The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

Intriguing, Entertaining, Suspenseful, Daring, Humorous 

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick 

Published by Scholastic Inc. Copyright 2009

Twelve-year-old orphan Homer P. Figg loses the only person close to him when his under-aged brother Harold is sold into the Union Army. After running away from home to save his brother and escape from his callous uncle, Squinton Leach, Homer finds himself in the path of several thieves and spies. He must outsmart the people he encounters and find his way to the enlisted soldiers in time to save his brother from war. 

Grade level: 5

Lexile Measure: 950L

Description: Historical fiction

Suggested delivery: Small group read 

Electronic Resources:

Book Trailer

Student can watch this short book trailer before they start reading to give them a preview of what will happen in the book. This may also be used to spark interest in the book.

Union/Confederate States Map

This is a map of the United States comparing the Confederate and Union states. This map will provide students with background information about the Civil War and will help them visualize where the events in the book take place. 

Teaching Strategies

Key vocabulary:

·         Abolitionist – a person who wants to stop slavery

·         Fugitive – a person who is running away to avoid being captured

·         Oblige – to force or require someone to do something

·         Inquiry – a request for information

·         Inflicted – to cause someone to experience something unpleasant or harmful

·         Rebel – a person who opposes or fights against the government

·         Conscription – ordering people by law to serve in the armed forces

·         Ruffian – a strong or violent person

·         Treason – a crime of trying to overthrow your country’s government 

Before reading: Introduce a list of difficult vocabulary words that appear in the book with vocabulary cards. Have students find synonyms and antonyms of each word to strengthen their understanding of the definitions. 

During reading: Have students work in small groups to fill out character profiles including important information about the character and a drawing of what they think they look like. They should fill out the profile after each main character is introduced in the book to keep track of all of them. 

After reading: Have students discuss in small groups ways in which Homer was the hero of the story. Have them refer to specific examples in the book. Students should come prepared to the book talk with questions and comments that have about the book in general. 

Writing activity: Tell students to imagine they are living during the Civil War era and get sold into the Union Army like Harold. Using information that they have acquired from the story, specifically towards the end of the book, have them write a series of journal entries accounting their experiences during the Battle of Gettysburg. 

Philbrick, R. (2009). The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg. New York, New York: Scholastic.