Across Five Aprils

by Irene Hunt

Overview

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

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780425182789
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/08/2002
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	18,892
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 10.94(h) x 0.61(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

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.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“An intriguing and beautifully written book...”— The New York Times

“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

“A powerfully moving story about the Creighton family of Southern Illinois and their personal struggles in the War Between the States.”— Chicago Daily News

“This beautifully written novel offers valuable insights into the difficulties faced by families and communities caught up in the political, economic, and personal upheavals of war..”— School Journal

Awards for Irene Hunt

Across Five Aprils,was named a Newbery Honor book in 1965, received the Charles W. Follett Award in 1964, and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1966. In addition, Hunt's work The Everlasting Hills received the Parents'Choice Award in 1985.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Novels of Irene Hunt

“A deeply affecting, affirmative story.”—Booklist

“A powerfully moving story.”—Chicago Daily News

“An intriguing and beautifully written book, a prize to those who take the time to read it, whatever their ages.”—The New York Times

“This is a beautifully written book, filled with bloodshed, hate, and tears, but also with love, loyalty, and compassion, with unforgettable characters, and with ideas and implications that have meaning for young people today.”—Chicago Tribune

From the Publisher

Narrator Terry Bregy adopts an appropriately boyish tone for his reading of Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt, a Newbery Honor Book in 1965. Bregy compels readers to hear young Jethro Creighton's account of how the horrifying events of the Civil War changed life on his family's Illinois farm, even so many miles from the front lines. (Feb.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 4-8-Irene Hunt's Civil War novel (Berkley Pub., 1986) takes listeners from the first shots fired at Fort Sumter to Lincoln's assassination as seen through the eyes of a Southern Illinois farm boy. Jethro Creighton is nine when his close knit family learns that hostilities have broken out. As numerous male relatives go off to fight for the North and the South, and after his father falls ill, young Jethro takes responsibility for the family farm. With help from an older sister and neighboring farmers, he copes with attacks from local vigilantes, and he makes mature choices about a cousin who has deserted the army. Hunt artfully transforms her grandfather's childhood experiences into a powerful story of family love and the challenges of war. He also weaves a great deal of historical information into this Newbery Honor Book, and adds a generous measure of old-fashioned country wisdom as well. Terry Bregy provides a reliable, low key narration of the descriptive text. Cassettes and case are sturdy and well marked, with simple, but effective cover art. Recorded Books' audiobook of Across Five Aprils (March 2002, p. 85) is narrated by Tom Stechschulte whose voice has a stronger regional sound and provides more distinctive voices. Audio Bookshelf's version, also available in CD format, is strengthened by placing a valuable author's note at the beginning of the story. Either recording of Across Five Aprils will be a valuable addition to libraries where nonprint material on the Civil War is needed.-Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library. Rocky Hill, CT Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

In this 1964 Newbery Medal Honor Book, Jethro is a young farm boy in Illinois when the Civil War erupts. As he and his family confront the terror of war, he takes on huge responsibilities and becomes a wise and compassionate young man. Through conversations, newspaper articles and letters, narrator Brégy portrays the distinctive voices and phraseology of an earlier era, along with gentle humor and the reality of war. Brégy also projects a sense of wonder as he narrates the splendid text. The final bittersweet vignettes include a letter from Lincoln to Jethro and the story of Lincoln’s shocking assassination. Hunt and Brégy add an outstanding audio volume to American historical fiction for young people. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

APR/MAY 02 - AudioFile