Includes diary entries, personal letters, and archival photographs to describe the experiences of boys, sixteen years old or younger, who fought in the Civil War.

"Wartime is often thought of through the eyes of those who fought on the battlefield, but war affects everyone in a nation-including kids! This volume covers what life was like for kids who lived through the American Civil War. Readers learn about Civil War-era clothes, schools, and the differences of life in the Northern and Southern states. Historical images complement the age-appropriate content and language to aid comprehension. Fact boxes add...

Sometimes a war's greatest heroes are its survivors, those who manage to forge new lives despite the tragedy they have experienced. For the sixteen unsung heroes profiled in Beyond Their Years, surviving also meant surrendering their childhood. These children found themselves on the edge of the fray - both in combat and in the throes of daily life - helping, or simply enduring, as best their interrupted youths allowed. Their behind-the-scenes stories...

Uses a story about two friends whose parents support opposite sides to introduce information about the Civil War and everyday life at that time.

Explores the lives of children during the Civil War, including those who joined armies, others who stayed home, and the large numbers made homeless because of the conflict.

Discusses what life was like for Americans during the Civil War; follows a year in the lives of two fictional families: a white family from the South and a Black family from the North; and presents projects and activities from that time period.

"What is little known about the American Civil War is that both women and children enlisted in an attempt to make a difference in the struggle to determine the future of the United States of America"--