Soldier's Heart: Being the Story of the Enlistment and Due Service of the Boy Charley Goddard in the First Minnesota Volunteers

Description: At the start of the Civil War in 1861, 15-year-old Charlie leaves his farm and enlists in the First Minnesota Volunteers. After experiencing the horrors of war, Charlie comes back a man changed forever. This "stark, utterly persuasive novel of combat life" ("New York Times"), by a three-time Newbery Honor winner, explores the condition of battle fatigue.

Review Quotes: "A stark, utterly persuasive novel of combat life in the Civil War that may well challenge generations of middle-school readers."--The New York Times

"Paulsen's storytelling is so psychologically true that readers will feel they have lived through Charley's experience."--Publishers Weekly, Starred

"The nightmare of the Civil War comes to the pages in this novel from Paulsen . . . based on the real-life experiences of a young enlistee."--Kirkus Reviews, Pointer

"The novel's spare, simple language and vivid visual images of brutality and death on the battlefield make it accessible and memorable to young people."--Booklist, Starred