Across Five Aprils

Irene Hunt

Jan 2002 · Sold by Penguin

About this eBook

The Newbery Award-winning author of Up a Road Slowly presents the unforgettable story of Jethro Creighton—a brave boy who comes of age during the turbulent years of the Civil War.

In 1861, America is on the cusp of war, and young Jethro Creighton is just nine-years-old. His brother, Tom, and his cousin, Eb, are both of fighting age. As Jethro's family is pulled into the conflict between the North and the South, loyalties are divided, dreams are threatened, and their bonds are put to the test in this heart-wrenching, coming of age story. 

“Drawing from family records and from stories told by her grandfather, the author has, in an uncommonly fine narrative, created living characters and vividly reconstructed a crucial period of history.”—Booklist

Ratings and reviews

The plot goes a little something like this: A family in southern Illinois is struck unexpectedly by the American Civil War. All but two of father Matt Creighton’s children join the war, but with conflicting opinions, stuff isn’t all good. It is a book filled with tragedy, triumph, and the tales of a kid called Jethro Creighton. Seriously though, go read this book, if you like the American Civil War. Many major- and not so major battles, as well as generals get a considerable amount of mention. Even the problem with soldiers deserting gets mentioned. It makes a nice history lesson, and is a great book to read. I read this book in school, I liked it quite a bit.

This book could be amazing after the first chapter. I wouldn't know, because I couldn't get past the first chapter. Not because the dialect was almost impossible to understand, which it was, but because that first chapter was so boring it makes watching grass grow (starting in winter) look like a Indianna Jones movie.

The book is so boring because who really cares about how they feel about the war its history Its bound to repeat itself

About the author

Irene Hunt was the author of many distinguished books for young readers. Her first novel, Across Five Aprils, was a Newberry Award nominee and received a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. Her second novel, Up a Road Slowly, was awarded the Newberry Medal in 1966. Ms. Hunt was born in southern Illinois and received degrees from the University of Illinois and the University of Colorado. For many years she taught in the public schools of northern Illinois, and later taught psychology at the University of South Dakota. She died in 2001.