Ford, Carin. Overview of the American Civil War Through Primary Sources.

Ford, Carin.  Overview of the American Civil War Through Primary Sources.  Enslow 2013  48p   $18.00  ISBN 978-0-7660-4124-0 elm/ms  series: Civil War Through Primary Sources  VG

“Introduces the American Civil War, including the causes of the conflict, background on the Union and the Confederacy, the major battles and important historical figures, and how the Union won the war.”  Upper-elementary and middle-school students who enjoy reading about history will appreciate this new title on the American Civil War.  Students will gain a better understanding of this important war through the use of primary sources, including portrait photographs, artwork, maps, illustrations, and personal quotations.  The author provided a great number of details on the causes of the war, information on the Union and the Confederacy, the various battles, key historical figures, and how the war was won by the Union.  Written in a story-like manner, the book conveys knowledge while also presenting a great many primary sources to help students feel more connected to what really happened so long ago. 

The author includes colorful graphics, a timeline of events, maps, artwork, portrait reprints, personal quotations, chapter notes, a glossary of terms, a list of books and Internet addresses, and an index.   Through the use of primary sources, each title in this series of six (as of this review) helps students understand the story of the war that reunited the Union and ended slavery forever.   

Civil War-Primary Sources                             --Charleen Forba-Mayer

Ford, Carin. Women of the Civil War Through Primary Sources.

Ford, Carin.  Women of the Civil War Through Primary Sources.     Enslow    2013 48p  $23.93  ISBN 978-0-7660-4128-8  elm/ms  series: Civil War Through Primary Sources  VG-BNS 

The roles that women played during the American Civil War are described, with examples of primary and secondary sources of information in the illustrations that are scattered through the book.  On both sides of the conflict, women worked at home to support the soldiers, making them packets called Housewives that were filled with needles and thread and other necessary supplies.  They served as nurses, spies, and in many cases, soldiers.  (They had to pretend to be men to do this.)  The writing is good, the layout is attractive, and the book includes an easy-to-follow timeline, a glossary, chapter notes, a list of books and internet addresses for further reading, and an index. The goal of the series, which is, in addition to teaching the kids some history, to teach them to discern the difference between primary and secondary sources, should have been discussed more overtly in a foreword of some sort.  Instead, the book relies on a teacher discussing this prior to looking at the book with the students.  Illustrations of primary-source materials are marked with a special designation, and those that depict secondary sources are not.  Women of the Civil War Through Primary Sources is a part of the Through Primary Sources series.  It includes books on the Gettysburg Address, African American soldiers, and an overview of the war itself.    

Civil War                                                         --Carol Kennedy

Birth of a Warrior.

Ford, Michael Birth of a Warrior.
Walker & Co 2008 262p 16.99 978-0-8027-9794-0 ms/hs

Set at the beginning of the Greco-Persian Wars, this novel of ancient Sparta is filled with both action and history. Lysander, son of a Helot woman and a Spartan warrior, is saved from a life as a slave by his grandfather and is undergoing brutal training as a Spartan warrior. Set at the beginning of the Greco-Persian Wars, this novel of ancient Sparta is filled with both action and history. Lysander, son of a Helot woman and a Spartan warrior, is saved from a life as a slave by his grandfather. He has been admitted to the warrior academy where both his acceptance by the other boys has been merciless and his training brutal. In order to prove his worthiness, he is forced to repudiate his Helot people and participate in the beating of his best friend. Afterwards, he is sent on a survival quest to the mountains with two other boys in order to prove his abilities. While on quest, they stumble across a Persian army readying an attack and must convince their elders that the young warriors can help save the city.
This is an engaging suspenseful, well-written historical fiction with excellent characterizations and a well paced plot and does not sugarcoat the violent time period. It is filled with exciting adventures and bloody battle scenes and will attract middle and high school readers while providing access to a slice of real history. It will leave its readers waiting breathlessly for the next installment and might stimulate further study into the time period.
S.Ogintz

Hotel On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

Ford, Jamie Hotel On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet.
Ballantine see Random 2009 290p 24.00 978-0-345-50533-0 hs/adult

When possessions of interned Japanese-American citizens are unearthed from the basement of Seattle's recently renovated Panama Hotel, Henry reminisces about his childhood sweetheart and wonders what happened to her and her family. Just before the Japanese internment during W.W.II, 12 year old Henry befriends Keiko, another scholarship student at his all white private school. Both are ostracized and bullied by other students and work together in the school cafeteria to earn their keep. Henry is first-generation Chinese American; Keiko is of Japanese decent. Henry's father, a fervent Chinese nationalist shuns the Japanese, whose section of the city borders Chinatown. Keiko's family is fond of Henry and is supportive of their friendship. Their world is turned upside down as the Japanese-Americans are sent to internment camps. Forty years later, possessions of the Japanese Americans are unearthed from the basement of Seattle's newly renovated Panama Hotel. A recently widowed Henry reminisces about the times he and Keiko spent together and wonders what happened to Keiko and her family. His college age son tries to assist Henry in is quest to find out. This story, with chapters highlighting both Henry's childhood years in 1942 and his current (1982) life, creates a stunning portrait of life during the war era and how the internment destroyed Seattle's Japanese community and damaged families. This also a hopeful mystery that begs for a happy ending. This book is recommended for books of note and would be an excellent follow-up to Farewell to Manzanar. T. Weinraub