You Wouldn't Want to Be a Civil War Soldier: A War You'd Rather Not Fight

The Danger Zone

by Tom Ratliff, David Salariya, David Antram (Illustrator)

You (the reader) are a farmer living in Connecticut. Shortly after eleven southern states secede from the Union, you decide to Join the Union Army to fight in the civil war. As a soldier in the Union Army you will get an insider's look at what life was like for Union and Confederate soldiers and an overview of some of the most important battles, such as the Battle of Bull Run, The Seesaw Battles of 1862, Gettysburg, and Vicksburg. After reading this book there will be no doubt in your mind that this is definitely a war you'd rather not fight.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Civil War, American History, Childrens, Picture Books, Military Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2004

About the author

Tom teaches Connecticut History and Principles of Education at Central Connecticut State University. He also teaches in the Online Program for the Community Colleges of Connecticut. He is currently writing a book about Connecticut history for middle school-aged students. With Carole B. Shmurak he is the co-author of the Matty Trescott novels—a six-book series set in the Civil War era under the pseudonym Carroll Thomas.

Reviews

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live in the South and I see what the South actually was through all the museums and old houses open to the public. I also see what the South still is and there are groups here that are infamous around the world. Times may change but the South still remembers. I've heard some people say horrible things with such glee and they don't hold themselves back because a lot of them think that if we look alike, then we're of one accord. I love the South and I love the Civil war, it's in my about me, so this is definitely a favorite.
Thank God the Union won and we get to be in the shoes of a union solider in this book. The infantry are the foot soldiers; the artillery were assigned to the fire cannons and the cavalry rode the horses. You could tell who was in these three positions by the insignia on their soldier's cap. These soldiers had to march with a Bedroll, all their gear in a pack, a canteen and rifle. I laughed so hard when I saw on of the confederate soldiers asking for grits; our breakfast still hasn't changed from the grits, eggs and bacon.
This book is loaded with information about the weaponry, battles, government action, and struggles of the Union and Confederates during the Civil War and well, the navy didn't suffer much loss.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun and educational book that puts you as the reader into the center of the story, so you can imagine what life in those times was like. It's a serious topic, but the narrative tells the tale in an interesting and factual manner. Some of the descriptions are a bit gory, but it's part of the experience that soldiers had during the Civil War.

There are a lot of facts, but the text is arranged so that there are plenty of pictures to look at and it's not overwhelming. We enjoyed this book and will look for more of the books in the You Wouldn't Want To... series.

[Duane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series of books and this book is a great addition to the family. This book focuses on the life of a Union soldier in the infantry during the Civil War. Not overly graphic, it does a great job of showing the hardships that these people went through. Not meant as a resource, this book still does a great job of showing the times that happened.

[John Garcia-Ortiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

You wouldn’t want to be a civil war soldier!: A war you’d rather not fight. By Thomas Ratliff.

Imagine you joining the union army and living the life as a civil war soldier. “You
wouldn’t want to be a civil war soldier, A war you’d rather not fight, by Thomas Ratliff is a nonfiction book that talks about the life of a soldier in the civil war. For example, they would tell you how the first mission will be like and what types of guns you will use in combat. This book takes place in the year of 1861, where President Lincoln calls for volunteers to sign up for the 90-day establishment in the army. Also, there are some positive and negative benefits of being a civil war soldier, but you have to read to find out. The theme of this book is to think twice before making a decision because you might not know what you're getting yourself into. I would recommend this book to those people who want to know what it was like being a civil war soldier and to anyone who wants to know about it because it gives lots of good relevant information about the civil war.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great installment of the you wouldn't want to be....
FAIRLY describes both sides of the Union and Confederate soldiers, the nurses, important battles, important people like Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant and Abraham Lincoln, and timelines...It also describes the day-to-day life of soldiers and it shows what everyone was 'fighting' for or against.
It also describes the after-math, both the horrific loss, and the "if you survived" factor. Maybe your kid wants to go in the military or maybe they have something that they want to stand up for. Share a non-fiction book about 2 sides of the same world who fought for what they believed was right.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provided the basis for some really good discussion with my 6 year old about soldiers, war, and right and wrong.

[Laura The Book Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love all the "You Wouldn't Want to Be..." books
Also read this in Aug 2009

[Lindsay Garber]

1. Personal Reaction: Although the pages were very busy, I still enjoyed reading this book! I thought the cartoon pictures of soldiers and battle sites were goofy, but I know children will love them! I also enjoyed the word bubbles that were added on to the pictures. This is a great book for students to learn about the Civil War.
2. Purposes/use in the classroom:
-Read aloud for curricular connection: This book would be great to use for a social studies lesson on the Civil War. This book is packed with useful information such as the various battles that took place, the weapons used, what injured soldiers did, what life was like as a soldier, and other useful information.
-Independent reading: 3rd-5th grade; Any student who is interested in learning more about the Civil War and who loves history will enjoy reading this book. Not only does this book include useful information, but there are cartoon illustrations as well, which young readers will enjoy. Thomas Ratliff writes as if the reader is a soldier, which is engaging and exciting for young readers. (“After battle, it is a good idea to catch up on your sleep. You never know when you might be called to march again or fight.”)
-Particular nonfiction conventions:
-At the beginning, there is a Table of Contents that lists the various sections of the book.
-Next to each image, there is a text box included.
-At the end, there is a glossary and index.
-At the end, there is a list of the important battles of the Civil War.
3. Other: It is important that students are exposed to history and what has happened in the past. This book discusses a very important time period that all students learn about.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining, historically solid introduction to the Civil War for 4th graders and over

I just discovered this series and I've been reading a few of them for fun this summer.

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Civil War Soldier is entertaining and it contains solid, accurate history presented in a visually interesting format.

While I've been looking a few of these over for my own personal entertainment, my almost 4th grade daughter has been sneaking them out of the stack and reading them without any encouragement from me. Imagine! Kids surreptitiously reading history!

The only complaint I have about the back is the total lack of African American faces in the drawings. The book notes that 179,000 African American soldiers served in the war, which is good but fails to include a single African American in the drawings. While it mostly makes sense due to the strict segregation of the army (the book follows one soldier from Connecticut who joins before the First Battle of Bull Run and stays until Appomattox), if I had been the editor I would have insisted on including African Americans on pages 26 & 27, the pages that talk about the siege of Petersburg and the Battle of the Crater. African Americans made up the bulk of the Union troops in the first wave of the Battle of the Crater and it would have been a great place to include some different faces in the art

[Tammy M]

1) Ben and the Emancipation Proclamation by Pat Sherman, 2010

2) Ben is a young boy in Charleston, SC, he was a slave but was an apprentice for a tailor and his wife. He would be asked to run errands, and as he did so he learned how to read. His father would write letters in the dirt when he was younger as he grew, he continued his education. He returned home with a news article and read it to his mom. He was told that when the learned to write, his mom would give him a gold coin. In December he returned, and his mom gave him the coin. That was the last he saw of her. When the Civil War started, he was placed in a camp since he wasn’t able to travel with the tailor and his wife. While there the other men in the camp asked that he read the newspaper article. They were so excited that he could read, they cheered for him. This book is based on the life of Benjamin C Holmes.

3) I loved the description that was used in this book, it made the book exciting to read and for children to investigate. They also used question and answer and cause and effect in a very engaging way.

4) The strategy that I would use is DR/TA, even though there are many descriptions, I want to make sure they are understanding and answer any questions as we go along. I think this would also lead into building on to this book with other books, and topics and even activities that we can find on the interent.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

When comparing the first edition with this revised version, the only changes are a timeline and Top 10 battles of the Civil War on the endpapers and an added page after the index about “Women at War.” The original text is unchanged. Like the other titles in the series, intermediate readers will learn about the Civil War in spite of themselves. The realities of the war are presented in straightforward text that moves along chronologically as it also incorporates a few key battles with its descriptions of the conditions, duties and hardships of soldiers on both sides. The inviting format and cartoon illustrations will draw reluctant readers. “Handy Hint” boxes are on each spread. Back matter includes a glossary and index. If your patron population enjoys this series, this title is a good addition. It could also be a resource for the social studies teachers.

[Kwesi Frank]

"You Wouldn't Want to be a Civil War Solider: A War You'd Rather Not Fight" is a great book about the causes and battles of the American Civil war in the 1860s. This book, written by Thomas Ratiff, talks about the Civil war from the perspective of a farmer who signs up for a 90-day enlistment in the army, but instead stays for four years! This book is ideal for those who are interested in the Civil War since it talks about the causes of the war, the battles of the war, and the lifestyle of the soldiers in the war itself. After just finishing a unit about thew Civil War in my History class, I can honestly say that reading this book helped me to have a better understanding of the war. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in studying the Civil War.

[Rohan D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Wouldn’t Want to be a Solidier in the Civil War is a realistic-fiction book about the Civil War solidiers and what the solidiers had to go through even if they survived. Like how the survivors had to pick up the dead or injured men even if they won the war. “The solidiers had to take baths in the winter in frozen cold lakes which reduced ¼ of the Northerners’s men” ( page 5). This book is extremely interesting with it’s random facts and isone of my favourite books and I recommend this book to boys 3rd grade and above and even middle school girls may like it. It has not won any awards but I honestly think it should.

[Hoang Shin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun book for young students to read. It gives a description of how life would be as a civil war soldier. It gives the reader an idea of what the living conditions were like, what kinds of diets the soldiers had, how they had to dress, etc.
The pictures are very comic book style, so it's very appealing to a lot of young readers.
I would use this book in my classroom as a resource for my students to pull facts from. I think it makes it very interesting for them because it also makes comparisons to modern day life, in which they can really relate to.

[Ike Iloka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talks about the 1860's Civil war in the perspective of real soldiers that were in it and gives an in depth experience of the causes and how it started to how it ended. It also give a perspective as a farmer. I really liked this book because I like to learn new things about the U.S history and how we spread Democracy and try to help other nations but can be hypocritical. I would recommend this book to all students

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the humor in history it gives

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best series! Fun, informative, makes you squirm, laugh, grimace.....perfect for boys learning about American history.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED the illustrations.

[Kelly Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book mainly focuses on the Union during the Civil War.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Asher (8yo) read.

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's got some good information about the Civil War, presented in a fun way for kids. It's not a substitute for a real text or course about the war, but it's excellent as supplementary material.

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books that I've read this year.

[Tiffany Overton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny and detailed. Some gruesome scenes, but not as many compared to others in the series.