#BookReview: The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matthew Landis

About the Book:

A trio of seventh graders become one another's first friends as they discover the secrets of a Civil War soldier in this middle grade novel for fans of Gordon Korman and Gary Schmidt

Twelve-year-old Oliver Prichard is obsessed with the Civil War. He knows everything about it: the battles, the generals, every movement of the Union and Confederate Armies. So when the last assignment of seventh-grade history is a project on the Civil War, Oliver is over the moon--until he's partnered with Ella Berry, the slacker girl with the messy hair who does nothing but stare out the window. And when Oliver finds out they have to research a random soldier named Private Raymond Stone who didn't even fight in any battles before dying of some boring disease, Oliver knows he's doomed.

But Ella turns out to be very different from what Oliver expected. As the partners film their documentary about Private Stone--with Oliver's friend Kevin signing on as their head writing consultant--Oliver discovers that sometimes the most interesting things are hiding in uninteresting places. Even Private Stone is better than expected: There's a mystery buried in his past, and Oliver knows he can figure it out. 

Publisher: Dial Books

Recommended Age: Middle School 

Genre: Contemporary 

How I Acquired this book: Publisher

Overall rating: ★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

About the Author:
Matthew Landis slays boredom wherever it lurks in his eighth-grade social studies classroom. He lives in his hometown of Perkasie, PA, with his wife and two kids, and a boxer that acts much like the forgotten eldest child.

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Amazing! 

Check out author's other books? Yes
Recommend this book? Yes

Notes and Opinions: This is another book that I had a lot of fun reading and helping Awesome Annie read. This one centers around a boy named Oliver that loves the Civil War and then he is paired with a girl who is failing and they have to figure out things about a soldier that is pretty much unknown.  We really enjoyed learning more about these kids and the soldier and all the mystery that is tied up in the story.  It made it a joy to read and this is one that both boys and girls will really enjoy!  The story is well paced and the characters shine in the daylight in this one. 

Go Into This One Knowing: Great for boys and girls! 

 

 Disclaimer: "All opinions are 100% honest and my own."  Thanks to Goodreads and Amazon for the book cover, about the book, and author information. Buying via these links allows my site to get a % of the sale at no cost to you. This money gets used to buy items for giveaways. 

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Posted in: 4 Stars, Dial Books, Middle Grade, Review