Horn Book Review
Beginning readers are introduced to the first all-iron warship built--why it was needed, its brief stint at sea and eventual sinking, and how it was found and brought back to the surface. Illustrations rich with black line illustrate the text and provide diagrams of the [cf2]Monitor[cf1] and the [cf2]Virginia[cf1], its Confederate rival. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 2-4. From the All Aboard Reading series, this book tells a double story. The first part concerns the building of the ironclad ship the Monitor during the Civil War, its epic battle with the Virginia (formerly known as the Merrimac), and its sinking during a fierce Atlantic storm. The second part describes twentieth-century efforts to find the Monitor on the ocean floor and to raise and restore its gun turret. Thompson's narrative relates the Monitor's history in an exciting yet responsible way, and Day's attractive illustrations, evidently in ink and watercolor, enhance the drama and clarify details. Although the book has no back matter, not even an index, it clearly presents a story that will interest many young readers. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2003 Booklist
