You Wouldn't Want to be on the Hindenburg! by Ian Graham

You Wouldn't Want to be on the Hindenburg! : A Transatlantic Trip You'd Rather Skip. by Ian Graham. Franklin Watts, 2009. 32 pages.

Review/Personal thoughts:  This is one in a series of “You Wouldn’t Want to...” books. The LZ129 Hindenburg was the world’s largest airship.  It was a German built lighter than air craft that was filled with hydrogen and was as big as an ocean liner.  With the use of cartoon like illustrations the factual story of the Hindenburg is revealed through the eyes a mechanic who has been assigned as part of the crew.  Throughout the book, handy hints advise the mechanic like,”Make sure you are not afraid of heights!” and “Don’t light a match, hydrogen is extremely flammable!”  All of the parts of the giant luxury passenger air ship are detailed - the frame, the gas cells, the control car, passenger cabins, the engine car, lounge and the dining room. This book has the label disaster and that’s what transpires soon after the Hindenburg sets off on May 3, 1937 from Frankfurt, Germany for the United States.  After a spectacular flight across the Atlantic ocean the Hindenburg prepares to land on May 6 in Lakehurst, New Jersey.  As the airship gets close to the landing zone there is a bang and it bursts into flames! The hydrogen that filled the craft is on fire! The fire destroys the Hindenburg in only 32 seconds as onlookers on the ground are horrified. Amazingly 62 of the 97 passengers and crew survive the crash. To this day the cause of the disaster is unknown.  This book is filled with facts and is presented in an interesting and entertaining format. Reluctant readers will be especially drawn to this book.  This is a great read and I recommend it for tweens.

Genre: Non-Fiction

Reading Level: 5.5 Interest level: Ages 8 to 11.