The Last Full Measure

December 1, 2010

Gr 6-8-In the summer of 1863, Tacy Stryker and the other residents of Gettysburg prepare for the Confederate Army's offensive. While her two oldest brothers and her father are serving in the Union Army, the 14-year-old and her mother have been left in the care of her 21-year-old brother. David resents the leg injury that caused the militia to reject him and takes out much of his bitterness on his younger sister. As the Rebels begin to occupy Gettysburg, Tacy's friend Marvelous, daughter of free Negroes, whose family is one of at least 400 "darkies" living there, comes to stay with the Strykers. When a Confederate soldier threatens to sell Marvelous into slavery, only the kindness of the commanding officer prevents her from being taken. Pa comes home from the front soon after with news of the terrible battle and the bodies waiting to be buried. When he is too ill to return to the field hospital, David and Tacy go in his place to help with the identification and burial. What seemed to be a safe way of assisting turns deadly when the brother of one of the buried turns up to claim him and David will not allow the man to illegally dig up the corpse. Unlike Lisa Klein's Two Girls of Gettysburg (Bloomsbury, 2008), which focuses more on the months leading up to the event, the attention here is on the battle and its aftermath. Despite stilted dialogue, Rinaldi's extensive research brings a piece of history to life, and her fans will not be disappointed.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2010
Grades 6-9 Tacy lives in Gettysburg, and her pa and two older brothers are serving on the Union side of the Civil War. Another brother, David, cannot enlist because of a crippled leg, leaving him distant and bitter. With the Rebs moving closer, Tacy fears not only for her family but for her dear friend Marvelous, an African American girl. Taking place over a few weeks in 1863, The Last Full Measure captures the Battle of Gettysburg and its immediate aftermath through the eyes of a 14-year-old girl on the cusp of womanhood. Rather than a political statement or a gory battle, this lyrical novel personalizes the war, showing the risks of friendship with free blacks, terrifying nights of shelling, and the grief and pain of loss. A beautiful blend of hope and tragedy, with a heroine reminiscent of Fanny in Rinaldis The Coffin Quilt (1999), this novel once again shows the authors skill at giving historical events flesh and heart.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2011
Tacy's brother, David, cannot enlist in the Northern army. Consequently, he struggles with his role as caretaker for his mother and sister while others fight. With the Battle of Gettysburg raging around them, Tacy witnesses her brother's inner battle as he discovers his place among the soldiers. Although the book is fairly formulaic, the genuine characters and historical context will satisfy Rinaldi fans.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)