The Not So Boring Letters of Private Nobody

January 1, 2018

Gr 5-7-Seventh-grader Oliver Prichard can name every general and battle of the Civil War; he even participates in historical reenactments. So when he learns that a major history project is based on the Civil War, he feels confident that this will be his moment to shine. But there are two factors in Oliver's way: first, he is paired with Ella, a disheveled girl who is often staring out the window. Also, Oliver and Ella are assigned to research Private Raymond Stone, a Union soldier who died of dysentery, a long way from the glory-filled stories Oliver prefers to tell. As he begins to explore Private Stone's wartime experience, Oliver stumbles on a more engaging story, including a mystery about the soldier's enlistment. He also invites his friend, Kevin Kim, to join the quest which takes them from the Doylestown Historical Society to Gettysburg. Along the way, it is not only Private Stone's story that becomes more compelling-Ella's does, too. Oliver makes major missteps in navigating both the project and his "more than friends" interest in Ella, but with the help of his enthusiastic history teacher, Oliver reaches a more nuanced understanding of the Civil War and of his first crush. One of the novel's strongest scenes touches on the national debate about Confederate monuments. Although the dialogue between the characters feels stiff at times, the topic will appeal to young history buffs. VERDICT A solid choice for middle grade collections, especially those seeking contemporary stories with a healthy dose of historical content and curricular connections.-Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2017
For seventh-grader Oliver, nothing's fair when it comes to war, first love, or group projects.Finally, after dedicating most of his young life to the Civil War--memorizing battles, generals, and dates and even spending weekends as a re-enactor--Oliver hears the announcement he's been waiting for: his social studies class will begin its study of the divisive war. He feels a rebellion of his own, however, when his teacher also announces that their culminating activity will be a partner project and his partner turns out to be Ella, a sloppy, near-failing loner. Things go from bad to worse when, instead of picking a prominent general, the white classmates are assigned Pvt. Raymond Stone, a soldier who died of dysentery in Gettysburg without making it to battle. Korean-American Kevin eventually joins Oliver and Ella, and together, the trio uses primary-source documents to research the fictional soldier's life. Along the way in this peppy, informational story, they not only discover many surprises about the war, such as Quaker pacifism and the impact of and on African-Americans, but their own strengths as individuals. Headstrong Oliver even learns to lead with his heart--especially when it comes to Ella, who makes it skip a beat--and to see the humanity of the common participants in the Civil War.Teacher Landis knows how middle schoolers work, and he shows his skill here. (author's note) (Fiction. 9-12)

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January 15, 2018
A history project seems tailor-made for Civil War buff and battle re-enactor Oliver Pritchard, but the seventh-grader balks when he’s paired up with an unkempt and failing classmate, Ella Berry, and assigned a humdrum local private as a subject. Oliver is furious that his encyclopedic knowledge of Civil War battles will be wasted (and unhappy about being forced to work with a partner), and his many frustrations and questionable social skills lead to an array of hilariously awkward moments. Landis (League of American Traitors) strongly sketches the differences between Oliver and Ella’s personalities and families, contrasting Oliver’s more modest home and curious parents with Ella’s workaholic, appearance-oriented family, eventually revealing how Ella attempts to gain attention through her poor grades and sloppiness. The story’s pace and romantic tension build as the students gel as a team, research primary sources, and create a documentary. The mystery they solve about Private Stone offers tension and interest, but it’s the chemistry between these two characters that is the real star. Ages 10–14. Agent: Lauren Galit, LKG Agency.

December 15, 2017
Grades 5-7 Not every seventh-grader looks forward to the big Civil War project, but Oliver is different. He's the only teen member of the 104th Pennsylvania Volunteers reenactment group, which spends Saturday mornings prepping for the Battle of Gettysburg's 150th anniversary. When his teacher pairs him with Ella, who is currently failing social studies, Oliver protests. But gradually he finds himself falling for her, despite their disagreements about the direction of their project, which involves researching primary-source documents at the local historical society. After he hurts her feelings, a grand gesture helps to put things right. Both Oliver and Ella come across as strong-willed, vulnerable kidsElla struggling with parental issues, and Oliver flailing in the previously untested waters of romance, while gradually reevaluating what he thought he knew about the Civil War. A social studies teacher, Landis challenges readers to see history as more than endless battles, dates, and generals. Each setting (school, homes, historical societies, reenactment practice field, and Gettysburg) adds another dimension to the characters and issues in this appealing novel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)