What is the genre and theme of Soldier's Heart?

Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen, is
in the genre of a historical war novella. The novella
follows Charley Goddard through three main phases of his
life.

First, Charlie makes the decision to join the Union
Army at the age of fifteen. He believes that joining the war effort will make him a man.
As a man, he believes that he should be able to take care of his mother and the money he
makes from joining will be money he can send home.

After
Charlie gets to Fort Snelling he realizes that he may not have what it takes to stick
out his decision to join the Union Army. The conditions, for Charlie, are deplorable.
The clothing, food, and weaponry are far from even being sub-standard. During his
enlistment, Charlie matures a lot. He sees the truths behind war- the deaths, loss of
life, and the fear of dying himself.

After the war is over,
Charlie (like many young soldiers) believes that he has experienced and seen too much
for his young life. Even though the war is over, Charlie is traumatized by what he saw
and experienced. Charlie will never be the same.

Basically,
the theme of the novel is a boy's coming of age. The
movement of the novel speaks to the generations of boys who have seen the outcome of war
and, at the same time, gives current generations a look at what life is like on the
lines.