The River Between Us

| Tasha

The River Between Us by Richard Peck (0-8037-2735-6)
I had heard wonderful things about this book and couldn’t wait to read it. Everything I heard was true! This book is set during the Civil War, but is unlike any Civil War book I have ever read. We get to see the lives of a poor family before and during the war, the roles on girls and women in the war, war conditions for boys who joined up, and a look into race relations. And that list can’t even begin to reveal the complexity of the book, the levels of discussion that are possible, and the way in which it transports the reader into the past.
A must-read for everyone, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one wins some awards. There are male and female characters, so both boys and girls will enjoy it, if you can get the boys to see past the girl on the cover. No sexual situations, this one is YA due to the complexity of the story and the war descriptions. I could see this being used in classrooms for history, race, and women’s studies.

52 thoughts on “The River Between Us”

  1. the book might b ok if i did not HAVE TO READ IT FOR SCHOOL i am pretty dumb so i dont understand a thingt in it but am beeing forced too read it and o yea richard peck comes to my school next year so i get to hear even more crap bout a book

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  3. I thought the book was really exciting and good. I really enjoyed reading it with others. It was totally wicked.

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  4. I think this book was great!! It was a wonderful book, my class read it as a class assinment and i thought it was inspiering!!!

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  5. this is a true must read. i really enjoyed reading this book. it’s just one of those books that makes you want to just keep reading. it pulls you in, it’s a good book…

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  6. I hated this dang book. I had no interest and i wasnt even hear half of the time because i was throwing up all over myself. I dont like to read at all and i dont like Richard pEck

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  7. this book is awesome. i had to read it in school for english pre ap and i loved it. i want to read it again, though because i slept through half of it. what i cought was really interesting. when i heard of it, i thought it would just be a boring war story, but it was so much more. i really saw more than a boy and a war. if you read between the lines, you will find one or two love stories, historical facts, tales of heartache and woe. this book is well written. at the end of class each day, i didnt want to close the book, because i was afraid i would miss something critical. i recommend this book to people of all ages, not just eighth grade english classes.

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  8. This is a book that will tocuh anyone’s heart. It shows the feeling about two sides of the war and how two girls see just how horrible war looks. People of all ages should read this book and see what really is on the other side of the river.

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  9. This book was really great and interesting. I think Tilly told the story very well and with a lot of detail. My least favorite part(s) is when Noah goes off to war and Mama went crazy; she said she could spare Tilly but not Noah! Also when Cass would go sit on the hill and see her visions it made me sad because i think that its to much for a 9 year old. other than that i loved the book!

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  10. i thunk the book stunk” it neaded to have a litle more tim puet into it. i had no intarast in the book, i fell asleap evarybay. he nead to go back to the thurd gade and lern how two speal

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  11. I thought it was a good book that every body would like to read even if you dont like reading, becase I hate resding but when I read this book I think I might start reading more.

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  12. I read the book as a class assignment in my english class, and I thought it was a wonderful book. It was very well worded. It helped me learn more about the civilization of the people during the cival war. I love the book and I want to read it again. I saw more than a family trying to get by, and keep the only boy in the family home and safe from the war. If you really pay attention to the book, you will see that there is alot more to the story. It talks alot about how people back then only looked for beauty and material possessions. I love the book and i think that everybody should read this book.

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  13. I hope they’re more books that end and begin this way. This was the very first book I actually enjoyed. The book was real emotional at times. it didn’t take long to acually get involved. Most books it takes two or three chapters to get into. I hope Richard Peck keeps righting books that are this exciting.

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  14. i thought this book was awesome. it really talked about how people felt about other races. i should take this book home and read it. that kate dumbnockle had a good point about one thing. it would have better taking it home and reading it at my own rate. no body likes to read because we have to we read because we want to and read what we want to. now we are reading this book called across five aprils. i myself do not like it but others might get a kick out of it. who knows.

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  15. This book was awesome.I thought it was really cool how Richard Peck captured the Creole culture. I have family members who I think might be the descendants of Creole people and I never would have known that if I hadn’t read the book. I would recommend this book as a definite must- read.

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  16. I thought from my point of view the book was pretty good. It was very exciting and it kept you on the edge of your seat. At times the book got kind of sentimental when Tilly learned that her father had been killed in the war, and her mom died by drowning herself in the river. I didn’t really like the ending I thought it should’ve probably went on a little more, but considering how the rest of the story was before it I would give it a 8 out of 10

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  17. This book is amazing. It was a book that I will remember for the rest of my life. It was a book that really took me into the adventure of the Civil War. It showed me how the war split up a town and how people have change frome then to now. It makes me even more thankful for the things I have today. It showed me how to also stand up for what I believe in.

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  18. This book is very interesting, and very real. It gives a taste of reality; how it was for people that lived during the Civil War. This book gave me an idea of just exactly how individuals were victims to the saddness, loses, and hardships that took place during this important time. I enjoyed this book very much, and I feel it was worth while to read.

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  19. This book was awesome.I thought it was really cool how Richard Peck captured the Creole culture. I have family members who I think might be the descendants of Creole people and I never would have known that if I hadn’t read the book. I would recommend this book as a definite must- read.
    As for Kate “dumbnuckle” I think that she didn’t know what she was talking about because I had to read this book in school and I still that is was awesome.

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  20. I thought this was a really interesting book. Since it was forced reading in school, I thought it was going to be really boring. When we starting reading the book, there was a lot of suspense between Delphine and Calinda that caught my attetion. I’ve never heard of a society like that and I thought it was so cool. I gained knowledge from your book and really enjoyed it.
    Keep writing more great books!!!!!!

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  21. I think that this book is very cool it is a book that wont put you to sleep and it tied together are really good

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  24. This book was awesome!i loved it i caught my attention,it seemed so real,this book is a 9 out of ten STARS!

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  25. i thought this was ok because there was alot of suspense and i like suspense. there was also some horror when the crazy lady jumped in the river. but all in all it was a good book

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  26. This book was one of the best ones I have ever read, and I have read alot of books. This book gets two thumbs up from the eighth grade class.

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  27. I think the book was alright, and I thought that it was intresting. It had a good plot to it.

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  28. The book was a realy eciting book and I think that everybody realy enjoyed reading it. I think the book inspired a lot of people and was definatley a book worth reading.

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  29. I really liked the book, it was very well written. I also really liked the way it ended. It was pretty sweet. I recomend it to others.

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  30. Uhh…I thought it was a pretty interesting book. I usually don’t like old timey books…but…uh…this one was pretty good. I think this is by far the best old timey book I’ve ever read…uh…even though I prefer modern day books.

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  31. i thought it was pretty good, one of the best i have read this year ( the only one i read). otherwise it was good.

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  32. i thought that the book was a good. it really caught my attention, and was really anxious to read it the next day!!!!!!!!!!!!!it was a very realistic book

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  33. I thought this book was AWESOME. It really talk about how other people felt about other races. I really saw more than a family and a war.
    I think that Kate dumbnuckle doesnt know wat she was talking about maybe if she actually listen she might learn its really a good book. But then on the other hand she was right on one thing it would of been ok if we were to take it home and read at are own pace.

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  34. I thought that the book was really cool and awesome and intruiging and was 2 thumbs up; highly recomended to those of all ages and it was more that just 1 thumb up because it was 2 i think that any 1 that dosent like to read that book was/is really uncouth in my book because i thought that it was totally groovy and awesome

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  36. I thought this book was awesome. It had some really interesting facts about the war that i never knew and probably wouldnt ever know it if i wouldnt have read this book. It was really interesting.

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  37. This book was the bomb. I had a ball reading this book its hard to stop once you get into it. To all future readers out there hope you enjoyed this book, I know I have.

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  38. Hi. I’m Blake Johnson. What I wrote was not true. That was stupid of me to write it and I didn’t mean it. The book was great and I really did enjoyed it. I really don’t know Richard Peck so I can’t say that I don’t like him. Anyways, I want to apologize about what I said. This book really taught you about how life used to be. You should defintely read this book.

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  42. I thought that this book was going to be extremely boring the first few chapters jumped around and confused me but when i figured out what was going on i was very interested right now im looking up information about hte book so i can figure out the ending they keep saying that calinda is dark not black dark which means she might be native american or mexican or something and the mother is gonna committ suicide i know it i just know it

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  44. You Know I rock. OK the book was Ok I mean r u kiddin me its still a book. My english class read it. I just cant believe how dumb delphine was that she sleeps wit Noah and has a son and then the son is named aftr tilly and Dr hutchings. If that happened 2 me i would smack my mom GOSH>333 >>33.Ok biyerz SUZIE ROX cauz shes from NY yeah @#!%4><>>33

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  45. I did not what so ever like this book. I was required to read this for a Book Report in Literature. Honestly, I should have picked another book. This book is boring and no fun to read. I do not recomed this book to anyone. It’s really confusing. DO NOT READ THIS FUCKING ASS BOOK!!!! BITCHESSSSS.

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  47. ANYONE who says this book SUCKS has NO IDEA what they’re talking about. this book ROCKS! it starts off slow but if u get into it u can’t put it down. u start off with lots of questions but by the end EVERYTHING comes together. i definatly think this is a good book to read espically if ur going to learn about the Civil War. it plays with all of ur emotions. not many books do that but the ones that do are always the best!

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  49. hey i need to know the new perceptions of the characters in this book … i read it but i dont know … please help.. need this by tommorow

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