A trio of seventh graders become one another's first friends as they discover the secrets of a Civil War soldier in this middle grade novel for fans of Gordon Korman and Gary Schmidt
Matthew Landis slays boredom wherever it lurks in his eighth-grade social studies classroom. He lives in his hometown of Perkasie, Pennsylvania, with his wife and two kids, and a boxer that acts much like the forgotten eldest child.
Praise for The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody
“A couple of tech savvy seventh-graders that readers will love
getting to know go digging for a civil war soldier with a secret
and discover themselves. Matthew Landis’s novel is the best kind of
time travel as past and present cross-dissolve.” —Richard Peck,
Newbery Medal-winning author of A Year Down Yonder
“Matthew Landis depicts the world of middle school with laser-like
clarity, big-hearted warmth, and abundant humor, while also
managing to bring Civil War history vividly to life. There’s
even a little romance thrown in! I wish I were still teaching
just so I could hand this book to my favorite students." —Jordan
Sonnenblick, award-winning author of Drums, Girls, and Dangerous
Pie
“For seventh-grader Oliver, nothing’s fair when it comes to war,
first love, or group projects. . . . Teacher Landis knows how
middle schoolers work, and he shows his skill here.” —Kirkus
Reviews
“Landis challenges readers to see history as more than ‘endless
battles, dates, and generals.’ Each setting (school, homes,
historical societies, reenactment practice field, and Gettysburg)
adds another dimension to the characters and issues in this
appealing novel.” —Booklist
“The story’s pace and romantic tension build as the students gel as
a team, research primary sources, and create a documentary. The
mystery they solve about Private Stone offers tension and interest,
but it’s the chemistry between these two characters that is the
real star.” —Publishers Weekly
"Oliver makes major missteps in navigating both the project and his
“more than friends” interest in Ella, but with the help of his
enthusiastic history teacher, Oliver reaches a more nuanced
understanding of the Civil War and of his first
crush." —School Library Journal
“Author [Matthew Landis], himself an eighth grade social studies
teacher, has produced an American history educator’s dream novel.”
—School Library Connection
“A well spun plot with quick-fire dialogue. Civil War buffs might
learn a thing or two from the notes, and school story fans will be
thoroughly entertained.” —BCCB
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