The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody

A history project seems tailor-made for Civil War buff and battle re-enactor Oliver Pritchard, but the seventh-grader balks when he’s paired up with an unkempt and failing classmate, Ella Berry, and assigned a humdrum local private as a subject. Oliver is furious that his encyclopedic knowledge of Civil War battles will be wasted (and unhappy about being forced to work with a partner), and his many frustrations and questionable social skills lead to an array of hilariously awkward moments. Landis (League of American Traitors) strongly sketches the differences between Oliver and Ella’s personalities and families, contrasting Oliver’s more modest home and curious parents with Ella’s workaholic, appearance-oriented family, eventually revealing how Ella attempts to gain attention through her poor grades and sloppiness. The story’s pace and romantic tension build as the students gel as a team, research primary sources, and create a documentary. The mystery they solve about Private Stone offers tension and interest, but it’s the chemistry between these two characters that is the real star. Ages 10–14. Agent: Lauren Galit, LKG Agency. (Feb.)