Iron Thunder by Avi

Last year my husband snagged this book at the library and read it aloud to our son.  Overhearing parts of it, I was hooked and read it once they were finished.

It is written from the perspective of a 13 year old boy whose father was killed in the Civil War.  Destitute, the boy finds work in the Yankee ship yard - becoming a part of history - working on the Monitor, a ship made of iron.  One day, this ship will fight its Confederate counterpart, the Merrimac.  Will the boy be on board?

Look for this book at the library or on Amazon.