Civil War Re-Enactment in a New Light

Editor's note: Every week, staff at the will suggest one book, DVD or other item to check out from the library.

• Type: Fiction
• Title: Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run
  
• Author: Michael Hemphill and Sam Riddleburger

Stonewall Hinkleman is tired of three things: his name, the bugle boy role he’s forced to play at Civil War reenactments, and the story of his ancestor Cyrus, who died of a bullet wound to the butt during the Battle of Bull Run.

Because of Cyrus’ injury, Stonewall has always thought of him as a coward (who else would get shot in the butt during the first battle of the Civil War?).

But then Stonewall leaves his bugle at home and is forced to purchase a new one at a Bull Run battle reenactment, and the first time he uses it, he is suddenly and magically transported back in time to the real Battle of Bull Run where he finds himself fighting alongside Cyrus!

While he fights to keep Cyrus alive—and to keep the outcome of the war from changing due to another battle re-enactor, a Confederate supporter, who has also magically time-traveled—Stonewall learns to view reenactments, real history, his own ancestors and himself in a new light.

For more good Civil War fiction, check out W.R. Philbrick’s novel The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, which tells about young Homer’s adventures as he searches for his older brother Harold during Battle of Gettysburg. This book is currently shelved in the Bluestem Award Nominee section in Youth Services.

Civil War and history buffs might also like The Battle of Bull Run (J 973.731 LAS) and The Underground Railroad (J 973.7115 LAS), two different interactive history adventures (similar to Choose Your Own Adventure books), both by Allison Lassieur.