A trio of seventh graders become one another's first friends as they discover the secrets of a Civil War soldier in this middle grade novel for fans of Gordon Korman and Jack Gantos. Twelve-year-old Oliver Prichard is obsessed with the Civil War. He knows everything about it: the battles, the generals, every movement of the Union and Confederate Armies. So when the last assignment of seventh-grade history is a project on the Civil War, Oliver knows he'll crush it--until he's partnered with Ella Berry, the slacker girl who does nothing but stare out the window. And when he finds out they'll have to research a random soldier named Private Raymond Stone who didn't even fight in any battles before dying of some boring disease, Oliver is sure he's doomed. But Ella turns out to be much more interesting than Oliver expected, and Oliver's lunch buddy Kevin Kim comes to their project's rescue as head writing consultant. Things seem to be going pretty okay until Oliver discovers some big secrets buried in the past--and the present. Oliver knows he can unravel the mystery. But as he keeps digging, he has to decide if it's worth blowing up the project--and his newfound friendships--in order to discover the truth. Praise for The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody “A couple of tech savvy seventh-graders that readers will love getting to know go digging for a civil war soldier with a secret and discover themselves. Matthew Landis’s novel is the best kind of time travel as past and present cross-dissolve.” —Richard Peck, Newbery Medal-winning author of A Year Down Yonder   “Matthew Landis depicts the world of middle school with laser-like clarity, big-hearted warmth, and abundant humor, while also managing to bring Civil War history vividly to life.  There’s even a little romance thrown in!  I wish I were still teaching just so I could hand this book to my favorite students." —Jordan Sonnenblick, award-winning author of Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie “For seventh-grader Oliver, nothing’s fair when it comes to war, first love, or group projects. . . . Teacher Landis knows how middle schoolers work, and he shows his skill here.” — Kirkus Reviews “Landis challenges readers to see history as more than ‘endless battles, dates, and generals.’ Each setting (school, homes, historical societies, reenactment practice field, and Gettysburg) adds another dimension to the characters and issues in this appealing novel.” — Booklist “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.” — Publishers Weekly "Oliver makes major missteps in navigating both the project and his “more than friends” interest in Ella, but with the help of his enthusiastic history teacher, Oliver reaches a more nuanced understanding of the Civil War and of his first crush." — School Library Journal “Author [Matthew Landis], himself an eighth grade social studies teacher, has produced an American history educator’s dream novel.” — School Library Connection   “A well spun plot with quick-fire dialogue. Civil War buffs might learn a thing or two from the notes, and school story fans will be thoroughly entertained.” — BCCB Matthew Landis slays boredom wherever it lurks in his eighth-grade social studies classroom. He lives in Doylestown, PA, with his wife and four kids, some chickens, and a boxer that acts much like the forgotten eldest child. -Chapter One- The Project Oliver knew Samantha wouldn’t know. He asked anyway. “Did you know that Union General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate General Robert E. Lee both went to West Point?” Samantha whipped her dark hair back and copied down the homework posted on Mr. Carrow’s PowerPoint slide. Oliver had already done that. He was always the first one to his table in social studies and always had the homework copied down before Mr. Carrow started the welcome music. “No,” she said. “Grant was an average student, but crazy-good at riding horses. Lee graduated second in his class.” “I didn’t know that either.” “And they both fought in the Mexican-American War.” “Really.” “Really. I mean think about that—two guys who went to the same military school and fought the same enemy fighting each other in the Civil War. How crazy is that?” “Uh-huh.” Samantha swiveled around to talk with a girl at the next table. Oliver didn’t really mind. Not everyone got how awesome the Civil War was, and that was okay. Awesome things still needed saying, and so he’d keep saying them. “Grab a seat, gang,” Mr. Carrow called over the indie rock music he blared pretty much every day. He was wearing a blazer, which meant they were starting a new unit. “Lots to do, lots to do. So much that we probably won’t even get started and you’ll all fail the fourth marking period. Won’t that be sad. Probably get so