Civil War Non-fiction Pick: You Wouldn’t Want to Be in the First Submarine! by Ian Graham, Illustrated by David Antram

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Like any major event in U.S history, the Civil War presents readers and educators with a lot of ground to cover when it comes to understanding all of the whos, hows and whys. Lately I’ve been interested in the technological advances made at sea and on the battlefield during the Civil War. A catalog search at my public library led me to You Wouldn’t Want to Be in the First Submarine!: An Undersea Expedition You’d Rather Avoid.

This non-fiction picture book offers up a history of submarines and then focuses on advancements made on submarines during the Civil War, particularly the H.L. Hunley. After many failed voyages, this Confederate vessel was the first submarine to engage another ship in battle.

You Wouldn’t Want to Be in the First Submarine! has fun yet informative illustrations that blend seamlessly with the well balanced text. Best of all, this book shares the scientific principles behind submarines along side their historical timeline making it a great cross curricular read. I would also recommend this book as a an addition to Civil War displays and reading lists.

Find You Wouldn’t Want to Be in the First Submarine! at a library near you!