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Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero
This fast-paced, high-energy picture book tells the true story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, who at age nineteen disguised herself as a man in order to fight in the Civil War. She took the name Frank Thompson and joined a Michigan army regiment to battle the Confederacy. Sarah excelled as a soldier and nurse on the battlefield. Because of her heroism, she was asked to become a spy. Her story comes to life through the signature illustrations and design of John Hendrix and the exciting storytelling of Marissa Moss.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2011
4 people are currently reading
906 people want to read
About the author
Marissa Moss
118 books264 followersMarissa Moss has written more than seventy books, from picture books to middle-grade and young adult novels. Best known for the Amelia's Notebook series, her books are popular with teachers and children alike. Her picture book Barbed Wire Baseball won the California Book Award gold medal. Moss is also the founder of Creston Books, an independent children's publishing house.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
May 23, 2011
If I want to depress myself on a given day I'll compare the list of biographical subjects that kids in school are handed to pick and choose from with the biographical subjects that I had to pick and choose from when I was a kid some twenty odd years ago. It's disheartening. Essentially, it's the same list. Teachers always include Edison, Einstein, Washington, Tubman, Keller, etc. Once in a while someone will fall out of favor (Benjamin Banneker) to be replaced with someone new (Matthew Henson) but that's just the way of things. How I long for the day when the core biographical subjects are thrown out the window and kids can take full advantage of the range of amazing stories in their libraries' biography sections. That'll be the day when a kid has an assignment to find a historical female hero who fought in a war and I can hand them Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero. Until then, I'll just have to hawk the book on its own merits. Fortunately, this is not too terribly difficult to do.
I'm sure you've all heard stories of those women who cut their hair, donned men's clothes, and joined the armed forces during the Civil War. Many a woman did this, but few were as brave and inventive as Sarah Edmonds. Having run away from home at the age of sixteen to escape an arranged marriage, Sarah had been living as a man for three years when she returned to Michigan to join the Union cause. On the field she proved a brave nurse, soldier, and eventual spy. When told to spy on the enemy, Sarah became a believable black male slave and managed to extract some much needed information across enemy lines. An Author's Note at the end explains how the rest of Sarah's life went and how she became "the only woman invited to join the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), the association for Civil War veterans of the Union Army."
Marissa Moss is best known for her Amelia's Notebooks series, an early chapter book grouping of titles that served as the precursor to the current Diary of a Wimpy Kid journal boom we're now in. I was under the distinct impression that fiction was Ms. Moss's one and only bag, and this feeling was helped in no small part by the biographical sketch of her that appears on this title's bookflap. Dig a little deeper, however, and you see that Ms. Moss has a longstanding appreciation of history that has manifested itself in a variety of different ways over the years. Penning everything from historical novels like Galen: My Life in Imperial Rome to a journal series of different young American girls to other picture book biographies of too little lauded souls like Ida Lewis, Maggie Gee, Jackie Mitchell, and Harriet Quimby, it's clear that Sarah Edmonds is just the latest in Moss's series of discoveries.
As any author of picture book biographies knows, you have decide right from the start how much of your subject you're willing to reveal. Do you want to encompass a person's entire life from birth to death or would you rather take a slice of their life and blow it up as representative of who they really were? Both techniques have their advantages and disadvantages, but in the case of Ms. Edmonds, Moss took the road less traveled. Though Edmonds had a hugely exciting life that ended with her burial in a cemetery reserved for Civil War veterans (the only woman to have that honor) Moss pinpoints the moment in the woman's life that contains the greatest dramatic flair. So it is that we see Edmonds enlist, fight, rescue, spy, and save the day in the end. Along the way she uses sources like Edmonds' own diary to allow her to say what Sarah feels or thinks at one moment or another. I've a real pet peeve of children's biographies that just assume that they know what their subjects were thinking from one moment to the next. However, if you've that person's diary in hand then you're clearly not making up those emotions. You're merely quoting what they say they felt.
I've seen a lot of picture book biographies of too little known heroes in my day, but I'm fairly certain that this title marks the first time I've ever seen a Bibliography equally split between the author's sources and the illustrator's. In fact, the endmatter of Nurse, Soldier, Spy is remarkable in and of itself. Between the Author's Note, the Artist's Note, the Glossary, the two Bibliographies, photographs of the real Sarah Edmonds, and the Index, it seems petulant to ask for more. Still, I was a little surprised not to see a rudimentary Timeline anywhere in the front or back. School assignments where kids have to select their subjects and write about them usually ask that the kids refer to the Timelines of their subjects. Not having one in this book may, unfortunately, limit its school use, which is a crying shame because unless a kid knows to check the tiny type on the publication page, there's no other way for them to figure out facts like the one stating that Sarah Edmonds was born in 1841.
John Hendrix is the kind of illustrator you don't forget easily. He started out slowly, illustrating books like Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek then sort of burst full-throttle onto the scene with his infinitely gutsy John Brown: His Fight for Freedom. With this, his third Civil War nonfiction picture book, Hendrix's challenge was not dissimilar from that of Ms. Moss. He needed to figure out how much to show, in addition to WHAT to show. For Sarah herself he only had a couple photographs to work off of. On top of that, he explains in his Artist's Note that every detail, from the soldier uniforms to the split-rail log fences had to be accurate to the times. Working with pen and ink and fluid acrylic washes, Hendrix fills his pages not just with images of the action, but also with an eclectic typography that's worth a second and third glance. Some of Ms. Moss's words sit lank upon the page, but other times Hendrix takes particular care to make them pop. Not even the lettering was allowed to be out of synch with the times, though. Nope, Hendrix takes his hand-drawn letters from the illustrated letterforms found on broadside posters from that era. So in a sense, Hendrix is utilizing the same method of advertising and promoting of the war effort to advertise and promote Sarah Edmonds herself. I love watching how Hendrix uses these words too. Sometime a person's sentences will burst out behind them, trailing off the page, as with a confederate soldier who challenges Sarah at the start. Other times they float above in space, drawing attention to themselves. Whatever the case, they're eye-popping, imaginative, and necessary.
The universe likes to present unique children's books in pairs. That is why you'll see two picture book biographies of Jane Goodall come out at the same time or two about Althea Gibson. In the case of Ms. Edmonds, hitherto unknown to schoolchildren nationwide, this book by Ms. Moss comes out in tandem with the Carrie Jones title Sarah Emma Edmonds Was a Great Pretender: The True Story of a Civil War Spy. So should you wish to bulk up your knowledge of this fine and outstanding individual, you have multiple options with which to do so. Regardless of what other books exist out there on the subject, however, this Moss/Hendrix title is a must-read and a must-add to any biographical collection. It's got war. It's got guts. It's got heroism. And it's got a woman that boys and girls alike will find fascinating.
For ages 6-12.
I'm sure you've all heard stories of those women who cut their hair, donned men's clothes, and joined the armed forces during the Civil War. Many a woman did this, but few were as brave and inventive as Sarah Edmonds. Having run away from home at the age of sixteen to escape an arranged marriage, Sarah had been living as a man for three years when she returned to Michigan to join the Union cause. On the field she proved a brave nurse, soldier, and eventual spy. When told to spy on the enemy, Sarah became a believable black male slave and managed to extract some much needed information across enemy lines. An Author's Note at the end explains how the rest of Sarah's life went and how she became "the only woman invited to join the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), the association for Civil War veterans of the Union Army."
Marissa Moss is best known for her Amelia's Notebooks series, an early chapter book grouping of titles that served as the precursor to the current Diary of a Wimpy Kid journal boom we're now in. I was under the distinct impression that fiction was Ms. Moss's one and only bag, and this feeling was helped in no small part by the biographical sketch of her that appears on this title's bookflap. Dig a little deeper, however, and you see that Ms. Moss has a longstanding appreciation of history that has manifested itself in a variety of different ways over the years. Penning everything from historical novels like Galen: My Life in Imperial Rome to a journal series of different young American girls to other picture book biographies of too little lauded souls like Ida Lewis, Maggie Gee, Jackie Mitchell, and Harriet Quimby, it's clear that Sarah Edmonds is just the latest in Moss's series of discoveries.
As any author of picture book biographies knows, you have decide right from the start how much of your subject you're willing to reveal. Do you want to encompass a person's entire life from birth to death or would you rather take a slice of their life and blow it up as representative of who they really were? Both techniques have their advantages and disadvantages, but in the case of Ms. Edmonds, Moss took the road less traveled. Though Edmonds had a hugely exciting life that ended with her burial in a cemetery reserved for Civil War veterans (the only woman to have that honor) Moss pinpoints the moment in the woman's life that contains the greatest dramatic flair. So it is that we see Edmonds enlist, fight, rescue, spy, and save the day in the end. Along the way she uses sources like Edmonds' own diary to allow her to say what Sarah feels or thinks at one moment or another. I've a real pet peeve of children's biographies that just assume that they know what their subjects were thinking from one moment to the next. However, if you've that person's diary in hand then you're clearly not making up those emotions. You're merely quoting what they say they felt.
I've seen a lot of picture book biographies of too little known heroes in my day, but I'm fairly certain that this title marks the first time I've ever seen a Bibliography equally split between the author's sources and the illustrator's. In fact, the endmatter of Nurse, Soldier, Spy is remarkable in and of itself. Between the Author's Note, the Artist's Note, the Glossary, the two Bibliographies, photographs of the real Sarah Edmonds, and the Index, it seems petulant to ask for more. Still, I was a little surprised not to see a rudimentary Timeline anywhere in the front or back. School assignments where kids have to select their subjects and write about them usually ask that the kids refer to the Timelines of their subjects. Not having one in this book may, unfortunately, limit its school use, which is a crying shame because unless a kid knows to check the tiny type on the publication page, there's no other way for them to figure out facts like the one stating that Sarah Edmonds was born in 1841.
John Hendrix is the kind of illustrator you don't forget easily. He started out slowly, illustrating books like Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek then sort of burst full-throttle onto the scene with his infinitely gutsy John Brown: His Fight for Freedom. With this, his third Civil War nonfiction picture book, Hendrix's challenge was not dissimilar from that of Ms. Moss. He needed to figure out how much to show, in addition to WHAT to show. For Sarah herself he only had a couple photographs to work off of. On top of that, he explains in his Artist's Note that every detail, from the soldier uniforms to the split-rail log fences had to be accurate to the times. Working with pen and ink and fluid acrylic washes, Hendrix fills his pages not just with images of the action, but also with an eclectic typography that's worth a second and third glance. Some of Ms. Moss's words sit lank upon the page, but other times Hendrix takes particular care to make them pop. Not even the lettering was allowed to be out of synch with the times, though. Nope, Hendrix takes his hand-drawn letters from the illustrated letterforms found on broadside posters from that era. So in a sense, Hendrix is utilizing the same method of advertising and promoting of the war effort to advertise and promote Sarah Edmonds herself. I love watching how Hendrix uses these words too. Sometime a person's sentences will burst out behind them, trailing off the page, as with a confederate soldier who challenges Sarah at the start. Other times they float above in space, drawing attention to themselves. Whatever the case, they're eye-popping, imaginative, and necessary.
The universe likes to present unique children's books in pairs. That is why you'll see two picture book biographies of Jane Goodall come out at the same time or two about Althea Gibson. In the case of Ms. Edmonds, hitherto unknown to schoolchildren nationwide, this book by Ms. Moss comes out in tandem with the Carrie Jones title Sarah Emma Edmonds Was a Great Pretender: The True Story of a Civil War Spy. So should you wish to bulk up your knowledge of this fine and outstanding individual, you have multiple options with which to do so. Regardless of what other books exist out there on the subject, however, this Moss/Hendrix title is a must-read and a must-add to any biographical collection. It's got war. It's got guts. It's got heroism. And it's got a woman that boys and girls alike will find fascinating.
For ages 6-12.
January 22, 2020
Author Marissa Moss and illustrator John Hendrix present the amazing true story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, AKA Frank Thompson, in this outstanding picture-book biography, successfully capturing both the excitement and adventure of their subject's life, and the tumultuous times in which she lived. Disguising herself as a man in order to escape an arranged marriage, Canadian-born Sarah emigrated south to Michigan, where she eventually enlisted in the Union Army during the American Civil War. A brave and fearless fighter, medic and spy, she experienced much hardship and danger, disguising herself variously as a slave, an old Irish woman and a Southern boy during her undercover missions into Confederate territory. Leaving the army in order to get medical attention for malaria - she was afraid that her secret would be discovered, if she went to an Army doctor - she was never able to return to the military, as "Frank Thompson" was listed as a deserter by the time she recovered. After the war, however, she worked as a nurse, and an advocate of veterans, going on to write an account of her life,
Nurse and Spy in the Union Army
, and successfully campaigning for recognition of her service, and for honorable discharge from the Army.
It's interesting to reflect that, although a number of women fought on both the Union and Confederate sides of the Civil War, Sarah Emma Edmonds is the only one to ever be officially recognized, given a military pension, and invited to join the Union Army veterans' association, The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). Reading this informative and engaging biography from Moss, I am inspired to track down Edmonds' own autobiography, in order to learn more about her extraordinary story. I'd also be interested to read about other women involved in the Civil War, such as doctor Mary Walker (Union), first African-American Army soldier Cathay Williams (Union), North Carolinan fighter Mollie Bean (Confederate), and Cuban-born spy Loreta Janeta Velazquez (Confederate). That Nurse, Soldier, Spy has aroused such enthusiasm in me, both for its specific subject, and for the topic of women involved in the conflict of the Civil War, speaks volumes for its high quality as both a biography and history. The story here is both exciting and educational, and the artwork done by John Hendrix, whose own Civil-War-era picture-book biography of John Brown was likewise outstanding, is appealing. An afterword gives more information about Edmonds, as well as suggestions for further reading. Highly recommended to young readers who enjoy biography, or who are interested in the American Civil War.
It's interesting to reflect that, although a number of women fought on both the Union and Confederate sides of the Civil War, Sarah Emma Edmonds is the only one to ever be officially recognized, given a military pension, and invited to join the Union Army veterans' association, The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). Reading this informative and engaging biography from Moss, I am inspired to track down Edmonds' own autobiography, in order to learn more about her extraordinary story. I'd also be interested to read about other women involved in the Civil War, such as doctor Mary Walker (Union), first African-American Army soldier Cathay Williams (Union), North Carolinan fighter Mollie Bean (Confederate), and Cuban-born spy Loreta Janeta Velazquez (Confederate). That Nurse, Soldier, Spy has aroused such enthusiasm in me, both for its specific subject, and for the topic of women involved in the conflict of the Civil War, speaks volumes for its high quality as both a biography and history. The story here is both exciting and educational, and the artwork done by John Hendrix, whose own Civil-War-era picture-book biography of John Brown was likewise outstanding, is appealing. An afterword gives more information about Edmonds, as well as suggestions for further reading. Highly recommended to young readers who enjoy biography, or who are interested in the American Civil War.
October 21, 2020
Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero is a children's picture book written by Marissa Moss and illustrated by John Hendrix. It focuses on Edmonds' life as a young adult, as she assumes the identity of Frank Thompson and volunteers to join the army as a private.
Sarah Emma Edmonds was a Canadian-born woman who served as a man with the Union Army during the American Civil War. In 1992, she was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.
Moss' text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Moss delivers a riveting narrative, making it clear that Edmonds was fighting for more than one kind of freedom. Hendrix's artwork is a showstopper and his bold caricatures, dominated by midnight blues and sunset golds, convey Edmonds's strength and determination.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Disguised as a man, Edmonds fought at the Battle of Bull Run and elsewhere and eventually further disguised herself as a black slave in order to spy on Confederate forces.
All in all, Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero is a wonderful biography of a Civil War hero who was a nurse, solider, and spy.
Sarah Emma Edmonds was a Canadian-born woman who served as a man with the Union Army during the American Civil War. In 1992, she was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.
Moss' text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Moss delivers a riveting narrative, making it clear that Edmonds was fighting for more than one kind of freedom. Hendrix's artwork is a showstopper and his bold caricatures, dominated by midnight blues and sunset golds, convey Edmonds's strength and determination.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Disguised as a man, Edmonds fought at the Battle of Bull Run and elsewhere and eventually further disguised herself as a black slave in order to spy on Confederate forces.
All in all, Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero is a wonderful biography of a Civil War hero who was a nurse, solider, and spy.
January 3, 2019
Fantastic middle grade picture book that focuses on the life of Sarah Edmonds AKA Frank Thompson, a young woman who pretended to be a man, joined the Union army during the United States Civil War. Well researched by both the author and artist, this would make a great read-aloud for an older classroom visit.
November 18, 2015
This is a great picture book, well researched with fantastic illustrations, describing the civil war experience of a person who was born female and lived as a guy during the civil war (and perhaps beyond). There were many female-born people who "passed" as men in order to fight during the civil war, and it is likely some of them were people who would today identify as trans, transgender or transmasculine.
What sets Frank Thompson aka Frank Thompson/Sarah Edmonds apart from others in similar shoes, is that s/he 1) wrote a memoir, 2) petitioned the military for a pension, 3) was acknowledged by the military as a veteran, 4) did a lot of great social justice-y things after the war ended.
My main complaint is that there is no address of trans-ness, no contextualization of "cross-dressing." Not even in the end notes. I think kids could benefit a lot from a straight-forward address of the different reasons a female-born person might live as a guy, and name the possibility of trans-ness, and also acknowledge the difficulty of using todays categories to describe people's experiences who lived in the past. I think similarly, the concept of "passing" as black or white needs to be addressed. Clearly discussing these topics would require delicacy, but kids deserve to have contextualizing information available in a book like this and adults need to know that it's okay to have such conversations with kids...
What sets Frank Thompson aka Frank Thompson/Sarah Edmonds apart from others in similar shoes, is that s/he 1) wrote a memoir, 2) petitioned the military for a pension, 3) was acknowledged by the military as a veteran, 4) did a lot of great social justice-y things after the war ended.
My main complaint is that there is no address of trans-ness, no contextualization of "cross-dressing." Not even in the end notes. I think kids could benefit a lot from a straight-forward address of the different reasons a female-born person might live as a guy, and name the possibility of trans-ness, and also acknowledge the difficulty of using todays categories to describe people's experiences who lived in the past. I think similarly, the concept of "passing" as black or white needs to be addressed. Clearly discussing these topics would require delicacy, but kids deserve to have contextualizing information available in a book like this and adults need to know that it's okay to have such conversations with kids...
August 29, 2012
Biography PB 10: I would recommend this book because I think it tells of a unknown, yet courageous person in history that has a valuable story to tell. I appreciated that the book highlighted the value of persistence (as she was turned down initially be recruiters) because children can take away the idea that if they work hard at something, they can succeed despite hardship. I think the story of Sarah Edmonds has a strong message about standing up for what you want even in the face of diversity, and this message resonated with me. However, I did think that the book ended abruptly without much recognition or summary as to what happened to her after being a spy. After reading the author’s note, I felt as though some of the information given in the author’s note could have been used in the actual story to make it a stronger story. Because she did many noble things with her life beyond the war, I think it was a shame that the author didn’t incorporate these facts into the story because they had significance.
January 24, 2025
I read this for an after school club and found it really interesting! It didn't feel dopey the way some J NF books can, it was filled with facts but told in a very simple story. Can't wait to see what our next book is going to be!
Update 2025: still iconic. I remembered a lot more details than I thought I would. Even stuff from the author's note stuck with me.
Update 2025: still iconic. I remembered a lot more details than I thought I would. Even stuff from the author's note stuck with me.
August 27, 2022
I am naturally fond of adventure, a little ambitious, and a good deal romantic--but patriotism was the true secret of my success.
Private Frank Thompson served the Union Army in many ways during the Civil War. First, as a soldier. Second, training as a nurse. Third, as a spy, going on ten different missions. After the war, "Frank" published a memoir under the name of Sarah Emma Edmonds. You see, when Frank went to war it was Sarah dressed as a man. Sarah was not the only woman to go to war disguised as a man. She was, however, the first and only woman to be recognized as a veteran of the Civil War with an honorable discharge and to receive a pension and back pay for her service. There were many other firsts for Sarah including writing her own memoir. This book uses facts and quotes from that memoir to tell Sarah's story. The illustrations by John Hendrix make a powerful addition to the narrative. You won't want to miss this fascinating Juvenile Biography.
Private Frank Thompson served the Union Army in many ways during the Civil War. First, as a soldier. Second, training as a nurse. Third, as a spy, going on ten different missions. After the war, "Frank" published a memoir under the name of Sarah Emma Edmonds. You see, when Frank went to war it was Sarah dressed as a man. Sarah was not the only woman to go to war disguised as a man. She was, however, the first and only woman to be recognized as a veteran of the Civil War with an honorable discharge and to receive a pension and back pay for her service. There were many other firsts for Sarah including writing her own memoir. This book uses facts and quotes from that memoir to tell Sarah's story. The illustrations by John Hendrix make a powerful addition to the narrative. You won't want to miss this fascinating Juvenile Biography.
December 29, 2019
Sarah Edmonds was kind of a Civil War era badass. She fled to the US from Canada when her parents tried too marry her off, where she lived as a man named Frank Thompson for 3 years. Eventually she joined the Union and became a spy, often using disguises to gather intelligence. She was highly successful until a bout of malaria forced her to sneak away from camp so she could get treated by a doctor as a woman. When she got better, she found out that Frank Thompson was wanted to desertion, so she returned to living life as a woman. She eventually married and continued to do good works, and is the only woman to be officially recognized as a Civil War vet and even got her pension with back pay!
May 1, 2018
What an amazing woman! Such an amazing life! What she did after the war is just as amazing as what she did during it! I really want to read her book, as well as those others published about her! Read for Info Books for Youth for grad school.
January 7, 2020
I didn't like the story telling, but liked the art.
September 29, 2015
Originally posted on Creative Madness Mama.
Recommended to Margaret by: Laura Mihalick
Read in November, 2011 — I own a copy
When I wanted to get information together to join a descendants group, my father, the genealogist, insisted that I join through a woman. I have no doubt that he would be delighted with the idea of this book. Though my descendant group was back to the revolutionary war I am certain anyone who could claim descendancy to Sarah Edmonds would be as proud as I am to my Sarah Butler.
This is a great biographical addition to any library. Reading through her storylife and seeing the vivid time-authentic pictures is exciting and adventurous for any child.
Typed on a NookColor.
Thanks to Abrams for providing a copy for review.
John Hendrix teaches illustration at Washington University. He lives in St. Louis.
Praise for Nurse, Soldier, Spy by Marissa Moss
“The incredible story of how Sarah Edmonds becomes Frank Thompson is full of adventure, bravado and pathos. Spirited pen-and-ink drawings, full of period detail and war action always focus on the intriguing Frank…” –San Francisco Chronicle
“Readers won't stop until the last page of Marissa Moss' exciting Civil War story about Sarah Edmonds' life as a man in the Union Army. Vivid illustrations by artist John Hendrix match Moss' exciting account of Sarah's life in the Army.” –Sacramento Bee
“Hendrix's artwork is, as usual, a showstopper, and his bold caricatures convey Edmonds's strength and determination. Moss delivers a riveting narrative, making it clear that Edmonds was fighting for more than one kind of freedom.” –Publishers Weekly, starred review
“The focused view makes the book accessible for children. The pen-and-ink with acrylic wash illustrations are full of vibrant detail. Hendrix presents a meticulous view of military life, including army camp layouts and fortifications. Hand-drawn typography highlights important or humorous points in the text and adds even more visual interest.” –School Library Journal
“Hendrix’s art emphasizes the horror and drama of war. Using hand-lettered text reminiscent of broadsides of the time, he visually shouts danger to the reader when tension is the highest.” –Horn Book
“In ink-and-wash illustrations, Hendrix again displays his knack for visual narrative. The aerial view of Edmonds approaching the Confederate camp is particularly effective. This large-format picture book illustrates Edmonds’ courage and determination while conveying a good deal of information in a highly readable way.” –Booklist
“Admirable and enlightening. Moss is a lively prose writer, and Hendrix’s illustrations inject humor into what is actually a serious subject.” –The New York Times
“Boldly illustrated. The text is full of interesting details. This book strikes a fine balance which conveys the horrors of the Civil War without portraying too much blood and violence for elementary readers. A very useful and researchable picture book.” –Library Media Connection, starred review
This review was originally posted on Creative Madness Mama.
March 9, 2015
The authors Marissa Moss and John Hendrix in this very engaging picture book "Nurse, Soldier, Spy. The story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero" present an extraordinary life story of the woman who “discovered the freedom of taking big strides unhindered by heavy skirts”. It tells the story of Sarah Emma Edmonds who is the first and only documented woman to become a soldier in the Civil War. Dressed like a man and pretending to be a man she showed courage and bravery but also emotional and physical strength to support the Union army. Frank Thompson, as she named herself, was only nineteen when she joined the army but soon showed off her extraordinary skills at the battlefield. At the end of the book, she is accused of treason but the note from the author gives a new light on this heroine of the era.
The colorful pastel-painted pictures influenced by the real posters and banners of the Civil War times on each page of the book, make the story accessible to every reader. Therefore the book may be incorporated into the unit of the Civil War when learning about the biographies of the famous people involved in the war.
The colorful pastel-painted pictures influenced by the real posters and banners of the Civil War times on each page of the book, make the story accessible to every reader. Therefore the book may be incorporated into the unit of the Civil War when learning about the biographies of the famous people involved in the war.
August 5, 2011
Filled with lively pen and ink illustrations, hand-drawn typography, and an engaging text, this story of Sarah Edmonds, a woman who disguised herself as a man to avoid an arranged marriage, follows Sarah as she enlists in the army during the Civil War as a private. Not only did she fight alongside the men who became her friends, but she also carried some of them from the battlefield and nursed them. Eventually, Sarah became a spy, slipping behind the Confederates' lines in order to bring back information to the Union troops. What an inspiring story about a brave woman who longed for freedom--and then did what she needed to do to gain it! An Author's Note, Artist's Note, a Glossary, and a Bibliography provide additional information and resources for those curious to know more about this amazing woman.
March 20, 2018
Drop any knowledge you thought you had on the Civil War. Did you know that there were women fighting? YES, women!! The intriguing stories of the hundreds of women who disguised themselves as men to fight in the Civil War are becoming more known through biographies just like this one. This book is centered around Sarah Edmonds who fled to Canada dressed as a man to escape an arranged marriage. She bravely enlisted in the Union Army to fight in the Civil War, and made a name for herself as a marksman and nurse before she was eventually recruited to be a spy.
The age for this book would be from 8-12. The wording in this story is more difficult and longer paragraphs. But this book is a good feminist story, showing women can do just as much as men.
The age for this book would be from 8-12. The wording in this story is more difficult and longer paragraphs. But this book is a good feminist story, showing women can do just as much as men.
July 29, 2024
This neat story about a woman who accomplished many things as a soldier during the Civil War surprised me. I had never read about her before but Sara Edmonds, though born Canadian, fought on behalf of the Union army. As a nurse she worked tirelessly to save her fellow soldiers and her heroism led to her being chosen as a spy. While on her first mission as a spy she swore to better the plight of slaves who helped her. Later in life she married a man who helped her in her fight against slavery.
I especially appreciated the authors & illustrators notes at the end of the book.
I especially appreciated the authors & illustrators notes at the end of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2013
To avoid an arranged marriage, Sarah Edmonds dressed as a man and ran off to Canada. It worked out so well for her that she continued dressing as a man and eventually returned to Michigan where she signed up in the Union army under the name of Frank Thompson. Frank was involved in quite a few battles, served as a nurse, and even a spy.
I liked the illustrations in this colorful book and wish I had come across it a bit sooner when we were studying the Civil War.
holiday #bookaday
I liked the illustrations in this colorful book and wish I had come across it a bit sooner when we were studying the Civil War.
holiday #bookaday
February 22, 2016
While the life, Sarah led is very different than mine...and not a life I would want to lead...I found her story engaging and inspiring. Sarah dressed up as a man and fought in the Civil War ...spending time as a nurse, soldier and spy. I think I was just as impressed by the information in the author's note describing how hard she and her husband worked after the war to make life better for African Americans and many others.
July 22, 2011
Sarah Edmonds was the only woman to be recognized as a Civil War veteran and awarded an honorable discharge, back pay and pension, and buried in the veterans' section of a Civil War cemetery. I had never heard of Sarah Edmonds before reading this book and I can't wait to share this well-reseached, fascinating book with my students.
May 25, 2013
I give the story itself 5 stars but I'm not too fond of the bobble-head look of the art and give that 2.5 stars so that averages out to be about 4 stars.
Sarah Edmonds' story is a fascinating one, as interesting as Mary Walkers' tale set around the same time. I think Edmonds' adventures were actually more dangerous and therefore exciting to read.
Sarah Edmonds' story is a fascinating one, as interesting as Mary Walkers' tale set around the same time. I think Edmonds' adventures were actually more dangerous and therefore exciting to read.
August 11, 2017
A great introduction into a life we don't hear enough about--Sarah Edmonds, a woman who chose to live as a man before and during the Civil War. Cited for bravery, she was asked to spy on the South, and did so successfully. This short book chronicles her story, but she wrote her own.
November 1, 2019
Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero, is a literary nonfiction picture book about a women named Sarah Edmonds who ran away from home because she didn't want to get married to a man that her parents had set up an arranged marriage with. So when Sarah ran away she escaped to The United States of America, where she disguised herself as a man and changed her name to Frank Thomson, so she could leave her whole life behind her. Sarah then one day saw a poster requesting for recruits to fight in the Civil War that had just broke out between the Union and the Southern States, and that's where I leaving off my summary, so your going to have to read the book to find out what happens.
Overall I didn't really enjoy this book, and that's probably just because I'm not a big fan on nonfiction stories whether they're picture books or not. I did enjoy the illustrations, they were very detailed and the illustrator did a good job on them, but I feel like the author could have put in more details. Although I did like how at the end where it provided the Author and Illustrators bibliography's it showed underneath them two pictures of Sarah Edmonds, a picture of her as a woman and a picture of her disguised as Frank Thompson (Sarah Disguised as a man).
Overall I didn't really enjoy this book, and that's probably just because I'm not a big fan on nonfiction stories whether they're picture books or not. I did enjoy the illustrations, they were very detailed and the illustrator did a good job on them, but I feel like the author could have put in more details. Although I did like how at the end where it provided the Author and Illustrators bibliography's it showed underneath them two pictures of Sarah Edmonds, a picture of her as a woman and a picture of her disguised as Frank Thompson (Sarah Disguised as a man).
March 9, 2019
This is the pretty amazing true story of a woman who disguised herself as a man and fought in the Civil War. She was a soldier, a field nurse, and a spy who used disguises like an African-American man or an Irish peddler woman. At one point accused of deserting when she ran away to get treatment for malaria rather than be found out to be a woman, she eventually received an honorable discharge and became the only woman to be admitted to the union Army's Civil War soldier's organization and later be buried with full honors in their cemetery.
The story is told in a colorful manner, using some large typeface and great illustrations. My grandkids had heard of Sarah Edmonds, but she and other women on the battle field were never mentioned when I went to school, and I really enjoyed reading her story. They did, too, passing it around the day I brought it home from the library. The only problem is that kids tend to skip the information at the end that gives the details of her life, (it's one page of very small print), so I suggested they read it, too. They were both impressed by what they learned there.
The story is told in a colorful manner, using some large typeface and great illustrations. My grandkids had heard of Sarah Edmonds, but she and other women on the battle field were never mentioned when I went to school, and I really enjoyed reading her story. They did, too, passing it around the day I brought it home from the library. The only problem is that kids tend to skip the information at the end that gives the details of her life, (it's one page of very small print), so I suggested they read it, too. They were both impressed by what they learned there.
March 14, 2023
I picked up this children's book when I saw it displayed for women's history month. I noticed it because I had an old book about the same person, Sarah Edmonds, with a similar name that I had never finished reading. It was given to me by a family member because I love old books and I am also a nurse. I figured I could read the kids book as a quick way to "finish" the old book and know what it was about. Sarah's story was very interesting but I found out from the author's note in the back more about Sarah's own book. It turns out the old book I own is one of the 175,000 copies of Nurse and Spy written by Sarah Edmonds herself and published in 1865 just 2 years after service in the civil war. Holy crap. That old book means a lot more to me now that I have a better understanding of it and Sarah Edmonds.
April 1, 2019
I picked this book up from the library because I recognized the illustrator and was curious. The story was intriguing, but I don't know if I could quite feel that Sara Edmonds was truly heroic. A woman dressing as a man in order to be allowed to fight in the war on the surface seemed brave and bold, but in another way seemed cowardly. Sara was hiding who she was so much of the time, by pretending to be a man and then in her various spy disguises. She did serve the United States bravely in a time of crisis. I am thankful for her service and that in the end it was recognized. However, I don't know that this is the type of example I necessarily want to hold up to my children.
I did love the illustrations!
I did love the illustrations!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2020
There are several women who dressed as men during the Civil War, but so far as I know, Sara Emma Edmonds was the only one who actually lived as a man before enlisting in the army. At age 16 she ran away from her home in Canada to escape a marriage arranged by her parents. She crossed the border into Michigan and lived for several years disguised as a man by the name of Frank Thompson. At nineteen she enlisted in the Union Army. As the title of this book suggests, she filled many roles as a Union soldier. It was so fun to read some of her story, and Hendrix’s art and the hand-lettering he contributed for the text is top notch. This would be great as part of a study of the civil war or if you are trying to introduce kids to more great women from history.
June 18, 2019
Summary:
This biography tells the story of Sarah Emma Edmonds. She lived during the time of the Civil War, and at age 19 disguised herself as a man so she was able to fight. She joined the army under the name Frank Thompson. She acted as a soldier and nurse. She was asked to be a spy because of her actions.
Review:
This book is a window into the life of Sarah Edmonds, a female living during the Civil War. This book truly illustrates her strength and resilience as a woman who was ahead of her time. The illustrations enhance the story by providing a glimpse into that time period. This is an empowering book for young girls to read.
This biography tells the story of Sarah Emma Edmonds. She lived during the time of the Civil War, and at age 19 disguised herself as a man so she was able to fight. She joined the army under the name Frank Thompson. She acted as a soldier and nurse. She was asked to be a spy because of her actions.
Review:
This book is a window into the life of Sarah Edmonds, a female living during the Civil War. This book truly illustrates her strength and resilience as a woman who was ahead of her time. The illustrations enhance the story by providing a glimpse into that time period. This is an empowering book for young girls to read.
June 22, 2020
What is a girl to do when her parents want her to dawn a wedding dress and marry a man of their choosing? Runs away, of course.
This girl had the gall to ditch her skirts and dress as a man to fight in the Civil War. She not only acted as a nurse and a soldier, but she went undercover as a slave to figure out how the Confederates knew about the Union's plans. Girl went hard. An amazing story of an amazing woman who fought against slavery when she herself was a white Canadian woman. She could have let this war go on without her but she risked her life (and a dishonorable discharge) to fight for what's right.
This girl had the gall to ditch her skirts and dress as a man to fight in the Civil War. She not only acted as a nurse and a soldier, but she went undercover as a slave to figure out how the Confederates knew about the Union's plans. Girl went hard. An amazing story of an amazing woman who fought against slavery when she herself was a white Canadian woman. She could have let this war go on without her but she risked her life (and a dishonorable discharge) to fight for what's right.
January 29, 2024
Sarah Edmonds - what an intriguing woman! Disguising herself as a man to escape an arranged marriage at the age of 16 then enlisting in the Union Army under her disguised name and serving as a soldier, a nurse, and a spy during the Civil War. Returning to her own name and physical appearance as a woman after the war and working to help African-American children whose fathers had died in the war. Proving what she did as a soldier during the war so that she could be discharged with honor and then ultimately being the only woman to be buried in a plot reserved for Civil War veterans. Sarah Edmonds - what an intriguing woman and what an incredible picture book biography this is!
May 20, 2018
This fast-paced, high-energy picture book tells the true story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, who at age nineteen disguised herself as a man in order to fight in the Civil War. She took the name Frank Thompson and joined a Michigan army regiment to battle the Confederacy. Sarah excelled as a soldier and nurse on the battlefield. Because of her heroism, she was asked to become a spy.
Colorful and eye-catching style throughout the book. Very interesting - and as always be sure to read the author's note at the end for further information about this remarkable girl!
Colorful and eye-catching style throughout the book. Very interesting - and as always be sure to read the author's note at the end for further information about this remarkable girl!
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