the title. Throughout history, we have ways to describe war's effect on soldiers. What we now call "PTSD," during WWI was called "Shell Shock" and after the Civil War was called More...
My favorite part is the introduction, where Gary Paulsen explains the title. Throughout history, we have ways to describe war's effect on soldiers. What we now call "PTSD," during WWI was called "Shell Shock" and after the Civil War was called More...
Jan 06, 2009
Alysha
rated it:
This book was kind of cheesy, I thought. It was a great book for teens to read about the Civil War, reading all about the bodies, the shock, and other things. It was in third person, which is not my favorite, but I will still read. The boy sneaks into the Army, not knowing what was coming for him. He survives several brutal battles.
Charlie comes home from the war...but he just can't stand life. He won't kill himself, not yet, but it's just so hard for him. He lives in a house far away fro More...
Charlie comes home from the war...but he just can't stand life. He won't kill himself, not yet, but it's just so hard for him. He lives in a house far away fro More...
Jan 14, 2010
Krisanne
rated it:
Ok, so I read this book in a day. One of my students recommended this book to me and I really liked it. The only part I didn't like was that the author describes the soldiers shooting at horses. Being a horse lover myself, I found that part hard to read. I usually have difficulty relating to a time period from such a long time ago, but this one was easy for me. It is written in very easy to read writing. To my students: this is a historical fiction book that is easy to read, yet very educational
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Apr 10, 2011
Nazmin
rated it:
This book is about a young boy named Charley who lies about his age just to be in the army because this would show that he was a real man. One moment that I really like in the book is when Charley realizes that all those boring drills the officers made him do was to help him survive in the wars. Now he understood what a war was really like, there were bullets flying every where people were on the floor dying others were on the ground because they had lost their legs during the battle. I think if
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Dec 15, 2011
I liked this book but it seemed to go by too fast. It also did not include that much detail which i do not really like in books but this one had enough to be pretty good. But being a book about being in the Civil War it did not need that much detail and I bet people would nor want to read it if it did. So this book had just enough to be good. I liked this book because it was like you were reading something someone had written in a journal while they were in the war. So it was interesting to read
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Nov 18, 2011
Emily
rated it:
I have always had a certain respect for Gary Paulsen, and have enjoyed several of his books. However, I found this one to be surprisingly lack-luster. It’s short, which makes it attractive to readers, but I think it could have been fleshed out a lot more. There were points at which it felt more like an outline than a full story and didn’t seem to be following the all-important “show, don’t tell” rule as much as it could have.
I think there is value to this book, and it could easily be More...
I think there is value to this book, and it could easily be More...
Mar 23, 2011
Erika
rated it:
While I am a fan of Gary Paulsen, I was not a fan of Soldier's Heart. This novel just had way too many issues for me to enjoy it. The writing wasn't very good, and there were lots of longwinded and awkward sentences. The pacing was off as well. We get a brief introduction to who Charley is, and then he is thrown into a couple battles, and then all of a sudden it was a couple years later. It didn't feel like a novel to me; I think this would have worked better as a short story. I would have
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Nov 02, 2008
Wfbcreeds
rated it:
In spare, almost biblical prose, Gary Paulsen writes of the horrors of combat in a Civil War novella that puts a powerful, more contemporary spin on Stephen Crane's classic The Red Badge of Courage. Based on the life of a real boy, it tells the story of Charley Goddard, who lies his way into the Union Army at the age of 15. Charley has never been anyplace beyond Winona, Minnesota, and thinks war would be a great adventure. And it is--at first--as his regiment marches off through cheering crowds
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Jan 04, 2008
Ningerbil
rated it:
15-year-old Charley Goddard lied about his age so he could join the First Minnesota Volunteers in 1861, and fought for virtually the entire Civil War. A fictionalized account of a real soldier and real events. Charley enlists so he can see more of the world, and it seems like easy money. But from his first battle, he realizes that there is nothing romantic or exciting about war.
Teens with family in the military will probably be able to relate to an extent what Charley is going throu More...
Teens with family in the military will probably be able to relate to an extent what Charley is going throu More...
Dec 08, 2007
Amanda
rated it:
Life during the Civil War is illuminated through Soldier’s Heart, the story of a teenage soldier from Minnesota who enters the war a child and exits five years later as an adult. Charley Goddard, a real solider, who fought for the Union Army, is the subject of award-winning author Gary Paulsen’s well-written and moving work of historical fiction.
Attracted by the glamour of fighting for a cause and the promise of a paycheck to support his widowed mother, 15-year-old Charley lies abou More...
Attracted by the glamour of fighting for a cause and the promise of a paycheck to support his widowed mother, 15-year-old Charley lies abou More...
Jan 26, 2012
Hannah
rated it:
I thought this was a well written book. It showed the horrors of war without being to overly explicit. Following Charley's story may be fictional but I felt the emotion was true. His story from Minnesota to Gettysburg is really captivating. I would recommend this book to young readers, it gives a good sense of what war is without being gory. Mild language but nothing to blush at, one soldier commits suicide after being shot other than that I don't think there is anything to worry about in thi
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Jun 08, 2011
Justice
rated it:
Charley Goddard who lives with his single parent mother and his little brother in Minnesota enlists in the Civil War at the age of fifteen. Charley takes part in four different battles. One is the battle of Bull Run and the other is the battle of Gettysburg. Charley gets wounded during the battle of Gettysburg and then the author skips to when he in his twenties.Charley now contemplates on weather he should coming suicide or not. He chooses not to and lives the rest of his life in a shack.
Oct 29, 2010
Elma
rated it:
Soldiers Heart is a book about a kid named Charley who decided he wanted to go off to war. But after he fought in the Bull Run he wishes he was never there. Charley had changed through out the book. In the beginning he was very scared and wanted to go home and was afraid to die. But towards the end he became brave and fought like a man in the last two battles. Also in the Gettysburg battle he over came his fear and realized that the battles are win or die. Charley died at the age 23 but started
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Feb 11, 2009
Rae
rated it:
An historical account of a teenage boy's experiences fighting for the Union in the Civil War. Paulsen does a great job of letting the reader see the transition of a soldier from idealistic patriot and adventurer, to "seeing the elephant" in combat, to becoming hardened from violence and then at the end of the war, wounded and somewhat bitter. The ending is purposely ambiguous. But I didn't care for it. The ending, that is. I did like the book as a whole.
May 20, 2009
Austin
rated it:
In this book a youmg boy wants to show his pride, there is a true way to show it and that way is to join the Union army. He is only sixteen and is not old enough, so he inlists at fort snelling because no one there knows he is too young. His first battle is the battle of manises. He gets very scared and runs away from the battle back to the camp. He also in the battle of gettysburgh, he is shot and wounded in this battle.
Jan 01, 2012
Lea
rated it:
Set during the Civil War, this story of a boy, forced to become a man, shows the effects of war through the eyes of an innocent. Charley enlists at the age of 15 with high hopes of an adventure. He vows to send money home to his mother and return soon, after all, everyone predicts this war will be over before it starts. Instead of a short-lived adventure, Charley finds nothing but bloodshed and regret.
Jan 13, 2008
Kaysi
rated it:
This is probably the most powerful books sense "night". It reminds me of it in a way, besides the fact that it's about a boy who enters the army field not knowing what its really like. He thinks it will all be about pretty girls, and the fame of winning, but he was wrong.
He realizes that this is not only about the fame of winning, but about how dramatizing it is to be in war. He makes it through the begginning, then he goes into the war field, and hes utterly suprised. He c More...
He realizes that this is not only about the fame of winning, but about how dramatizing it is to be in war. He makes it through the begginning, then he goes into the war field, and hes utterly suprised. He c More...
