A New Birth of Freedom: The Visitor

I'm excited to be part of the Tribute Books' blog tour for A New Birth of Freedom: The Visitor by Robert Pielke!  Abraham Lincoln has always been such an interesting historic figure to me.  When I heard this book was about a time traveler who goes back in time to enlist the help of President Lincoln I knew it would be a book I would like.  I was not disappointed!  Here's my review of this great book!

Title: A New Birth of Freedom: The Visitor  
Author: Robert G. Pielke  
Publisher: Altered Dimensions
Publication Date: 2010 
Genre/Format: Historical Fiction and Science Fiction/Novel 
Summary: Edward Blair has been sent back in time to meet with President Lincoln and convince him to request a truce in the war in order for the Union Army and the Confederate Army to work together to combat alien life forms that have been sent back in time as well.  The fate of the future is in Blair's hands - will he be able to convince them in time? 
What I Think: This book is an interesting blend of historical fiction and science fiction.  I'm not sure I have read a book like this ever before which makes it that much more intriguing.  Time travel has always been my superhero power of choice.  If I could zip from one place to another or even from one time to another I wouldn't hesitate for a second.  In this book, Blair not only time travels, but he ends up conferring with Lincoln and other well-known historical figures from the Civil War era.  I don't consider myself a history expert by any means, but I recognized the various people and events in this book.
     There will be a sequel to this book and I am anxious to find out what happens next.  The end of this book is a definite cliff-hanger a la The Maze Runner by James Dashner.
Read Together: 7 - 12 
Read Alone: 7 - 12 
Read With: Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson and other Civil War/Lincoln nonfiction or historical fiction (I've read Manhunt but not many others about this time period...); The Maze Runner (trilogy) by James Dashner; Ender's Game and others by Orson Scott Card
Snatch of Text: 
"'You said you were form Baltimore, Mr. Blair?'
'Yes.'
'You were born there, correct?'
'Yes.'
'What was the date of your birth?'
'I presume you mean the year?'
'I do.'
Blair took a deep breath and looked into Lincoln's eyes.  'When I first met you on the train fourteen years ago, I was forty years old.'  He swallowed hard and tried to keep his voice from shaking.  'I am now, still, forty years old, sir.  I was born in the city of Baltimore in the year 2163 A.D.  On July fourth, to be exact.' (p. 43)
Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Inferences, Asking Questions, Making Predictions, Making Connections, Visualizing
Writing Strategies to Practice: Narrative, Expository, Descriptive 
Writing Prompts: Draw a picture of a futuristic item, like Blair's weapon, and then write a paragraph to describe it; read the paragraph to a peer and see if he or she can draw the item without seeing your drawing.   
Topics Covered: History - Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg; Time Travel; Aliens; Communication; Family  
Translated to Spanish: No

*This book was given to me by the publisher to be part of their blog tour.  This in no way influenced my review of this book.