The Story of the H. L. Hunley and Queenie's Coin [Hardcover]

Fran Hawk (Author), Dan Nance (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

During the Civil War, Union forces blockade the port of Charleston so the Confederate army seeks a way to attrack the Yankee Ships. George Dixon is part of the group of men given the task of creating and building the "fish boat," a submarine. The H.L. Hunley ultimately sets out on its mission to sink Yankee ships, but fails to return, its whereabouts unknown. For more than 100 years, the mystery of the Hunley and fate of its crew stayed buried. The Story of the H.L. Hunley and Queenie's Coin recounts the story of the "fish boat," through its creation and mission, to its ultimate recovery and final voyage home.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–The story of the Confederate submarine is told from its conception to its sinking and eventual recovery. Hawk's account, based on research and oral tradition, centers on the role of George Dixon, the Confederate officer who conceived of the vessel, and the gold piece given to him by his fiancée, Queenie Bennett. The coin is said to have saved Dixon from death or serious injury at the battle of Shiloh, and stayed with him for the remainder of his life. Following the Hunley's unsuccessful tests, he took over as her captain and went down with her when she sank after destroying the Union ship Housatonic. When the Hunley was raised in 2000, the coin was among the artifacts recovered. Hawk presents the story in a readable style, while Nance's numerous, exceptional paintings and the color photos of the recovery operation, Dixon's coin and other artifacts, and portraits of Dixon and Horace Hunley bring it to life. This is an exceptionally attractive and enjoyable piece of Civil War history.–Jeffrey A. French, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, Willowick, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. This picture book for older children tells a true story that begins during the Civil War and ends in 2004. In 1862, Queenie Bennett gave George Dixon a gold coin as a keepsake as he left to join the Confederate Army. After the coin in his pocket stopped a bullet at the Battle of Shiloh, Dixon kept it with him as he supervised the building of a submarine, the H. L. Hunley. In 1864, the Hunley became the first sub to sink a ship in wartime, but it, too, sank with Dixon aboard. The first and longer section of the book dramatizes Dixon's story; the next describes the twentieth-century discovery of the sub and its excavation, including the finding of the gold coin. Although the text has a tinge of fictionalization, the ending grounds it more firmly in reality. Many large, dramatically lit paintings illustrate the initial story, while a few color photos offer views of the recovery workers and archaeologists. The book has no index but includes an informative time line. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press; 1 edition (October 31, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585362182
• ISBN-13: 978-1585362189
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,074,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a Kid, November 19, 2004

By 

Stephen A. Imbeau - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Story of the H. L. Hunley and Queenie's Coin (Hardcover)

I'm not a kid and I loved this book. Its engaging and yet true to the history and the times of the American Civil War. I would think the folks in South Carolina that worked so hard to bring the Hunley back to life would find this book a real gem. The Hunley Museum Store should be able to sell lots of them. I recommend it for folks of ALL ages.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure gold, November 14, 2004

By 

A reader (Charleston, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Story of the H. L. Hunley and Queenie's Coin (Hardcover)

This book is an amazing introduction to the history of the Civil War era submarine Hunley. Focused on the most intriguing legend surrounding its captain, Fran Hawk wonderfully recounts the history of the submarine and its tragic end. She deftly steers the story into the modern day, aided by wonderful illustrations. Give this book to every kid on your Christmas list - get them out from behind the video games and into history.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Story of the H.L. Hunley and Queenie's Coin, November 4, 2004

By 

Stephen "Metro editor" (MOUNT PLEASANT, Seychelles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Story of the H. L. Hunley and Queenie's Coin (Hardcover)

Finally, a true adventure story for children that is both historically accurate and wonderfully told. This account of the Hunley is much more than a history lesson. It brings to life the young Lieutenant George Dixon and the fiesty Southern belle whose gift of love once saved him. Fran Hawk takes young readers on a great Civil War adventure from Mobile, Alabama, across the battlefield at Shiloh, through the blocade at Charleston and down inside the first submarine ever to sink a war ship. Her story plants the feet of young readers firmly on the moonlit deck of the ill-fated Union Housatonic moments before she went down, and then leads them onto the sandy, dark beach at Sullivan's Island where a signal fire burned.
Fast-forward more than two centuries. Hawk takes readers offshore with adventurer Clive Cussler to the discovery of a lifetime. She presents the recovered sub in its research laboratory and reveals its many intriguing secrets, one by one.
The book is beautifully - and accurately - illustrated on every page.
Here's a terrific and absolutely true children's adventure book that parents will also enjoy.
Steve Mullins
Metro Editor
The Post and Courier
Charleston, S.C.
Reviewer's note: Hawk writes a weekly column about children's books in the Family Life section of The Post and Courier newspaper.