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

Homer P. Figg is an orphan who will tell a tall tale at the drop of a hat. He goes off to save his under-age brother from having to serve in the Union army. Along the way he has adventures with a slave on the Underground Railroad, an outrageous con artist, and a harrowing encounter with a hot air surveillance balloon. The story, reminiscent of Sid Fleischman's historical novels, is humorous but still manages to convey the horrors of war. It will be great for middle school boys.