When Michael and Derek visit the Harpers Ferry Civil War Museum, they’re convinced that “it must have been cool to fight in that war!” The museum director allows the boys to don uniforms, then invites them to enter a door. Swept back in time, in the company of a war photographer who takes photos of Abraham Lincoln and the carnage of a battlefield, the boys soon realize that war isn’t “cool” after all. Vivid and, at times, heart-wrenching illustrations accompany this sensitive depiction of a traumatic period in American history. Ages 7 and up. (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
