Synopses & Reviews
Tom& nbsp; is only 13, but after his father is killed while fighting for the Union, he must take on the responsibility of someone much older.& nbsp; He signs up for work at the Brooklyn Navy yard where men are& nbsp; busy& nbsp; building battleships for the Civil War.& nbsp; But instead, & nbsp; Tom& nbsp; is sent to a bustling warehouse& nbsp; in another part of the city.& nbsp; There, amidst the roar of furnaces and clanging iron, & nbsp; 100? men are frantically pounding together the strangest ship& nbsp; Tom has ever seen.& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; Because he is& nbsp; literate and quick on his feet, Tom becomes assistant to the ship??'s inventor, a gruff, boastful man named Captain& nbsp; John Ericsson.& nbsp; He spends his days running mysterious errands for the captain and relaying messages throughout the warehouse, and he soon learns that the Union army has& nbsp; very grave& nbsp; plans for this iron& nbsp; ship??? and that Ericsson is the only one who believes it will float.& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; Meanwhile, & nbsp; Tom is thrown into a& nbsp; grave dilemma of his own.& nbsp; His position as warehouse messenger has made him a target of Confederate spies who offer him money for secrets about the ship??? not sure where the plot goes from here.
Synopsis
After his father is killed, 13-year-old Tom Carroll takes a job at a Brooklyn ironworks. Tom learns that the men are building a ship from iron to be used by the Union Army against the Confederate ironclad called the "Merrimac." Illustrated with period photos, drawings, and maps.
Synopsis
When his father is killed fighting for the Union in the War Between the States, thirteen-year-old Tom Carroll must take a job to help support his family. He manages to find work at a bustling ironworks in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York, where dozens of men are frantically pounding together the strangest ship Tom has ever seen. A ship made of
iron.
Tom becomes assistant to the ship's inventor, a gruff, boastful man named Captain John Ericsson. He soon learns that the Union army has very important plans for this iron ship called the Monitor. It is supposed to fight the Confederate "sea monster"--another ironclad--the Merrimac. But Ericsson is practically the only person who believes the Monitor will float. Everyone else calls it "Ericsson's Folly" or "the iron coffin."
Meanwhile, Tom's position as Ericsson's assistant has made him a target of Confederate spies, who offer him money for information about the ship. Tom finds himself caught between two certain dangers: an encounter with murderous spies and a battle at sea in an iron coffin
About the Author
Avi's books are loved by kids and adults everywhere. He has written more than 50 books, several of which have garnered prestigious awards, including the Newbery Medal and two Newbery Honors. His titles with Hyperion include Crispin: The Cross of Lead, Crispin at the Edge of the World, and The Book Without Words. He lives with his family in Colorado.