Books with author Nancy Gentry

In 1861, ten-year-old Rachel Franklin and her family are pulled into the midst of the Civil War. Though at first the glory of fighting for the southern Cause brought pride and excitement into the Franklin home, the truth of war's hardships soon become apparent.Before the war the biggest worries for Rachel were using proper manners and controlling her jealousy towards her brother Bud's sweetheart Suzanna Wade. Now Rachel and her mother must work the gardens, pick cotton, tend to their wounded men, and wait between letters with only hope that their loved ones survive."We must be strong," Mama tells her, and on the night when Rachel must deliver an important message for Papa to save the lives of countless men, she learns the true meaning of bravery when she becomes a little Rebel in Petticoats.

On April 27, 1865 the magnificent riverboat Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River near Memphis, TN. With an estimated 1800 casualties, it is the worst maritime disaster in U.S. history, even exceeding the famed Titanic. Ironically, most of the passengers were Union ex-prisoners of war on their way home after surviving the war and the Confederate prison camps. River of Fire is the story of a young girl, a Union soldier, and a young boy, all based on real people, whose paths crossed on the ill-fated journey of the Sultana.

During the Civil War (1861-65) regulations for enlisting men in both armies were not always followed. It was not unusual for boys as young as eight or nine years old to be a part of the fighting force. Some of these boys went along with their enlisted fathers, older brothers, or uncles. Many ran away from unhappy homes or orphanages, and others went to the army seeking adventure and freedom from chores at home. Most often these boys were not officially enlisted, and their names would not appear on any formal documents; however, they played important roles as miniature soldiers. Drummer boys, messengers, orderlies, and caretakers of the sick and wounded were all jobs these young boys performed.Little Blue Little Gray is a story about two such boys who became a part of the Civil War. The boy on the side of the Union (Little Blue) is based on a real boy named John Clem, one of the most famous boy soldiers. The Confederate boy (Little Gray) is also based on a real boy named Charles Hay. Both are known to have been at the Battle of Chickamauga on September 19-20, 1863. Whether they actually met is doubtful, but the imagination can carry us down many roads, and anything is possible.

It was May 1940, and segregation was so embedded in southern society that it was a normal way of life. Black people knew their place and that stepping out of that place would bring trouble. Laws and justice were not on their side. White people feared a loss of control. They perpetuated segregation in everything from schools and restaurants to drinking fountains and bus seats. The beliefs and fears of most whites had not changed from those of their ancestors, the belief that being fair to blacks would somehow destroy the white way of life. And so, the two races lived and worked virtually side by side, yet, never sharing, never connecting with each other, each being afraid of the other.This was the world of Ivy, a young misfit who lives with her grandfather in rural Arkansas. She loves learning but hates school because of all the prissy girls. She'd rather be at her secret spot in the bayou. One day at the bayou changes Ivy's life forever when she befriends a little black boy named Esau who doesn't go to school. Ivy is determined to teach Esau to read and is surprised to find help from a new teacher in town. Still, is this town ready for such a change? Ivy has always been different, but what will this challenge of a lifetime do to The World of Ivy/

Nine-year-old Jodie loves baseball more than anything. But in 1951 baseball is exclusively a boys' game, and, even though Jodie is a far better than most boys her age, she is not allowed to join the team.Jodie's life is filled with even more frustrations and disappointments as she tries to untangle all of her family's old secrets. Every Sunday Mama delivers two roses: one to Daddy's grave and the other to a secret place. "You'll understand when you're older," Mama says. But Jodie wants to know now. All Jodie can do is help Mama make ends meet and hope that one day soon, she will understand these mysteries.Not until Jodie's world is turned upside down does she learn the secrets of her family. Reading Mama's old diary, Jodie discovers a past filled with wealth, grief, and jealousy. She is more confused than ever. Was Mama right? Is Jodie too young to understand The Secret and the Sunday Rose?

In 1861 ten-year-old Rachel Franklin and her family are pulled into the midst of the Civil War. Though at first the glory of fighting for the southern Cause brought pride and excitement into the Franklin home, the truth of war's hardships soon become apparent. Before the war the biggest worries for Rachel were using proper manners and controlling her jealousy towards her brother Bud's sweetheart, Suzanna Wade. Now Rachel and her mother must work the gardens, pick cotton, tend to their wounded men, and wait between letters with only hope that their loved ones survive. "We must be strong," Mama tells her, and on the night when Rachel must deliver an important message for Papa to save the lives of countless men, she learns the true meaning of bravery when she becomes a little Rebel in Petticoats.

Nine-year-old Jodie loves baseball more than anything. But in 1951 baseball is exclusively a boys' game, and, even though Jodie is a far better player than most boys her age, she is not allowed to join the team. Jodie's life is filled with even more frustrations and disappointments as she tries to untangle all of her family's old secrets. Every Sunday Mama delivers two roses: one to Daddy's grave and the other to a secret place. "You'll understand when you're older," Mama says. But Jodie wants to know now. All Jodie can do is help Mama make ends meet and hope that, one day soon, she will understand these mysteries. Not until Jodie's world is turned upside-down does she learn the secrets of her family. Reading Mama's old diary, Jodie discovers a past filled with wealth, grief, and jealousy. She is more confused than ever. Was Mama right? Is Jodie too young to understand The Secret and the Sunday Rose?