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Off to Fight
Just when twelve-year-old George Adams has begun to settle into life in Richmond, Virginia, the state secedes from the Union, and George joins the boys he has become friends with when they enlist to fight for the Confederacy.
175 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2002
About the author
Alan N. Kay
11 books25 followersI am so excited about releasing my first ADULT NOVEL! It's both a historical novel and a contemporary story in which the main character unwittingly and reluctantly uncovers the greatest secret of the American Revolution! The trouble is, no one wants to know it! The book is called Neither King nor Country! Scroll down to click on it!
This story has been years in the making! It is a reflection of an incredible historical and personal journey I have been on in which I uncovered one of the greatest secrets in American History and I can't wait to share it with everyone!
My entire life has been dedicated to making history fun for adult and child alike. It started personally as a child fascinated with George Washington, the Revolution and growing up only an hour from Boston's Freedom Trail. As an adult I eventually became an award-winning teacher and author with more than 25 years of experience bringing stories to life.
I was extremely fortunate to win the most prestigious awards of my profession. They include:
The 2002 Daughters of the American Revolution Nation-wide Outstanding American History Teacher of the Year.
The state of Florida 2002 Outstanding American History Teacher of the Year.
The Gilder Lehrman 2006 American History Teacher for the state of Florida.
The 2004 Outstanding Educator of the Year in Pinellas County (a county of over 8,000 teachers).
The 2001 Florida History Fair Teacher of the Year, and a Finalist for the 2001 National History Day Teacher of the Year.
Finally, I was recently presented with a lifetime achievement award on the 20th anniversary of Pinellas County History Day; a competition that he started in 1999.
I began my writing career as the author of the Young Heroes of History set of novels: a historical fiction series for children. In addition I have also written a non-fiction book titled “I Love History but I Hated it in School” as well as numerous articles for various publications over the years. I will always be the most proud however, of my three beautiful adult children who are all finding their own paths to success.
A transplanted Yankee, I completed my Master’s in Education at the University of Massachusetts in Boston and received my Bachelor’s in history Cum Laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. I currently teach History at East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
This story has been years in the making! It is a reflection of an incredible historical and personal journey I have been on in which I uncovered one of the greatest secrets in American History and I can't wait to share it with everyone!
My entire life has been dedicated to making history fun for adult and child alike. It started personally as a child fascinated with George Washington, the Revolution and growing up only an hour from Boston's Freedom Trail. As an adult I eventually became an award-winning teacher and author with more than 25 years of experience bringing stories to life.
I was extremely fortunate to win the most prestigious awards of my profession. They include:
The 2002 Daughters of the American Revolution Nation-wide Outstanding American History Teacher of the Year.
The state of Florida 2002 Outstanding American History Teacher of the Year.
The Gilder Lehrman 2006 American History Teacher for the state of Florida.
The 2004 Outstanding Educator of the Year in Pinellas County (a county of over 8,000 teachers).
The 2001 Florida History Fair Teacher of the Year, and a Finalist for the 2001 National History Day Teacher of the Year.
Finally, I was recently presented with a lifetime achievement award on the 20th anniversary of Pinellas County History Day; a competition that he started in 1999.
I began my writing career as the author of the Young Heroes of History set of novels: a historical fiction series for children. In addition I have also written a non-fiction book titled “I Love History but I Hated it in School” as well as numerous articles for various publications over the years. I will always be the most proud however, of my three beautiful adult children who are all finding their own paths to success.
A transplanted Yankee, I completed my Master’s in Education at the University of Massachusetts in Boston and received my Bachelor’s in history Cum Laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. I currently teach History at East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 22, 2012
Normally, I summarize a book and then give the background, but in this case I have to reverse the process. I first heard about the “Young Heroes of History” series in 2007 when a friend sent some information about the books. Then last year, while visiting in Pennsylvania, I picked up #’s 3, 5, and 6. In 1846, three Irish brothers, Robert, Jonathan, and Sean Adams, immigrate to America. Their children and friends are the main characters. In Book One, Send 'Em South, David, son of Jonathan, finds a fugitive slave girl who has bravely traveled the underground railroad to Boston. Can he save her before the slave catchers get her? In Book Two, On the Trail of John Brown's Body, David and his cousin George, son of Sean, find clues that lead them to Bleeding Kansas, the mysterious John Brown, and Harper's Ferry. Can they stop him before the country is torn apart?
In Book Three, Off to Fight, George is disgusted with the violence of the John Brown raid. He and his father move to Richmond, VA, where Sean remarries a widow named Sallie with two young children. George adopts the state of Virginia and its cause as his own. Having joined a street gang to find friends and be accepted, he follows them into the Confederate army to fight the Yankees, even though he is only thirteen. Unfortunately, the war does not always go well for George. The rest of the book covers the next year or so of his life as a soldier, during which the South wins a lot of battles but the Northern army is destroying the countryside and starving the people. The story culminates with the Battle of Fredericksburg, during which George is horrified at the destruction and can take little comfort in another Southern victory. Then he finds an injured orphan girl in the woods. What will he do? And what will happen to her?
The purpose of the series is to help the reader understand the people of the past by seeing them as people. The books focus on one family and how they are affected by the Civil War. When the family splits in two just like the nation, it allows author Alan N. Kay to look at the war from both sides. Parents may want to know that in addition to some common euphemisms and childish slang (heck, gee, kick butt), there is a little “My God” this and “O Lord” that used as interjections, and the “d” word is used once to describe Yankees, though when George’s father swears it is spelled, “I’ll be d----d.” Also, a couple of the battle scenes contain detailed descriptions of slaughter, which is why I recommend it for ages thirteen and up. Each story is self-contained and is an exciting adventure all on its own, but it is especially good to read the series in order to see how one book is related to another. The plot is definitely interesting, and the characters are engaging, thus making the history of the Civil War come alive for young readers.
In Book Three, Off to Fight, George is disgusted with the violence of the John Brown raid. He and his father move to Richmond, VA, where Sean remarries a widow named Sallie with two young children. George adopts the state of Virginia and its cause as his own. Having joined a street gang to find friends and be accepted, he follows them into the Confederate army to fight the Yankees, even though he is only thirteen. Unfortunately, the war does not always go well for George. The rest of the book covers the next year or so of his life as a soldier, during which the South wins a lot of battles but the Northern army is destroying the countryside and starving the people. The story culminates with the Battle of Fredericksburg, during which George is horrified at the destruction and can take little comfort in another Southern victory. Then he finds an injured orphan girl in the woods. What will he do? And what will happen to her?
The purpose of the series is to help the reader understand the people of the past by seeing them as people. The books focus on one family and how they are affected by the Civil War. When the family splits in two just like the nation, it allows author Alan N. Kay to look at the war from both sides. Parents may want to know that in addition to some common euphemisms and childish slang (heck, gee, kick butt), there is a little “My God” this and “O Lord” that used as interjections, and the “d” word is used once to describe Yankees, though when George’s father swears it is spelled, “I’ll be d----d.” Also, a couple of the battle scenes contain detailed descriptions of slaughter, which is why I recommend it for ages thirteen and up. Each story is self-contained and is an exciting adventure all on its own, but it is especially good to read the series in order to see how one book is related to another. The plot is definitely interesting, and the characters are engaging, thus making the history of the Civil War come alive for young readers.
January 15, 2009
To tell y'all the truth, I can't remember hardly anything about this book. :-) I read it when I was about 11 and then we got rid of it. If I remember correctly there was a bit of bad language, but honestly I can't remember anything more than that. :-)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews