Book Review 13

Bibliography
Avi. 2007. I Witness, Iron Thunder: The Battle Between the Monitor and the Merrimac. New York, New York: Hyperion Books. ISBN 9781423104469

Plot Summary

Tom’s father has been killed in the Civil War fighting for the Union, his sister is ill, and money is short for the whole family. As the new man of the house, Tom is forced into the world of an adult at a child’s age when he takes a job on the ironclad called The Monitor. Though many doubt this ship of iron will ever float, Tom respects the inventor, Captain Ericsson, and goes to great lengths to keep the secrets of the Monitor from Rebel copperheads who are threatening his life if he refuses to spy for them. When he decides to sail with the Monitor into war against the Merrimac, a young boy learns how to face fate as a man in a time of uncertainty and war.

Critical Analysis

Tom’s ascent into adulthood is told flawlessly through the voice of an adolescent who is sad and angered over the loss of his father and excited and scared at the prospect of adventure on the horizon. Avi’s telling of this time in history is perfect for young adult readers. The story remains authentic with accurate dates and maps, but it reads like an adventure novel as battle scenes are described. Other themes, such as the importance of friendship, are stressed through Tom’s friends’ willingness to help him as he is threatened by spies, and the style Avi uses builds suspense that keeps the reader from being able to put down the book. The characters jump from the page, and it would be almost impossible for readers not to care about their fates.

Avi stays focused and does not delve into the causes of the Civil War, but rather draws a picture of this one event involving the clash of two never before seen ships at battle, describing the setting and offering maps to guide readers as they imagine these ironclads going to war. Avi’s focus encourages readers to seek more information about this time period since he paints it in such vivid, exciting colors. Tom's adventures in the North colliding with the conflicts in the South are explained in great detail and take the reader on the entire journey via the ocean.

Though the obvious historical information is about the ironclads, the subplot of this story about a family dealing with the loss of family to war, the shortage of money, and the necessity to grow up before one is actually an adult, make the book relevant and readable.

Throughout the book Avi offers visuals that enhance the reading experience. Maps showing where the battles took place or the route the ironclads planned to take appear in many chapters. Other pictures are sketches of what the ships looked like, which complement Avi’s descriptions perfectly. Without the drawings, it’s hard to imagine what the first type of ship of this kind looked like. Sketches of people, such as the foreboding Copperheads threatening Tom, are also in the book, and the front page announcements from a newspaper introduce the chapters keeping the reader well informed of the progress in the war.

Avi adds a glossary to help readers with words they may not know and a bibliography to help interested readers find more about this time in history. Also included is a picture of parts of The Monitor as it was being retrieved from the ocean. Though the bibliography is short, it is obvious that more is available on this little known time in history, and Avi makes the reader want to discover more by the time they finish this story.

Review Excerpts
“This exciting, fast-paced historical adventure will add a bit of drama to Civil War units.” School Library Journal
“…readers may find themselves so absorbed in Tom's exciting narrative that they will seek out for themselves other good works on the Civil War.” Kirkus Reviews


Connections

*Have students choose between reading The Fighting Ground or Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi after reading Iron Thunder together. After finishing the book, put students in groups based on the book they chose to read and have them create a visual representation, such as a Venn diagram or T-chart, showing the similarities and differences of the protagonists in the situations they faced.
*After reading Iron Thunder, have students research a particular battle in the Civil War and share the facts they found with the class. The book will hopefully have caused them to be interested in the topic resulting in an enthusiasm for finding more information.