Description: An interactive Civil War adventure where the reader determines their fate during a daring escape from a Confederate prison.
Brief description: Jessica Gunderson grew up in the small town of Washburn, North Dakota. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of North Dakota and an MFA in Creative Writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She has written more than one hundred books for young readers. Her book President Lincoln's Killer and the America He Left Behind won a 2018 Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Silver Award. She currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
Review Quotes: These titles give students the chance to participate vicariously in some of the greatest escapes in history. An introduction sets the scene, then the book has readers choose one of three characters to follow, making more than a dozen choices to try and escape. Each character and setting is based on "historical accounts and war-time scenarios." Illustrations and photos show the setting and some of the historical figures involved. Suggested reading and Internet sites for further investigation are offered. Other extras include maps of key locations, lists of key events, a bibliography, and a glossary. Besides the opportunity to explore each of the possible choices within the narrative, there are also a few additional scenarios suggested in "Other Paths to Explore." VERDICT Would work well with social studies units but would also be a perfect introduction to history through the lure of "choose your own adventure" style presentation.--Suzanne Costner, Fairview Elementary School, TN "School Library Journal"