Review: Attack of the Turtle

Attack of the Turtle by Drew Carlson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This historical fiction story takes place around the shores of Connecticut and New York and details the invention of the first submarine during the Revolutionary War. Most people would probably guess that the submarine was invented much later in time; but in 1776 a young genius inventor named David Bushnell figured out a way to build a submergable “water machine” with a bomb attached. The submarine, dubbed the American Turtle, had the ability to travel under the British warships docked off Long Island, attach the bomb with a timer, and return.

The narrator of this exciting adventure is 14-year old Nathan Wade, David Bushnell’s fictitious cousin. Not only does Nathan have to overcome his fear of the water, he also has to determine who he can trust. During the war, your next door neighbors could turn out to be Tory spies! This exciting historical fiction book has interesting author notes, a great diagram of the submarine, and a bibliography for more information. The reader will also learn about the exciting Battle of Brooklyn and ensuing evacuation.

If you have a 9-year old up reader who likes exciting historical fiction, they will love this book. A similar title to recommend would be Iron Thunder by Avi.

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