Gr 4-8
Early in 1862, 13-year-old Tom Carroll must go to work when his father is killed in a Maryland battle. He finds a job at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where he is put to work on "Ericsson's Folly," the ironclad that will become the Monitor . He works closely with Captain Ericsson and becomes fascinated with this odd "raft." The floating battery is scoffed at by many, but the "Copperheads," Northerners who sympathize with the Southern cause, are distinctly interested. Tom is approached by Confederate spies but cleverly escapes them with the help of his friends. To stay clear of these dangerous men, he moves onboard the Monitor and lives there until its completion. Tom is an eyewitness to history as the ship travels to join the Union blockade fleet and enters into its fateful battle with the Merrimac . He takes pride in the vessel, and his part in her construction is evident in his firsthand telling of the story. Factual information and historical terms are woven smoothly into the narrative. Period photographs, engravings, and newspaper headlines are strategically placed throughout the text to further bring history to life. A glossary provides added clarity, and an author's note explains that although Tom Carroll really existed, the boy in this story is a compilation of several people on the ship and the author's imagination. This exciting, fast-paced historical adventure will add a bit of drama to Civil War units. Even reluctant readers will appreciate it.
—Carolyn JanssenCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

The Confederacy has built a monster ship to break the Union's blockade of the Atlantic coast, and 13-year-old Tom Carroll has a new job at Rowland's Continental Iron Works in Brooklyn helping to build its opponent. The Monitor, Captain John Ericsson's invention, is being called "Ericsson's Folly" and "the iron coffin," and Tom will sail with Ericsson and his crew into one of the greatest naval battles in history. Tom is the eyewitness in this entry in the I Witness series, so the volume is strong on firsthand observations and intelligent commentary, but short on historical background and context. Period illustrations, engravings, photographs and maps provide additional information. The bibliography is limited, but 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. (glossary, author's note) (Fiction. 8-12)