The Terrible, Awful Civil War

by Kay Melchisedech Olson

From crawling lice and deadly diseases to bloody battles and crammed prison camps, life was truly terrible for Union and Confederate soldiers. Get ready to explore the nasty side of life during the U.S. Civil War.

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Kay Melchisedech Olson is a writer and editor known for her nonfiction children's books on history, culture, and geography. She has served as editorial director at Capstone Press and authored numerous works, including Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish Immigrants, 1820-1920 and The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Many of her books are part of educational series, providing accessible historical narratives. Olson has also contributed to graphic history books like The Great Chicago Fire of 1871, making history engaging for young readers. Her works have been translated into Spanish.

Reviews

[Sherry Guice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to interest students in the Civil War...

[Arik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

[Brittany May · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review:After reading this book, I have the right of stating my view that it shows a truly disgusting description of life during the Civil War. I wouldn't read this book unless you as a reader have a very strong stomach for human grossness. This book might appeal the most to young boys about nine to ten years of age who think stinky, gross things are hilarious and funny to talk about and discuss. I would not read this book to a group of 1st graders, in fear that they will have nightmares or tell their friends about the gross passages within the book. I could handle this book because I am much older, but imagining a small child reading this book makes me sick to my stomach about the kinds of things they will become exposed to.

Summary: This book tells the detailed story of the Civil War. It gets into the certain aspects that kids may not realize or think of, which opens up their minds to other alternative forms of reading.

Citation:Olson, Kay Melchisedech. The Terrible, Awful Civil War: The Disgusting Details about Life during America's Bloodiest War. Mankato, MN: Capstone, 2010. Print.

[Clawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short Description of the Book: This book is an All About Book that describes the Civil War in disgusting detail.
FOCUS: Informative Features I would Use in a Mini-Lesson:
Informative Structure: While describing the Civil War, Olson uses transitional phrases to denote the passage of time in her explanations. The best example of this is on pages 20 and 21. On these pages she writes about the dirty conditions that the soldiers would encounter and how it got worse over the course of the war.
TEACH:
1. CCSS Connection: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.2c Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).
2. After reading the book and noticing text features, I would lead the students to enhance their informational writing by using transitional words, phrases and clauses as Olson did. I would provide the students with a list of examples of phrases that are considered transitional phrases.

[Kelly Ketcham]

Fiction twin text- The Yankee at the Seder by Elka Weber- 2009

Rationale- My fiction book shows the end results of the civil war and some of the after effects. This would be a great lead into some of the horrors of the civil war. "The Yankee at the Seder" tells a story of a Yankee soldier who meets a boy in the south after the war is over. After hearing this soldiers journey, it would be interesting to read some real facts this soldier could have faced during the civil war.

Text structure- description, cause and effect

Strategy application- I would love to use this book with my boys who are reluctant readers. This would really catch their attention and I think they would love this! I would use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast what we've learned from our social studies book to what we've learned in our nonfiction book. I would also like to add another circle into the Venn diagram to also make comparisons to our fiction book.

(2010, April 1). School Library Journal. http://www.booksinprint2.com.leo.lib....#

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Living up to the series title, these books expose the nasty side of history. Each title opens with a brief overview and time line, followed by two- to three-page chapters that discuss the dirty and disgusting conditions that were prevalent in the past. Topics include excretion and sanitation, spoiled food, grisly medical procedures, bug infestations, and early death. Large illustrations and photos, that are dramatic but not overly explicit, add to the texts. These books, which prove that the good old days never existed, are gross enough to be surefire hits.

[Duane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does a very nice job of describing how gruesome war can be. With vivid details on the daily life of soldiering, medical care from battle injuries, and more, young readers will enjoy the "graphic" details. A nice addition to your Civil War library collection. A nice book for reluctant readers.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly disgusting descrptions of Civil War life. Don't read this unless you have a strong stomach for human grossness. Would appeal to boys about 9 to 10 years old who think stinky, gross things are hilarious. For something on the same line but milder, try _You Wouldn't Want to Be a Civil War Soldier: A War You'd Rather Not Fight_.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few of the Horrible Histories and the You Wouldn't Want to Have Lived... books, but this series seems much more accessible for my students. The facts were very gross and very surprising, which I imagine would impress most of the folks in my classroom.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book does a wonderful job of showing the truly horrific side of war. This is one of those "gross you out" type of books that boys in particular will enjoy reading.

[Lupine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read most of this with my lip curled in disgust. This means that there are many kids who are into being grossed out that will love it.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting a bit more depth and detail, even though it is a juvenile text, but it was a simple 15 minute read and I learned a few new facts to gross people out.

[Kim Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great resource for anyone interested in day to day life during the Civil War. Written for kids, everything is explained in simple terms.