Civil War Sub

March 1, 2003
Gr 3-4-Readers will be immediately engaged with the first lines of this account of the raising of the Hunley on August 8, 2000, and are told that a mystery is about to be solved. Then, step-by-step they are taken back in time to a short discussion of the Civil War, the role of naval blockades, and the dream of James McClintock and Baxter Watson to create an underwater battleship to keep the Southern ports free of Northern ships. The idea did not come quickly to fruition and all of the many difficulties and disappointments are included. The chapters are short but packed with information and, while this is part of an early reading series, there is no sense that the information is simplified. The illustrations, while not compelling, do highlight the drama of the story, showing men swimming away from a sinking ship, fires raging across the decks. This little piece of history is well presented.-Edith Ching, St. Albans School, Mt. St. Alban, Washington, DC

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.