Sixteen voices are commandingly woven into a fascinating, fast-paced account of the Civil War battle of Bull Run. Blending humor, excitement and danger with a grim depiction of war, Fleischman moves in and out of the lives of characters who represent diverse backgrounds, experiences and points of view: north, south, black, white, male, female, military, civilian, etc. Among them are southern colonel Oliver Brattle, whose passion for battle has long ago died; Lily Malloy, the anxious sister of a northern soldier; and Gideon Adams, who "passes" for white in order to fight for the North. Each of the sixteen characters speaks in separate chapters that advance the story while remaining firmly rooted in the experience of the individual. The action begins in the days and weeks preceeding Bull Run, and advances up to and through the disastrous battle, when lives are changed forever. Chapter headings identifying each speaker are enhanced by David Frampton's woodcuts, unique for each character, which further distinguish the shift from one distinctive voice to the next. The author has provided a listing of the various characters and the pages on which they speak at the end of the book so that the work may be easily adapted for the stage or readers' theater. Honor Book, 1993 CCBC Newbery Award Discussion. (Age 11 and older)

A Civil War drama told in sixteen voices, this ‘is a heartbreaking and remarkably vivid portrait of a war that remains our nation’s bloodiest conflict.… Fleischman’s artistry is nothing short of astounding.’ —Publishers Weekly. ‘Fleischman has done what he does best—create a unique piece of fiction with echoes of his poetry throughout.’ —H. ‘Outstanding… unforgettable as historical fiction… an important book for every library.’ —SLJ.

Notable Children's Books of 1994 (ALA)
1994 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)
1994 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book)
Best Books of 1993 (SLJ)
1993 Books for Youth Editors' Choices (BL)

1994 Teachers' Choices (IRA)
Notable 1994 Childrens' Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)
1994 Notable Trade Books in the Language Arts (NCTE)
1994 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for Children
1993 Choices: The Year's Best Books (Publishers Weekly)
Children's Books of 1993 (Library of Congress)
1994 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library)
100 Books for Reading and Sharing 1994 (NY Public Library)

1994 Silver Medal for Literature (Commonwealth Club of California)
1994 Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award Winner (Westchester, NY Library System)