Across the Lines

by Carolyn Reeder

From the bestselling author of "Shades of Gray" and "Grandpa's Mountain" comes a story set during the Civil War about the separation of best friends, who are also master and servant--and teaching hard lessons of friendship, choice, courage, and the meaning of freedom. Teacher's Guide.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Civil War

220 pages, Library Binding

First published April 1, 1997

About the author

Carolyn Reeder was an American writer best known for children's historical novels. She also wrote three non-fiction books about Shenandoah National Park for adults together with her husband. She won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great middle-grade historical fiction about the Civil War. It covers the last year of the war, seen through the eyes of Edward, who’s family is Confederate, and Simon, a slave child. These two children were best friends who had grown up together on a plantation, in spite of the master and slave positions. When war literally comes to their doorstep, Edward’s family flees, and Simon takes off on his own. Both are affected deeply by the horrors they both see, and by the losses of loved ones that both boys experience. As the war drags to its end, Simon and Edward both come to realize what the long years of fighting have cost their country…
This would be an excellent tool for teaching about the Civil War in classrooms. The author did a good job in showing that both sides suffered great losses, and that both the Union and Confederacy had “good and bad apples”.

[Carder Wasem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Across the Lines by Carolyn Reeder is a novel about the lives of two young boys from different backgrounds during civil war times. Though I thought the story taught some valuable lessons, it was a boring read. I generally take a liking to books, movies, and tv shows that are historical fiction. I like that the historical fiction genre has interesting stories with truthful backgrounds, however, Across the Lines was anything but interesting. Throughout the story, two main characters are followed: Edward, a twelve-year-old boy from a wealthy southern family, and is his slave, Simon who is of similar age. Edward and Simon are good friends and treat each other with respect, but when the Union army takes over Edwards family's plantation, Simon runs off to obtain his freedom. After this, the author follows the lives of the two boys separately. Though the story starts interesting the next 200ish pages are dull. The boys both have internal conflicts that they solve in the end, but they mostly just do pretty normal day-to-day things, without any real suspense or surprises to keep the reader interested. Edward for the bulk of the story just stays in his Aunt's house to keep away from the war and Simon spends most of his time in a Union camp. The story gets a little bump in excitement at the end when Edward has to cross over enemy lines to save his brother but other than that there is very little excitement throughout the book. I would not recommend this book, in the hours it would take you to read this book you could be doing something else that is more productive, like maybe finding a better book. Overall this book is just ok at best and it really isn't worth the time or effort it takes to read it.

[Dylan Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was paced too slow, this is all I have to say.

[Maura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-reading this Carolyn Reeder middle grades historical fiction with my 6 year old son and the addition of 20 years of increased sensitivity to the depiction of slavery in books for children, I'll say that this 1997 novel holds up pretty well, both historically and in terms of including and often centering the perspective of enslaved people in the narrative, with a few discordant notes that deserve explanation to younger readers.

Across the Lines follows the lives of 12-year-old Edward, the son of a Virginia plantation owner, and his closest friend Simon, a boy who was enslaved by Edward's family until he liberated himself on the day that Union troops arrived in City Point, Virginia. With their father serving with the Confederates and Union troops commandeering their land and mansion, Edward's family flees to wealthy relatives in Petersburg, taking with them some of the people they hold in slavery while others, including Simon, seize the opportunity to liberate themselves. Edward, thinking that Simon's companionship was simple friendship all along, is astonished that Simon chooses not to come to Petersburg with his family, instead striking out on his own, not knowing what lies ahead. The narrative follows their parallel lives during the year from the Union arrival at City Point until the end of the siege of Petersburg, with Simon making his own difficult way in freedom along the front lines with Union troops and Edward weathering the challenges of living in a city under siege on the losing side of the conflict.

Edward's character arc shows demonstrates his bewilderment about what he perceives as Simon's betrayal, his conflicted feelings toward the armed struggle, and his increasing understanding of the inhumanity of his family's treatment of Simon's family. Simon's story is somewhat more plot-driven, with him trying out various roles to earn a living, with his character developing his own definition of freedom amid tremendous adversity.

Reeder's background research is thorough and, in particular, she vividly contrasts the hopes of the newly self-liberated African Americans seeking refuge with Union troops in City Point with the reality: squalid conditions, relentless work, and ongoing struggles with white supremacy. For readers in Virginia, there are great opportunities to connect the story with visits to City Point Historical District and Petersburg National Battlefield Park and in particular the history of the United States Colored Troops' service in Virginia. Reeder's note about the language in the book deserves attention and explanation to young readers. While she acknowledges the problematic language in the opening of the book, her (or her publisher's) decision to use the term "Negroes" in her historical note at the end struck me as inexplicable, given that it was outside the historical narrative.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was younger, for school, I think. If it's the book I think it is, what stuck out to me was that it actually focused on the STORY, unlike a lot of historical books I've seen. See, a lot of historical books seem to be more focused on 'hehe look at me I'm special because I'm written about this time period and I can get away with murder hehe'. Which not only results in a terrible story and writing, but a terrible representative of the time period as well. I don't think clumsily written stories tell anything about the time period. All they do is distance me from them. Does this sound familiar? ('Jane looked down at her corset. She was required to wear it. She didn't like it, but she HAD to. Everyone did. It worked like this and this and blablabla.) I mean, I think about my clothes of course, but... *sigh * It's just unrealistic to overdo it for the sake of what they call 'facts'.

Point being that I don't remember this book doing it! And guess what? I learned more from it than I ever could've from one like I described up there! I actually got involved, and liked it quite a bit. I could be suffering from incorrect memories, and I'm different now, but still. I apparently liked it enough then to remember it with high regard now.

Uh... a bit of violence. Civil War and all that.

[Narek Mughnetsyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this because I found it in the library and since I needed a book to read I chose this book when the cover caught my eye. The book Across the Lines really showed two sides of the civil war and how a slave and a master are separated. The slave “Simon” runs away from his friend/master 12 year old Edward to freedom and Edward escapes from the Union soldiers with his family and lives with an aunt. The story is told from both of their point of views and how they both suffer during Civil War. My favorite quote was “If the war was already lost, he couldn’t blame these haggard men for being unwilling to freeze and starve for nothing.” I really like this quote because Edward realizes that he shouldn’t blame the confederate soldiers for deserting their posts and joining the Union as POW’s and at least having something to eat. The horror of war makes some soldiers give up and leave realizing that they have lost the fight. I loved the authors writing style because it narrated the whole story in the point of views of both Simon and Edward. I would recommend this story to anyone who likes stories about the Civil War.

[Robert B. Miller]

Read by Malinda, Summer 2006:
"This book has a reading level of 6.3. It is about a southern family during the Civil War who are forced to leave their home when the Union Army takes it over to use as a base. As the family is getting ready to leave the young sons slave companion hides so that he does not have to leave with the family. The story is told through a narrator that goes back and forth between what is happening with the family and what is going on with the slave boy. I chose this book because I like the Civil War and figured if I had to read a book it might as well be one that I might like. This would be a good book if you were studding the Civil War. It was an easy book to read and follow. It gives a good look at what took place during the Civil War to the families that were affected. When we study the Civil War we often just concentrate on the War itself and political issues."

[Miss Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

gr 5-9 219pgs

1864-1865 Petersburg, Virginia. When Union soldiers evict his family from their plantation home, 12 year old Edward, his mother, sister, and his older brother Duncan travel to Petersburg to stay with his aunt and cousins. In the confusion, Simon, Edward's personal slave, escapes to freedom. Edward and his family must somehow survive when the city comes under seige by Union troops. Simon, who ends up joining with the Union army, must also struggle to survive. The story alternates between the two boys and provides the reader with views of both sides of the war.

I would recommend this story to a reader interested in how the Civil War effected soldiers and civilians on both sides of the conflict.

[Shirley Freeman]

We visited the Civil War battlefield in Petersburg, NC where the war's final battle/siege took place. And of course I had to buy a book. I really enjoyed this middle reader (ages 8-12) which tells the story of the friendship/complicated relationship of 12 year old Edward (son of plantation owner) and Simon (slave of Edward's family). As the war arrives in Petersburg, Edward's family prepares to move into their cousin's house in town for safety. Simon uses the confusion of the moment to hide and become free. The boys' experiences during the rest of the war are well told and give kids a good understanding of the battles and siege that ended the war.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ignore the out-of-date cover, because you will love this book! A Civil War story for grades 3-6, this story follows two boys who were once best friends. A plantation owner's youngest son Edward, and his slave Simon. This shows what it was like for black and white children in the south during the war. There's not really a northern perspective, but there's plenty to work with for a lit circle or guided reading group. I liked both characters and wanted to keep reading to find out what happened to them. My students felt the same way!

[Alyson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Abby was assigned this book for Pre-Ap History. I read all books before my kids read them, so here we go...

[Jordan Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that Carolyn Reeder examples the hardship that two best friends would have had to go through during the Civil War. Very good book for history lovers.

[Proathlete16 · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a book i had to read in class and i must say that although it was a school book, it was better than the rest we were forced to read.

[Jakera Kimble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im reading this book, so far im on page 21 and i think its alsome , and i really enjoy learning about the Civil war and what happen back
then when i was not alive.