How I found the Strong

How I found the Strong  by Margaret McMullan

Interest Level: Grades 5-8

Reading Level: 4+

Ten-year old "Shanks" Russell is a Southerner, living in Mississippi at the start of the Civil War. His given name is Frank, but his he was given this nickname which he despises by his Pa because of his small skinny legs. Shanks wants nothing more than to be like his Pa and to have the closeness Pa shares with Henry, Shanks older brother. When the war is declared, Pa and Henry take up arms against the North leaving Shanks behind with Ma, Grandma, Grandpa, and Buck- their slave.

The story that follows is one of hard times, death both in the battlefield and at home, the unexpected birth of a baby sister, and hunger as livestock is taken to fuel the war. When Pa returns it's minus an arm, some toes and Henry. He finds his family has no money and is down to their last ham bone, no corn, and only the peels from potatoes to make him a homecoming feast. He also finds that other Confederates are intent on taking their anger at slowly losing the war out on the slaves that remain and Buck is now a target. This novel is based on a family memoir found by the author and is a powerful reminder of the brutality of war, particularly our nation's Civil War. 

McMullan, M. (2004). How I found the Strong. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.