Here is the discussion guide. Use what works for you with your club.

CAVES, CANNONS, AND CRINOLINES

Discussion Guide

About the Book:

Imagine living in a cave, the earth quivering with each cannon shot, dust sifting down, in your hair and your eyes, the walls threatening to collapse and bury you alive.

On Thursday, Mary 21, 1863, a mortar shell rips through the wall of fourteen-year-old Elizabeth (Lizzie) Stamford’s bedroom. Afraid their home is no longer safe, her mama, Susan, rushes Lizzie and her younger brother, Nathan, to the cave, where she plans to live until the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, ends. Lizzie, however, has her own plans: to enlist in the Confederate Army and help drive General Ulysses S. Grant and his Yankees into the Mississippi River. Her older brothers, Joseph and Willie, are in Virginia, fighting for their cause. Can she do any less? But Willie’s death in battle, Joseph’s return home, wounded, bitter, and filled with guilt, and a young Yankee whose life she saves make Lizzie question whether there is a right or wrong side to this Civil War.

About the Author:

Beverly Stowe McClure is the author of four young adult novels and one tween novel. They include Listen to the Ghost, Serets I Have Kept, Rebel in Blue Jeans, Caves, Cannons, and Crinolines, and Just Breeze. Beverly lives in the country in Texas with her husband, house cat as well as a stray cat that’s adopted her, and a variety of wild critters.

Possible Discussion Questions:

1. How is Caves, Cannons, and Crinolines similar to other novels about the American Civil War?

2. Two of Lizzie’s brothers are fighting in the war. How does this change her family?

3. Why does Lizzie decide to join the army?

4. What does she learn from her decision to be a soldier?

5. In what ways does Lizzie differ from other young girls of her time?

6. What motivates Lizzie to care for Benjamin, the wounded Yankee?

7. Why is taking Vicksburg important to Ulysses S. Grant?

8. How does blockading the city achieve General Grant’s goal?

9. Does Lizzie show courage in the story?

10. Are her brothers, Nat, Willie, and Joseph brave?

11. What is courage in your opinion?

12. How does Lizzie’s mother, Susan, react to the war?

13. Which character is the most likeable? Why? The least likeable? Why?

14. What, if anything, does Lizzie learn from the house servants?

15. Compare the clothing of the era to today’s.

16. How did families keep in touch with their sons so far from home in Lizzie’s day? How do they communicate today?

17. What is it like for the family to live in the cave behind their home?

18. When Vicksburg surrenders, how do the Federal soldiers treat the southerners?

19. If the Confederates had won, how might this have changed the outcome of the war?

20. Compare the type of weapons used during the 1860s to those of today.

YA Historical Novel

Chapter 1

Vicksburg, Mississippi

Thursday, May 21, 1863

Dearest Brother Willie,

We went to the cave for the first time today–Mama, Nat, and I. And I hate it! I prefer to risk injury from the hissing, screaming shells in my house than to scurry underground like a scared rabbit. Papa is at the hospital, attending the sick and wounded. We see him so seldom these days. Sometimes I wish he were not a doctor. Then he could stay home with us, where he belongs.

I hate what this war has done to our family. You and Joseph are far away, in Virginia. I miss you all terribly. Mama worries about you. She worries about Papa. She scarcely lets me out of her sight. Most of my friends have left Vicksburg for safer places. The ones remaining are living in caves or basements.I’m supposed to watch Nat. Mama fears he will run away to find you. I know he shan’t do such a thing. Every time a shell falls, he hides. The war confuses gentle Nat. He does not comprehend why men kill each other. Neither do I. 

We heard the Yankees have taken Jackson. Our army fell back to the Big Black River and then retreated to Vicksburg. Their return was a sad sight. Wagons, cannon, and ambulances clattered down the streets. Ragged and weary soldiers, some with arms in slings, some leaning on crutches, others carrying the wounded, stumbled alongside them. We gave the men what food and water we could spare, which was very little. Many blamed General Pemberton for our defeat. Others said the fault was not his. Jefferson Davis must have confidence in him,or he would not have put John Pemberton in charge of defending Vicksburg, would he? I have met Gemeral Pemberotn and think he has courage.

Vicksburg has been under siege now since the eighteenth of May. Gunboats on the Mississippi bombard us from the west. Parrott shells rain down from the hills to the east. We are caught in the middle. Nowhere is safe, not even the caves, like Mama says. You’d think General Grant would know better. He has tried to conquer our city before, without success. No matter. Our soldiers will send those Yankees scuttling, their tails tucked between their legs like scared dogs.

Mama and some of the women made bandages for the wounded last night. Oh! I must tell you what happened this morning. I was asleep in my bed when a shell burst through the roof and tore a hole in the wall above me. The house rocked like a baby’s cradle, until I thought it would fall down around my ears. Nat and Mama rushed in to see if I was injured. Nat, being Nat, dug the shell out to add to his collection. He has quite a few. Why he wants them heaven only knows.

When Mama saw my damaged room, she panicked and skedaddled us to the cave. We’ve been here ever since, and it’s near evening. I had no time to get my guitar or my books. My piano surely will be ruined. These Yankees! Have they no manners? Would they wish us to destroy their homes! I think not.

Nat tugs on my arm. He has something to show me, so I’ll close. Tell Joseph I shall write him later. If I were a boy, I’d fight the Yankees with you. Does a girl love her home and family any less than her brothers do? Does she not have pride, honor? It angers me that girls are not allowed to defend what is theirs.

Mama would faint away if she heard me talking this way. I’m supposed to be a lady she reminds me every day.

“Why?” I ask her.

“Because you are,” she says. A truly puzzling answer.

My love and prayers go with you.

Always,

Lizzie

See you at YA Authors You’ve Never Heard Of. We welcome comments.

Do you like to win books and other swag? Well, let me tell you about a giveaway this week that’s just a few hours away.

Yep, the November Blog Hop starts at 12:01 AM Tuesday, Nov. 8. You can visit 200 blogs and win all sorts of prizes. The Hop is hosted by I Am a Reader not a Writer and the co-host is Tristi Pinkston. To learn more, visit my blog and see all the others that are participating and the great giveaways just waiting for you. See you tomorrow. Good luck.

***

The day has arrived. Patches was tired today, so she took a long nap. When she finally woke up, she saw this.

The basket of contestants.

Patches chooses one that tastes delicious. She dropped another one.

She eats it, but not before I take a peek at the name. The winner is Susanne Drazic.

Congratulations, Susanne. I’m also sending you an email, in case you don’t see this. Your basket of goodies will soon be on its way.

Thanks to everyone who entered. It’s been fun. We may just have another contest soon. Watch for my blog tour in July or August, date not set yet. Also I’ll be doing some signings. Will post about those too.

You’re the best.

UPDATED 01/11/2012

SURVIVORS’ CLUB

Final revisions (I hope) are in progress. There are more changes than I had anticipated. Sigh. Hope I get it right this time.

PRINCESS BREEZE

Typed The End. Two beautiful words. After a few days rest, I shall return and revise. I’m not certain about the ending. It may stay; it may go.

PIRATE, A BLOCKADE RUNNER, AND A CAT

Still waiting for good news. The publishing wheels turn slowly. Waiting. Waiting.

That’s all today. Happy Writing.

Eighth grade starts out the same as every other year for Breeze Brannigan. She’s still the tallest student, boy or girl, in her class, wears shoes that would fit an elephant, and her smile reveals dazzling braces that blind everyone within ten feet. Then she meets Cam, the new boy in school who speaks with an accent and must be from another planet, for none of the earthling boys she knows are so polite. He also has a secret, a secret that could mean life or death for Cam and his mother and that Breeze must help him keep.

Reading Level:  Ages 9-12

Author:  Beverly Stowe McClure

Publisher:  4RV Publishing LLC

Illustrator: Aidana WillowRaven

ISBN-10:  0984070826

ISBN-13:  978-0980470824

Reviews

“Step into Breeze’s shoes and delve into her inner most thoughts, her family and friends, and why she is truly blessed. Beverly Stowe McClure provides the reader with such detail and conversation throughout Just Breeze the reader will feel as if they are walking the halls with Breeze and feeling the essence of her life pouring through their veins.”

Donna M. McDine, children’s author. The Golden Pathway

“Ms. McClure has a youthful voice and tells this story in the first person … Although this story deals with some difficult issues, it is an easy read for a middle grade student. The tone is light and peppered with humor. Ms. McClure knows how to weave a tale that will keep the reader turning the pages… I enjoyed it and recommend it.”

Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz, children’s author. Ghost for Rent.

“Just Breeze is a fun read about the peril of middle school. It covers the territory quite completely with the struggle to fit in, annoying parents, even more annoying siblings, and the search for true love. Author Beverly Stowe McClure brings Breeze to life for the enjoyment of middle grade readers everywhere.”

Readingjunky, teacher and reviewer.

“This is a great book for a tween or early teen ager. I think every girl should have a book that she identifies with like this, and Just Breeze is one of those kinds of books. Good kids dealing with every day struggles of growing up. If I had a teenaged daughter, this is a book I would get for her.”

Books4moms, moms and reviewers.

The halls of Whispering Springs Middle School rang with laughter, joking, and teasing. High-pitched chatter and friendly shouts of greeting ricocheted off the walls. Locker doors clanged open, clattered shut. A banner reading GO COYOTES fluttered from the ceiling. The smell of freshly waxed floors stung  my nostrils.

I sighed. My first day in eighth grade started out the same as seventh grade, sixth grade, fifth grade, and all the way back to kindergarten. Unless a new student had enrolled, I was still the tallest person, boy or girl, in school.

And my feet … I yanked open the locker door and stuffed my gym shoes, or rather my canoes, inside. I wasn’t about to let anyone see they’d fit an elephant, with room to spare. My feet were trying to set a record for gianthood and doing a good job of it. Turn green with envy, Sasquatch. I bet your feet never grew two sizes in one summer. I made a mental note to walk carefully so not to tromp on other kids’ toes and break their bones. Eew. Painful.

During the summer I actually had believed that when I reached the magical number thirteen, I’d be transformed into this gorgeous, teeage creature, like my sister Sara, seventeen, soft, wavy hair, size-six feet. I’d been thirteen two whole months now, and I’d changed all right, but not in the way I had in mind. Take my mouth for instance.

I ran my tongue over my teeth. Yup. Still there. Those silver-colored braces that blinded anyone within ten feet. To make matters worse, I picked my favorite color, blue, for the rubber bands, thinking they’d look cool. Instead, they made my teeth look like moldy marshmallows. One consolation–the braces were temporary, unlike my body parts I was stuck with forever.

Mom said I placed too much emphasis on my appearance. Easy for her to say. She didn’t look like a clown with wild hair that played by its own rules. Clown? Hey. That was it. I’d join the circus. I could see the billboard now: Star Attraction–Breeze Brannigan, the Glow-in-the-Dark, Orange Sherbet Creature from Outer Space.

End of excerpt

Just Breeze

ISBN: 978-0-9840708-2-4

4 RV Publishing

Available at Amazon , Barnes and Noble , and other stores and at 4 RV.

The latest video from Blazing Trailers: Caves, Cannons, and Crinolines.

Rebel in Blue Jeans. Read more about Rebel at Blazing Trailers.

I would love to visit your school and talk with your students about reading. I also do workshops where students can add to the lessons taught in the classroom about writing a story. My programs are listed below, but I am open to whatever teachers would like for me to do.

PROGRAMS

Fun With Reading (Pre-K-2)

We play a game. I start by asking three questions about an animal, and the students guess the animal. Then students take turns asking three questions and letting other students guess what it is. My armadillo hand puppet and I read from my picture book, FRANKIE’S PERFECT HOME.

How to Write a Story  (3-5)

Students talk about their favorite ways to travel: car, airplane, train, ship, bus. I tell them about my mother’s journey on an Orphan Train. We look at the steps I used to write her story. Students will receive a fun wordhunt.  Q/A

Research is Fun (6-8)

We discuss researching for accurate information using my award winning YA historical novel, CAVES, CANNONS, AND CRINOLINES. We’ll also see what research is necessary for a contemporary novel and how writing it differs from writing a historical story. Bookmarks will be given to the students. Q/A

If you prefer a workshop where the students write their stories, I’m happy to do that.

Workshops (3-5 and 6-8)

Using Vision Boarding, students will write the bare bones of a short story.  Q/A

I also speak at libraries, book fairs and conferences.

To learn more, leave a comment below, or email me at Beverlysmcclure (at) aol (dot) com. I’ll be happy to send you my brochure.

I’m now scheduling for spring and fall 2012 and beyond.