Before the Creeks Ran Red

by Carolyn Reeder

A tattered flag above Fort Sumter . . . riots in the streets . . . Union troops occupying private homes and harassing citizens . . . The months before the first major battle of the Civil War were marked by confusion, deep emotion, and bitter divisions between families, neighbors, and friends. Timothy Donovan, a bugler at Fort Sumter; Joseph Schwartz, a scholarship student from a working-class family in Baltimore; and Gregory Howard, son of a wealthy man in Alexandria, Virginia, all find their loyalties challenged by the gathering storm. For Timothy, the threat of bombardment by rebel troops, coupled with a near-starvation diet in a garrison that is under siege, forces him to question what it really means to lay down one's life for one's flag. Joseph's family is fiercely Unionist, but his privileged classmates -- including his one real friend -- are staunchly in favor of secession. And Gregory's Unionist father has disinherited Gregory's older brother, who, like the rest of the family, remains loyal to the South. Shades of Gray author Carolyn Reeder shows the complexities of life in a time of fear, excitement, and overwhelming change in these three interlinked stories about the months before the first major battle of the Civil War.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Civil War

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Carolyn Reeder was an American writer best known for children's historical novels. She also wrote three non-fiction books about Shenandoah National Park for adults together with her husband. She won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Warning! Upon reading this, your interest in history may soar!*
One of the best historical fiction books about the Civil War that I’ve read. Told from the viewpoints of three different 14-year-old boys, two of whom are Union sympathizers, one whose family supports the Confederacy, the reader will be drawn in by the author’s attention to detail about the early years of the war.
I wish this book had been around when I was homeschooling my two sons. I would have made it required reading. It would hook any middle-grade reader, particularly boys, into learning history.

[Dani Kappel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty good. I found it a little slow moving at times but I think some children would really get into it. I would recommend this book to young boys interested in war. It could work really well for children around 9 or 10 because it is not too graphic and does not really get into the bloody aspects of war, but it introduces children to some of the complexities and experiences that come along with war.

[Ava · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a pretty good book but a little confusing.

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I went into this thinking it was a YA novel, but it actually skewed a bit younger. Still, I like Civil War books and it was an interesting read. The author uses three different boys in different locations to tell the story of the Civil War's beginnings, hence the title. Each boy's story could have been expanded into a separate book all its own. Reeder leaves each boy at a point where you wonder 'What happens to them/their families during the rest of the war?' I especially appreciated the perspective of Joseph Schwartz and how life was for Marylanders and Baltimoreans in particular at the time. The border states must have been the most difficult to live in during the war. Overall, a pretty good read, though probably best for someone 10-13 years of age.

[Georgene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read these three novellas before Carolyn Reeder came to my school to speak to the 4th-6th graders. I enjoyed these stories as they helped give some background to Civil War history, especially in our area. Carolyn Reeder spoke about her research and showed the students pictures she found of Alexandria during the time of the Civil War and some actual historical facts that she incorporated into her stories.