Twelve-year-old Victoria Johnson reluctantly enlists in the Union Army. She’s a little late. The Civil War was fought nearly 150 years ago. But Vic’s sixth-grade class has joined adult re-enactors staging the October 8th, 1862, Battle of Perryville. That was the most important Civil War battle fought on Kentucky soil. Vic needs the extra-credit she’s been promised, and the re-enactment beats spending a couple days with Granny Gladys and her yappy Chihuahua, Taco.

So grudgingly, Vic trades her iPod, cell phone, and TV for a kepi, wooden rifle, and bug-infested tent. She’s hot, itchy, and irritable, marching in a soldier’s ill-fitting boots. But at least it’s just for one weekend. It could seem like forever, though, when Vic discovers her tent-mate is her arch enemy, Latisha, the perfectionist.

To make matters worse, Vic’s fantasy of fame and fortune vanish when her great-great-great grandmother’s journal is stolen. That journal could solve a mystery about the outcome of the battle—which, in turn, could have affected who won the Civil War.

So don’t desert Vic when she needs a friend. Help her out. Buy this book. Take it home. Read it in a comfy chair, sipping a cold drink. And enjoy your Civil War experience—without the heat. And the bugs. Mostly the bugs.