School Library Journal

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.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

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.)