Seven and a Half Tons of Steel - Hardcover

Nolan, Janet

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1561459127 ISBN 13: 9781561459124

Publisher: Peachtree, 2016

Synopsis

The USS New York is big like other navy ships, and it sails like other navy ships, but there is something special about this navy ship.
Following the events of September 11, 2001, a beam from the World Trade Center Towers was given to the United States Navy. The beam was driven from New York to a foundry in Louisiana, where the seven and a half tons of steel, which had once been a beam in the World Trade Center, became a navy ship’s bow.
Powerful text from Janet Nolan is paired with stunning illustrations from New York Times best-selling illustrator Thomas Gonzalez (14 Cows for America) in this inspiring story that reveals how something remarkable can emerge from a devastating event.

About this title

About the Author:

Janet Nolan is the author of several picture books. She has a BA from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and a master’s degree in urban planning and policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She lives in Illinois.

Thomas Gonzalez was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved to the United States as a child. An artist and painter, he directed campaigns for clients such as Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, NASCAR, the NFL, and McDonald’s, in addition to illustrating children’s books. He lives in Georgia.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 3–5—Nolan and Gonzalez have created a powerfully subtle work concerning the September 11, 2001, attacks and the U.S. Navy ship that contains refashioned tower wreckage in its structure. The book begins with 9/11 and the damage thereafter. One of the metal beams from Ground Zero was removed to a foundry in Louisiana, where it was reworked and shaped into the bow of the USS New York. The book also features another tragedy of the 2000s, as the USS New York's construction was affected by Hurricane Katrina. The text quietly guides readers through the narrative, with no more than a few sentences set on each page. Facts and figures related to the USS New York are presented after the main narrative. Gonzalez's full-page illustrations are brilliant, with every page plastered in heavy color. His bold palette, paired with folds and sharp edges, gives the work a fitting industrial ambience. The tones convey moods and action: deep reds, yellows, and oranges move across the metalworking furnace; black and gray clouds billow up from the towers across the page; and morning light streams bright against the hull of the ship. Images of destruction are shown respectfully yet dramatically. VERDICT This beautiful, sober, and hopeful recounting of a difficult chapter in American history is a stellar addition to history collections.—Jeffrey Meyer, Mt. Pleasant Public Library, IA

About this edition

• Publisher: Peachtree
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1561459127
• ISBN 13: 9781561459124
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 36
• Illustrator: Gonzalez Thomas