I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937

I Survived

by Lauren Tarshis, David de Vries (Reading)

New York Times bestselling author Lauren Tarshis provides a bird's-eye view of one of America's most ghastly accidents ever to be captured on film, the Hindenburg disaster of 1937. In May of 1937, the Hindenburg a massive German airship, caught fire while attempting to land in New Jersey, killing thirty-five people. Lauren Tarshis's latest thrilling addition to the New York Times bestselling I Survived series features an eleven-year-old boy in the middle of this historic disaster.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Historical, Adventure, Juvenile

MP3 CD

First published February 23, 2016

About the author

Lauren Tarshis often wonders how she came to spend most of her waking moments thinking about disasters, as the author of the children's historical fiction series "I Survived." Each book takes readers into the heart of history's most thrilling and terrifying events, including the sinking of the Titanic, the Shark Attacks of 1916, Hurricane Katrina, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the San Francisco earthquake, 9/11, and the Battle of Gettysburg. Writing these books often makes her feel very nervous, as though at any moment a volcano could erupt right outside her window. Then again, she has learned a thing or two about avoiding being eaten by a shark.
Lauren is also the author of the the award-winning Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and its sequel, Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love.

For more information, go to her website: www.LaurenTarshis.com

And check out the I Survived Website: www.Scholastic.com/ISurvived

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are 17 books in the I Survived series. Each book tells a fictionalized eye-witness account of a historical disaster or event. The books are for kids, so the protagonist of each book is a child, usually about 10-11 years old. This series is excellent! The stories are a mix of historical fact and fictionalized story, bringing the events alive for middle-grade age students. The books range from modern events like 9/11 to more ancient disasters like the destruction of Pompeii.

I Survived the Hingenburg Disaster, 1937 is the 13th book in the series. Hugo is 11 and travelling on the Hindenburg with his parents and little sister, Gertie. Hugo's mother is a little bit afraid to fly on an airship, but Hugo tells her it's the safest mode of travel with the fewest accidents. Little does he know that when they arrive in New Jersey on May 6th, 1937 that the ship is going to explode while landing. A family adventure turns into a dangerous, life threatening disaster. 35 people died in the disaster, and was the beginning of the end for airship travel.

This book is excellent and could easily be used in a classroom situation. It could be used to encourage kids to read, as supplemental reading for a history lesson or to read out loud to a class of students. Kids interested in history would love this series. The topics are varied and the event is related in realistic terms but not too graphic. Just enough detail....but not too much. The contents are age appropriate for middle-grade age children. As an adult, I enjoy this series as well. I like to read children's books in between heavier adult fiction to give my brain a bit of a break. I love history, so this series is perfect for me.

The cover art for this series is always colorful and eye-catching. The stories are interesting with lots of action. This series might be a good choice for kids who are reluctant readers.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lakehurst, New Jersey - Thursday, May 6, 1937 - 7:25 p.m. - CRASH & BURN!

I SURVIVED THE HINDENBURG DISASTER (#13) is another educational children's book of facts interwoven with fiction makes for an interesting and entertaining read.

The Hindenburg is a Zeppelin airship....not to be confused with a blimp that floats like a balloon.

A zeppelin flies below the clouds only a few hundred feet above ground with an average speed of about 76 mph giving passengers a spectacular view of the sights below.

A trip from Germany to the USA east coast, approximately 4,000 miles took about 2 1/2 days depending on headwinds and cost $450 per ticket back in 1937. ($7k in today's $)

The Hindenburg could carry 131 people, crew + passengers and fortunately only had 97 on board for its final voyage. 36 people died in the crash including one ground crew member.

A hydrogen gas leak ignited by a spark is suspected cause of explosion.

The story itself features a young boy, his family and dog....and the boy's many escapades aboard the great flying machine. It was good!

Lots more cool facts, action packed and suspenseful for such a short story.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 4 out of 5]

narrator: 4 stars
Story/characters: 3.5 stars 🌟

*Listened to via Overdrive app*

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

New York Times bestselling author Lauren Tarshis provides a birds-eye view of one of America's most ghastly accidents ever be captured on film, the Hindenburg Disaster of 1937. She presents to us the details in her book I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937 (I Survived, #13) by Lauren Tarshis.

The greatest flying machine ever built is about to crash...For eleven-year-old Hugo Ballard, flying on the Hindenburg is a dream come true. Hugo, his parents, and his four-year-old sister, Gertie, are making the thrilling four-thousand-mile journey across the Atlantic in a zeppelin as big as the Titanic.But as the zeppelin gets ready to land, a blast rocks the Hindenburg and fire consumes the ship. The entire disaster lasts a mere thirty-two seconds, but in those few seconds, Hugo finds himself separated from his family and in a desperate race to escape the flames. The Hindenburg is doomed. And so, it seems, is Hugo. Will he survive this historic disaster?

[Logan Mclean · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was the first I Survived book I have ever read and I loved it! I never really was interested in the HINDENBURG but this book did great job in making it sudle. the characters were amazing even the ones that did not have a big role like Hugos little sister (who was sick most of the book) had a big in-paced on my emotions.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good edition to the I Survived series. I am getting a little old for these books so I felt I had to read the only one I hadn't read. It was suspenseful and it had a lot of action. I recommend this book to people who have read the I Survived series.

[Daniel Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hindenburg was built in Germany. It was one of 2 zeppelins capable of carrying passengers. The zeppelin had captured the world’s attention. The Hindenburg had just crossed the Atlantic from Germany heading towards its landing spot in New Jersey when it exploded. The trip took 3 days and it travelled at about 600 feet. It was the fastest way to cross the Atlantic. A ship took a week and airplanes carrying passengers weren’t capable of crossing the ocean yet. It was not a balloon. Rather, it had a steel structure. It was full of flammable gas and most likely was ignited by a small leak and static electricity. There was a lightning storm in the area. It was the end of travel by people in the zeppelins.

[Shadyside Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think out of the all the books I’ve read in the series, I definitely learned the most in this one. I found it so fascinating and like that the cause is ultimately still a conspiracy. The story itself wasn’t the most unique but it definitely didn’t take away from my interest in reading!

[Terance W.]

This book was one of the better I Survived books out of this series. What the author did well was he really tried to involve a background story instead of just hopping right into the action. My favorite part was when they were describing the Hindenburg as a big animal opening opening jaws.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Lauren Tarshis's book I SURVIVED THE HINDENBURG DISASTER, 1937 Hugo's family is on the Hindenburg to come to America from Germany. They are on the Hindenburg to save Hugo's younger sister ,Gerties, life. She is very sick with fevers. I think this book is very exciting because it leaves you in suspense a lot. The Hindenburg crashes right before it land in America and Hugo's family ends up jumping out of the burning airship.

[Kat V · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good. 4 stars

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Monday, May 3rd, and Hugo Ballard, 11, is about to embark on an exciting journey flying from Germany to New Jersey on the Hindenburg, one of two zeppelins crossing the Atlantic Ocean in 1937. Hugo had already had one big adventure, living in Kenya with his mom, dad, and younger sister Gertie for a year. But now Gertie is sick with malaria and needs to get home to NYC for the right medicine as quickly as possible and the zeppelin could get the family there in only three days.

The Hindenburg is big, almost as big as the Titanic, but it's a highly flammable gas, hydrogen, that gets the zeppelin off the ground and flying. And that's a pretty scary thought for Hugo and Gertie, but almost immediately, Hugo makes a new friend, Martha Singer, or Marty as she prefers. Marty is a zeppelin pro, this is her eight Atlantic crossing in one, thanks to her dad who works for the company. "It's magical" she tells Hugo, and indeed, it seems to be so. Even Gertie is looking and feeling better.

The next morning, Tuesday, May 4th, at breakfast, however, Hugo's good feelings about being on the smooth-riding zeppelin with a new friend are somewhat diminished by the appearance of Nazi Colonel Joseph Kohl, known for his viciousness (even Gertie thinks he looks like a snake) and two other Nazi officers. When they leave, one of the passengers says that he believes the Nazis are looking for a spy on board the zeppelin.

On Wednesday, May 5th, the day before the zeppelin is scheduled to arrive at the airfield in New Jersey, Mr. Singer offers to show Hugo and his dad around the ship, even taking them into its main body, usually off limits to passengers. While there, Mr. Singer hears a terrible, unfamiliar growling noise. Alarmed, he starts to call the ship's captain, when Hugo realizes it is none other than their dog, Panya, who was put into the cargo hold for the trip. But their tour is interrupted with news that Gertie is once again very sick. After a long, scary night, Gertie's finally fever breaks and the only thing she wants is Panya.

But when Hugo sneaks down to get the dog, he sees someone else there. Is this the spy who is sneaking German secrets back to the United States? Apparently Colonel Kohl thinks so, too. After threatening Hugo with his gun, he manages to get away and get Panya to Gertie. But does an even deadlier fate await the Ballad family when the Hindenburg suddenly erupts in flames while landing?


A WWI Recruiting Poster
I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937 is, like all the I Survived books, very exciting with themes of courage, resilience, and the importance of family. And Tarshis is genius at being able to weave these into a gripping tale in the midst of a dangerous historical event without distorting any of the history. She has included lots of information within the story about zeppelins, how they work and their use, even during World War I when they were used to drop bombs on civilians in both France and England. I knew airplanes were used for that, but I didn't know about zeppelins.

Nor does she shy away from Nazi violence or cruelty and yet it is never gratuitous. In this novel, Colonel Kohl is portrayed as the kind of cold-blooded Nazi who would not think twice about shooting Hugo to get what he wants. But Tarshis also always makes sure to surround her protagonist with kind people, too, as she does here with Hugo's parents, Mr. Singer, and Marty. And her protagonists are also kind people. Hugo risks a lot to make his sister happy, but he knows what he has to do. And when the ship erupts in flames, his first thought is how to save his family.

Tarshis has also included even more information about zeppelins and the Hindenburg disaster in her back matter, beginning with the question "Would you want to ride on a zeppelin? To which my answer would be unequivocally no, thank you, although I do appreciate the excitement and spectacular views of such a ride. There is also a section about the possibilities of why the Hindenburg disaster happened (to this day, no one knows), More Hindenburg Facts, and a Selected Bibliography.

I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937 is one of four books that are focused on World War II, beginning with I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941, I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944, and I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944. Each excellent and informative, and age appropriate.

This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was provided to me by the publisher, Scholastic Press

[Jonathan Donihue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several of the books in the I Survived now, and this, I think, is one of my favorites. In addition to the disaster itself, there's a mystery and Nazis and and a sick little girl in need of medical care. There's even a cute little 🐕! Everything you need for an engaging novelette.

Thanks for another great tale, Ms Tarshis!

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably my least favorite of the series so far. I’m not sure why, I just didn’t really enjoy it that much.

[Lyndie W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal childhood favorite right here

[Jeremy M W · Rating 5 out of 5]

So interesting, and I actually really enjoyed it, and I enjoyed reading the facts at the end, even though Hugo was a little dumb at times I get that he's a child but still..

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good!

[Janet C-B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have listened to several books from this series. I especially enjoy hearing the story from the point of view of a child. The Hindenburg Disaster, 1937 is a topic that I did not know much about. The book was educational for me. I enjoy reading a story, while learning a bit more of history.
5 stars

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response: I really liked the book >I Survived The Hindenburg Disaster by Lauren Tarshis. I enjoyed the part where Hugo had to protect his friend who was a U.S. spy. He had to distract him so the spy could get away. The reason was that Hugo was in an area he wasn't supposed to be because he was trying to get his sister's dog for her to keep her fever down. There was an evil looking man that caught him and asked why he was in that restricted area. He froze in place and didn't know what to say, but the spy still managed to get away and Hugo got his sister's dog for his sister. I also liked the part where one of the ship members threw Hugo out the window to save him from the crash.

Plot: The book started off where Hugo and his family had to go to Kenya from the U.S. and stay for a year. During that year they needed to go back to the U.S. for the cure for Malaria that Gertie had gotten. She was getting high fevers, which was the reason they had to go back to the U.S. They had seen a doctor before in Germany, but he couldn't help them so they had to go to New York to see another doctor to get the cure. During a ride Gertie wanted her dog so Hugo went into the restricted area which was the cargo hold to go and get the dog for his sister. Even though Hugo went in the cargo hold he was scared because there was word that there was a spy on the Hindenburg. He didn't want to get caught, but he wanted to get his sister's dog for his sister. He got the dog and then he heard someone behind him, it was the spy and there was a soldier right behind him. Hugo decided to help by distracting the soldier so the spy could get away. The spy barely got away and Hugo was able to get the dog for his sister. His sister Gertie’s fever went away and she was happy. The Hindenburg was about to land when a storm started, they couldn't land the Hindenburg with the storm so they had to wait it out. After the storm, they were going to land when they heard a boom and the Hindenburg started on fire and was free falling. Hugo looked for his family to help get off the Hindenburg. But Hugo was grabbed by someone and as the Hindenburg got closer to the ground Hugo jumped off. He survived the fall and watched the Hindenburg continue to fall. Then he saw Gertie and his parents and they went to a hospital to treat Gertie for her malaria.

Characterization: Hugo was an 11 year-old boy who had a four-year-old sister named Gertie. His parents were taking him on the Hindenburg with his sister to see another doctor to hopefully cure his sister of malaria. Hugo was an explorer. He loved exploring and doing things. He was happy to go and find his sister's dog for her.

Setting: In May of 1937 the Hindenburg was attempting to land in New Jersey when it caught fire. They had gone 4000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in a Zeppelin which was as big as the Titanic was. The reason that is so amazing is that they had gotten a gigantic football field sized balloon across the ocean. The setting is important because back then it was a lot harder to rebuild everything and fix all the damages.

Recommend: I rated this book four out of five stars because I really liked how Hugo risked a lot for his sister. Also, because I never really knew about the Hindenburg until I read this book. I recommend this book to anyone from the ages of 10 to 18.

[Adam Batten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response:
I liked the book I Survived The Hindenburg Disaster, because it's based off a real historical event. I rate it four out of five stars, because I like historical books. This book adds a storyline of a family riding the Hindenburg, and their experience on the Hindenburg.

Plot:
This story takes place in the Hindenburg, that the Germans made during WWII. The boy, Hugo, is the main character and his sister’s name is Gertie. The family is riding the Hindenburg from Africa to New Jersey to help Gertie. She is sick with a disease that is caused by mosquitoes It was giving her a high fever. Hugo's sister is getting worse on the way and her fever keeps rising, but that's not the worst part. The trip gets delayed due to weather and takes even longer. That's when everything goes wrong, and the historical part comes into the story. Along the way they encounter some problems, and make some new friends. A girl ,Marty, talks to Hugo the whole trip to New Jersey. Her dad turns out to be a spy on the blimp. He gets in trouble on the way, because the Nazi’s found out he was a spy. At the end of the trip the Nazis try to confront Marty’s dad, but a huge explosion went off saving him from the Nazi’s.

Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to kids that like historical books, from ages 10 and up, so they know about that historical event prior to reading the book. Any guy or girl would like it if they like history or historical events.

[Lexi Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book a 4 star rating because the whole outline of the story is a good one. The message that it expresses to young readers is amazing. The message in this story is that anyone can go through literally the worst times in life and still come out alive and standing. It teaches that life can be scary but always be brave even when you feel like you can't. It will be ok. I really enjoyed reading this book.

In this book, eleven year old, Hugo Ballard travels on the Hindenburg four thousand miles across the Atlantic in a zeppelin as big as the titanic. He travels with his parents and four year old sister, Gertie. As the zeppelin gets ready to land, a blast rocks the Hindenburg and catches fire. In total, this tragedy lasts thirty-two seconds but Hugo gets separated from his family and has to try to find his family before the flames consume him.

[Enrique Zatarain · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937" is realistic-fiction book by Lauren Tarshis. I like this book because it is very detailed, action-packed, and interesting. It is very realistic, and mind-blowing. This book also tells you facts about the tragic Hindenburg disaster. I also like this book because it goes way back in time and that is just really cool to me. Also it makes me think so hard on what I would do, what I would say, if I would make it out, or if I wouldn't in this situation. I also like seeing this event from a perspective of a person my age. Other than that, this book was amazing, and i recommend it to anybody who likes a good book.

[Brady Wold · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is I Survived The Hindenburg disaster of 1937. Warning there are spoilers, the book was a masterpiece for a children book level. Just the way that the author described the Hindenburg went down.I felt bad for the dog that had to stay in storage for the ride, but of course the blimp blew up and crashed into a fire inferno.I think anyone can read this book because it's not too long and it is not hard to read for me.I would totally recommend this book it is fantastic and I hope you enjoyed this review.

[Khalil McMorris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about a boy named Hugo. This story took place in 1937. It is called I survived the Hindenburg disaster. In this book they lived in Kenya. They needed to get to New Jersey as soon as possible. The fastest way to get there was by the Hindenburg, a world famous zeppelin. They got on the zeppelin but things didn't go as planned. I would really recommend this book. It is funny, sad, and great.

[R Les · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this so much, but I have a question, how do you actually read?I have been using this app for a while now, and I love it, I hope you can answer my question ,Thank you so much for everything, I can't even explain because the app is so much fun, I just need that question answer.

[Abby Sirois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugo and his family are flying on the Hindenburg. His sister is very sick and they are trying to find the best doctors that can save her she doesn't have much time left. The doctor told Hugos dad that she was dying and Hugo overheard that now he is devastated.

[Troy Girard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of many books in this series I thought that was am okay book. Eleven-year-old Hugo Ballard was the main character in this book it's just like all the other books in this series it had a lot of action and I feel like if you like the I survived series books you would like this one.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are very dear to our hearts because Ben reads them to us before bedtime. Great historical fiction books! You learn so many interesting things in a fun (non-factual) way...krb 10/30/17

[Mathias Seiwert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read to my ten year old daughter. Quite an interesting book--well-written, informative, entertaining.

[Kim Hampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great way to teach kids about history.