Bookverdict.com

Gr 4–6—Levy (We Shall Overcome: The Story of a Song) once again combines music and history, this time penning a sophisticated picture book that presents a moment in the Civil War through the framework of soldiers' songs. An introductory note places students within the context of the Civil War, but the bulk of the story revolves around the Battle of Fredericksburg. While stuck at an impasse on opposite sides of a river after an unexpected Rebel victory, recovering soldiers marked their days with musical military rituals and spent their nights trading opposing patriotic songs that they "fired back and fo...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

In December 1862, Union and Confederate forces made winter camp near Fredericksburg, Virginia. Levy describes their shared situations: "All suffered the same cold and muck, bad food and sickness. All longed for an end to the fighting." Without active combat, the soldiers occupied themselves in a number of ways, including writing letters and making music, two pastimes highlighted here. Strains of songs, illustrated as vibrant orange tendrils passing between the somber shades of each camp, s...Log In or Sign Up to Read More