Description: Based on rare archival material, obscure trial manuscripts, and interviews with relatives of the conspirators and the manhunters, this fast-paced thriller that tells the story of the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth and gives a day-by-day account of the wild chase to find this killer and his accomplices. Based on James Swanson's bestselling adult book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, this young people's version is an accessible look at the assassination of a president, and shows readers Abraham Lincoln the man, the father, the husband, the friend, and how his death impacted those closest to him.

Children's Literature Review: Fine storytelling and compelling writing take the reader through the twelve-day search for Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth. Swanson sets the stage (no pun intended) by presenting a concise description of the causes and effects of the Civil War. He then begins with Lincoln's second inaugural, recording that Booth was in the audience that day and subsequently remarked to a friend in New York City, "What an excellent chance I had, if I wished, to kill the president on Inauguration Day! I was on the stand, as close to him nearly as I am to you." Readers will ascertain not only how but why Booth changed his mind from kidnapping to killing Lincoln. The plot to kill the President, the Vice-President, and the Secretary of State sent chills down the spine of this reader. There is not much background on the co-conspirators, but Swanson presents some fine details about how the events played out. The photos, maps, and reward posters help the reader gain a sense of the mood of the people of t...

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