Caramel has been going through the books in the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series one by one and today he is talking to Sprinkles about Major Impossible, the ninth book in the series by Nathan Hale, first published in 2019.
Sprinkles: So today we are talking about another Nathan Hale book. This is called Major Impossible. Can you please tell us about it?
Caramel: It is about a guy named John Wesley Powell, who started a journey to the Grand Canyon, and nearly died multiple times.
S: Wow! That sounds fascinating! So when is this happening?
C: 1869.
S: Cool. Okay, so why does he nearly die multiple times? Tourists go to the Grand Canyon by the millions today.
C: Well, at that time, it was not as safe, and they had to go through all of the rapids and things. The Colorado River is a serious, big river.
S: I can see that. The place is a lot more accessible today but I think it is still a place where people could get hurt if they are not careful. And Caramel, you have not been to the Grand Canyon yet. Did this book make you want to visit it?
C: No, I feel safer here, thank you very much.
S: I like that you feel safe at home but Caramel, I do hope you will see the Grand Canyon some time. It is the only monument I have seen, natural or manmade, that I think is more impressive than its best promotional pictures. So I do hope one day you will get the chance to experience that.
C: Maybe I will, but not for a while.
S: Yes, maybe when you are a bit older, we can go there together on a family trip.
C: That may be interesting.
S: Okay, back to the book. Why is it titled Major Impossible?
C: Well, John Wesley Powell was a major in the Union army during the Civil War. And he is trying to do something that seems almost impossible. So Major and Impossible. I think it makes sense.
S: Yes, it sure does.
S: So is the book only about John Wesley Powell and his Grand Canyon expedition? Or do we learn more about the Canyon or the Colorado River? Or do we learn more about Powell’s life before the expedition or after?
C: We learn about his childhood and what led to his interesting life. For example, when he was a little kid, he was hit with a rock because his father was disliked by everyone in his town for being a preacher. This made him very angry. He was working hard and not being appreciated.
S: Hmm, that is rough.
C: Yep, it feels so unfair!
S: Yes, and any child would be sad and angry. Does the book also talk about Powell’s life after the expedition? Apparently, he served as the second director of the U.S. Geological Survey from 1881 to 1894.
C: Huh, that’s cool to know. But no, the book does not go there.
S: Does it then end with the successful completion of the expedition?
C: Yeah, it does. But at the end of the book, after the “The End” note, there are a few more pages about what happened to the others on the team. A couple died, but many of them lived.
S: I know you enjoy graphic novels and these are also fact-full, so I am guessing you enjoyed this book too?
C: Yep, very fact-full, I loved it.
S: So does this read like a typical graphic novel?
C: Mostly. But it is cool that it is about real people and real events. And there are a lot of maps and such, they are all very useful to see how the canyon looked back then. I mean, I saw pictures of the Grand Canyon before, but most of those were the promotional photos you mentioned earlier, so they do not give you a real sense of the dangers that Powell and his men were facing.
S: That all sounds great Caramel. It seems like you enjoyed the book a lot and you learned a lot from it, too. What is not to like? So this is probably a good place to wrap up this review.
C: Sure. It is almost my bedtime, so I can go to my room and read…
S: Yes. So what would you like to tell our readers?
C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!
BookBunnies 