Customer Reviews

Iron Thunder (I Witness)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a schoolchild I learned of the famous battle of the Monitor vs the Merrimac. I couldn't have told you much about what I learned many years ago other than I remembered both ships were iron-clad; a new idea in shipbuilding.

Iron thunder is told from Tom, a 13 year old Brooklyn boy's point of view. He gets a job as assitant/errand boy to the Monitor's designer. While the ship is frantically being built, Tom is approached by Confederate spies hoping to glean information about the mysterious ship that's being built in New York. There is quite the element of suspense just from that subplot.

Moreover though, the Monitor was an experiment. Most people didn't think an iron ship could float at all, let alone be a powerful warship. Even though I, as an adult reader, KNEW the outcome of what would come of the Monitor, I was still pulled in and wanted to keep reading as the author described the setbacks in construction.

The battle scene is well written and moves fast. There is a nice glossery of terms that kids should be directed to before reading as well as a worthy authors note at the end. There were a few passages where I thought that some younger readers might not understand what was going on (not a fault in the writing, just from the reader's own youth and inexperience in life) so when my 4th grader reads it I will be sure to remind her to ask about any scenes she's confused by.

It's nice to have history presented in an accesible, exciting manner. The book is completely pro-Union. As the author points out, history is written by the victors. The North won the Civil War; the book represents a pro-Union point of view. All in all, a refreshing, different read. It will get some minds really thinking about the layers in history; in this case the work that went into the cumulating battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac.

My only gripe: many kids (including mine) choose a book by its cover (literally. This cover would be completely uninteresting to my 9 year old girl. Petty, maybe, but true. It's on my daughter's reading club list so that's why we have it; I'm glad she is getting the exposure to it.

Author Avi has once again created an exciting, story for readers of all ages! He has clearly researched the facts to bring us a historical fiction account of what it must have been like to serve on one of the most famous boats in American history. Through the eyes of young Tom Carroll, a young fatherless lad, the reader is led through the building, launching, and fighting of the famous ironclad ship. This would make an excellent book for classrooms to read while studying the American Civil War! The actual photos, pictures, and maps give truth and background to the story.

The boy on the title cover is a Confederate (Edwin F. Jemison) but placed in a Union sailor uniform. Thats wrong on many accounts--especially since he was killed by "those people".

If you are a Civil War buff whether reading fiction and non-fiction about the war between the states, you will find Avi's writing to be easy reading material. You will also find it enjoyable, entertaining, and enlightening at times as well. The book is filled with illustrations as well.

While Avi writes for basically younger readers, older readers should also take a chance to enjoy the material. I didn't know much about the Civil War battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac until now. It seemed not to make the grade in my knowledge of Civil War battles. Perhaps because the battle takes place at sea not far from land.

The story is about 13 year old Tom Carroll, a New Yorker, who must work to support his family during the Civil War era upon a ship made of iron. He must encounter espionage aboard the ship and Captain John Ericsson. Carroll must debate his role in the attack between the ships.

Book Talk: Tom's father is dead and he doesn't even know exactly how or where. All he knows is that his father died fighting for the union and now he has to find a job to support his family. A small, thirteen-year-old like Tom can't afford to be picky, so when he's offered a job building a new ironcald ship under Captain Ericsson he takes it, even though everyone calls the ship Ericsson's Folly. No one can see how a ship made of metal will ever be able to float. But the longer he works there, the more faith he has in Captain Ericsson and his ironclad ship. And he's not the only one--spies are coming at him in the street to try and get information. Should he take their money and betray the Union his father died fighting for or should he risk sailing on the iron ship and hope he doesn't end up on the bottom of the sea? Will the boat even be finished in time to save the Union cause? Captain Ericsson may be a genius, but he has a touch of madness to him as well.

Rocks My Socks: Normally I don't much care for war novels and I get bored quickly during battle scenes, but this one held my attention throughout. I found the historic details fascinating and I like the specificity of it--focusing on the building of the Monitor and its famous battle against the Merrimac instead of trying to encompass the entire sweep of the Civil War. I also love the additions to the text--the pages of headlines to provide context and the actual photographs and drawings from that period mixed in with the illustrations for the story. There's also a glossary, further information on the real events in the book, and a bibliography at back, which I always appreciate.

Rocks In My Socks: The characters weren't very complex or layered. I didn't feel particularly attached to any of them. The story was really more about the Monitor than Tom.

Every Book Its Reader: I'd recommend this to 8-12 year-olds with an interest in historical fiction or the Civil War. The amount of detail about the period would make it a great read to supplement and personalize a unit on the Civil War. The novel is geared towards boys more and has very little female presence, but that's war novels for you.

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Iron Thunder has been a hit with some of my fifth grade boys for several years. These readers like military history and Avi delivers it at a readability level which works for early fifth or late fourth graders. The boys don't just quietly read Iron Thunder, they rave about it.