Grade 3-4?Nine-year-old, slightly overweight Stenny, teased at school, yearns for the courage of his adventurous radio hero, Jack Armstrong, "The All-American Boy." However, his consuming passion is the Hindenburg, Germany's famous dirigible. To increase his stature at school, the boy lies about a planned tour of the airship when it lands on May 5, 1937 in his hometown of Lakehurst, New Jersey. Against his parents' adamant instructions, Stenny bikes to the Naval Air Station and sneaks into the restricted landing area. His joy turns to horror as he sees the Hindenburg go up in flames, causing passengers and crew to throw themselves from the burning wreckage to the ground below. Sickened, he turns to go home, but overcomes his fear in order to lead disoriented and injured passengers to the safety of the hangar. Stenny, who finds the courage he didn't think he had, admits his deception and the other children view him with a new respect. Ransom has created a believable, sympathetic character and has skillfully placed him in the pre-World War II era. Technical information about the Hindenburg is seamlessly woven into the story's fabric. Numerous watercolor illustrations evoke both the period and the tragedy. Excellent historical fiction for younger readers.?Peggy Morgan, The Library Network, Wayne, NJ
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 3^-5. Nine-year-old Stenny can think of little but the expected arrival of the Hindenburg at the naval air station near his New Jersey home. When he sneaks away from home to watch the landing, he witnesses the Hindenburg disaster and finds himself drawn into the rescue effort. Though a loser at marbles and a liar, Stenny finds that his world turns around when he discovers that he's no coward. Presenting a vivid slice of late 1930s life, complete with radio dramas and concerns about Hitler's Germany, this chapter book succeeds in creating believable characters and an exciting story, as well as a sense of the times. Shelly O. Hass' colorful paintings, shot with light, offer vivid impressions of the action. Sometimes multiple, overlaid images appear, adding to the complexity of the art. This involving historical fiction choice for younger readers would make an exciting read-aloud to a class studying the period. Carolyn Phelan
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