The Civil War is tearing apart the country—and families, as Homer P. Figg’s older brother, Harold, is sworn into the Union army. Shortly after the elder Figg’s departure, however, Homer learns that it was an illegal conscription carried out with the help of the boys’ degenerate uncle and a corrupt judge in exchange for money. Desperate to save his brother, Homer sets out, encountering an unusual cast of characters as he searches. There are Stink and Smelt, putrid criminal lowlifes out to make a buck on capturing runaway slaves—even if the slaves haven’t actually run away, but are free. There’s Jebediah Brewster, a nonviolent Quaker whose property is a stop on the underground railroad. And there’s Professor Fleabottom, a miracle-cure peddler always a step behind the action on the battlefront.
Homer is a likeable main character, despite (and maybe, a little, because of) his propensity for stretching the truth when giving an account of his own journey. He is, however, honest about the fact that he lies. This book is a good way to put many aspects of the Civil War—that tumultuous time for this country—into perspective for young readers. While it’s not a dark book, it doesn’t shy away from the grim realities of war and slavery. But, like Homer, it maintains a healthy sense of mischief and humor in the face of such bleak realities. This is a Newbery honor book, and the audio version is read by William Dufris—the first man to lend his vocal talents as the voice of Bob the Builder.
This article appears in Aug 22-29, 2013.