The Story of the H. L. Hunley and Queenie's Coin

by Fran Hawk, Dan Nance (Illustrator)

During the Civil War, Union forces blockade the port of Charleston so the Confederate army seeks a way to attack the Yankee ships. George Dixon is part of the group of men given the task of creating and building the "fish boat," a submarine. The H.L. Hunley ultimately sets out on its mission to sink Yankee ships, but fails to return, its whereabouts unknown. For more than 100 years, the mystery of the Hunley and the fate of its crew stayed buried. The Story of the H.L. Hunley and Queenie's Coin recounts the story of the "fish boat," through its creation and mission, to its ultimate recovery and final voyage home. Fran Hawk and her husband live in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, near several Hunley landmarks. For the past ten years, she has enjoyed her job as a children's librarian in her local school district. Currently she works in a small alternative high school for at-risk students. She writes a weekly children's book review column for the Charleston Post and Courier and writes freelance articles for magazines. Dan Nance has published dozens of extraordinary and provocative images of the Civil War. Agraduate of the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, Dan's work has graced numerous book and magazine covers and is widely respected by both scholars and historical interpreters alike. Dan has works in the permanent collection of the South Carolina State Museum. He lives with his family in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Genres: Picture Books, War, History, Childrens, Nonfiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2004

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is great for teaching about early submarines and the battles of the H.L. Hunley. The section near the end is wonderful for sparking interest in marine archaeology and discovering more about history. But the treatment of the Civil War as a whole is problematic. There is absolutely no mention of slavery. At one point, the author declares that the United States is "healed of its wounds from the Civil War," which, given current events, is highly debatable. This was really disappointing, since the topic it aimed to cover is fascinating.

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done! Such an interesting story about a little known part of the Civil War.

[Peggy House · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this with a grandchild, she got online and discovered that since the publication of this picture book, actual evidence pointed to the authentic reason the Hunley sunk.

[Janeen Miklos · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a kids book but interesting bit of History.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're immersing ourselves into the Civil War, as we celebrate the 150th anniversary. The anniversary of the Battle of First Manassas will be next weekend, and that's right around us. We really enjoyed this book about the first submarine and the mystery of what happened to the sailors. A real plus is the unbiased approach, explaining a bit of the Civil War without taking sides.

[Ashlee Gibson]

I think that this book was great. Since I am from Charleston, I can remember when the Hunley was raised out of the water. I can also remember some of the controversy that came along with it being raised. It is a great way to take a look back in time.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Civil War Unit