The Secret Battle of Evan Pao

Gr 3-7–The horns and drums of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” preface the rousing narration by Locke, immediately signaling a reference to the Civil War. In contemporary Haddington, VA, ancestral connections to the Confederacy are still revered. Evan, his sister Celeste, and their mother have just arrived from California in the wake of his father’s disappearance. Evan is the only non-white student in his sixth-grade class: Max is welcoming but Brady immediately targets him. Battlefield Day—an annual celebration—looms and already his teacher implies Evan doesn’t belong. But Celeste’s wisecrack leads Evan to the surprising discovery of Chinese Civil War soldiers (thank you, pioneering APA writer Ruthanne Lum McCunn!)—and the chance to correct local traditions. Locke empathically captures Evan’s sensitivity; he’s just as responsive as snarky Celeste, the curious realtor, Evan’s myopic teacher, and easygoing Uncle Joe.