Do you like stories about heroes? Animal heroes? What about stories of action and drama? Well, look no further than Claudia Friddell’s Goliath: Hero of the Great Baltimore Fire. Until reading this book last fall, I didn’t know that there was another large fire in the early 1900’s other than the San Fransisco fire and earthquake.
It’s a quiet Sunday in February 1904. Time for the morning inspection. Goliath is anxious, snorting, twitching, and just not being able to stand still as was expected of the fire horses. Besides the cold of winter the wind was kicking up.
Just as one of the men in the stable was to take Goliath out the alarm sounded. Goliath had smelled the fire. Within seconds, Goliath and his team were transporting the Hale Water Tower, a five ton, 65 foot extension that blasted water into the skyscraper windows. They reached the fire just as the building exploded. Goliath’s heroic actions saved his company.
The Baltimore Fire burned over one hundred acres and destroyed two thousand business. To find out what happened to Goliath and his team, you’ll have to get and read the book. Fridell includes an afterward about the fire and a glossary of fire terms. Besides learning about a historic fire and Goliath, the book would be an excellent read with students who are learning how to determine importance when reading.
Troy Howell’s illustrations pull readers into the story through sweeping two page spreads. I love the fire reflection in the eye of Goliath on the cover.
Title: Goliath: Hero of the
Author: Claudia Fridell
Illustrator: Troy Howell
Date Published: 2010
Pages: unpaged
Reading Level: K-5
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
ISBN: 978-1-58536-455-8
Source of Book: Copy from the publisher
Nonfiction Monday is hosted at Jean Little Library.
Happy Monday. Happy Reading.
MsMac
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