(4) YA During the Civil War's siege of Vicksburg, Claire Louise's family, like many others, lives in a cave while waiting to return home. As Claire Louise's brother and father fight on opposite sides, the family's bond is tested. The story includes some far-fetched subplots, but its unique setting and vivid descriptions are affecting. Bib.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(2) 4-6 Three children--a girl from a prominent Vicksburg family, the son of a minister, and Ulysses S. Grant's son--share, through edited first-person accounts, their experiences over the eighteen-month Battle of Vicksburg. That Fred Grant would be permitted (even encouraged) to accompany his father on such a dangerous campaign shows modern readers a reality much different from their own. Reading list, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009

(3) 4-6 Civil War series. The books in this series consistently recount key Civil War battles in a readable text that makes judicious use of quotes from participants (though the sources of the quotes are not attributed). Supplemental information about notable figures, locations, and incidents is included in sidebars, while historical reproductions and occasional photographs add further accessibility to the brief books. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Civil War titles: The Battle of Antietam, The Battle of Gettysburg, The Battle of Vicksburg, The Battle of Bull Run.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 A concise text discusses the importance of Vicksburg, Mississippi, as a key Civil War battle site, identifies major participants such as Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, and uses carefully chosen vignettes to describe the battle. Profuse black-and-white photographs and reproductions add interest and drama to the book. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta