Robert Henry Hendershot: True Stories from America's Past

by Susan E. Goodman, Doris Ettlinger (Illustrator)

War!

Over his mother's objections Robert Henry Hendershot has joined the Union Army as a drummer boy. He wants to see battle and capture a confederate soldier -- but his company commander says he's too young and removes him from the pontoon carrying troops across the Rappahannock to face the rebels at Fredericksburg.
Can Robert find a way to become a hero?

64 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2003

About the author

Susan E. Goodman is the author of more than thirty nonfiction books for children, including How Do You Burp in Space?; See How They Run: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes, and the Race to the White House;All in Just One Cookie, an ALA Notable Book; and On This Spot, a Washington Post Top Picture Book of the Year. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

from https://us.macmillan.com/author/susan...

see also http://www.carolhurst.com/authors/sgo...

Reviews

[Lady reading under the Willow]

G read aloud.

We didn't care too much for this one, because Robert didn't seem as brave as he did willful and reckless, and without honor. I'm all for being truthful about history, but to present him as "brave" when he was basically just rebelling against authority, sends the wrong message, in my opinion.

Perhaps this is the reason why this book didn't make it on the Good and Beautiful booklist. Cora Frear is the only one recommended in this series.

[Miss Amanda]

gr 2-4 55pgs

Civil War Fredericksburg, Virginia. 12 year old Robert wants to join the Union Army more than anything. He eventually manages to join as a drummer boy and travels with the army to Fredericksburg where he manages to capture a Conderate soldier!

Interesting read without going into too much detail. I would recommend this to someone interested in the Civil War.