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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Oakdale Library | J 363.12 VER | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove) | J 363.12 VER | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | J 363.12 VER | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
On May 6, 1937, the giant German airship the Hindenburg was destroyed by fire as it attempted to land at Lakehurst Naval Base in New Jersey. Of the 93 people on board, a remarkable 62 survived, including Werner Franz, the ship's 14-year-old cabin boy. In Surviving the Hindenburg, writer Larry Verstraete recounts young Werner's story of the airship's final voyage. Through Werner's memories young readers will explore the inner workings of the giant airship, marvel at the breathtaking vistas from its observation windows, and hold their breath during Werner's terrifying escape from the fiery devastation. "My mind didn't start working again until I was on the ground," Werner said later. "Then I started running." Captured in detailed, dramatic artwork, the story of the doomed airship comes alive for readers and history buffs of all ages. Larry Verstraete's book, S is for Scientists: A Discovery Alphabet, was named a 2011 Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students by the National Science Teachers Association. He lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba. David Geister's work has been featured in The History Channel Magazine. His books include B is for Battle Cry: A Civil War Alphabet. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-4-The story of the disaster is told through the eyes of the last surviving member of the crew, Werner Franz, who was only 14 at the time of the crash. He was a cabin boy aboard the luxury airship and moved freely about the zeppelin as he completed his regular duties. On May 6, 1937, attempting to land on a New Jersey airfield, the Hindenburg caught fire and the hydrogen-filled cells were immediately engulfed in flames. Young Werner was saved by a soaking from a burst water tank and narrowly escape the inferno. This picture-book biography provides an exciting introduction to the bygone days before airplanes were a viable option for crossing the Atlantic. While the information provided about the Hindenburg and airships is brief, the story is punctuated with descriptive details, and readers may be encouraged to seek out more in-depth sources. The writing is straightforward, but with enough suspense and buzz to keep students interested. The accompanying paintings, with their slightly subdued colors, adequately depict the drama as it unfolds. A solid addition to real-life disaster collections.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Fourteen-year-old Werner Franz was a cabin boy aboard the ill-fated airship on its doomed flight to the U.S. His incredible story of survival is told here in vivid detail. The text includes a brief history of the Hindenburg before launching into Franz's tale. Painterly full-page illustrations provide a gripping visual backdrop to the text. Information about the disaster's aftermath is appended. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
The 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster is a good chance to rope in discussion of the 1937 explosion of the Hindenburg, which, as Verstraete's foreword details, was nearly as long as the Titanic and intended to be the world's first flying hotel. Told from the point of view of the youngest crew member, 14-year-old cabin-boy Werner Franz, this is an effectively claustrophobic insider story. Werner is depicted walking through the fascinatingly narrow inner passageways of the zeppelin and gazing out at Manhattan's ocean of buildings far and wide. From Werner's viewpoint, the explosion is utter confusion in less than a minute, he is plunged into a fiery nightmare illustrated by Geister as a hellish world of churning smoke and buckling metal. Throughout, the prose is level-headed and calm, which might allay reader fears, even as it feels a bit incongruous. The limited perspective keeps the grandeur of the crash at bay until the final paintings, where Werner cowers before the crumbling ship. There is no bibliography, but the closing author's note is fantastic.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist
