PROFESSOR THADDEUS LOWE
BOOK ABOUT THADDEUS LOWE - 1997
Spy in the Sky
by Kathleen Karr
(Webmaster Collection)
Spy in the Sky by Kathleen Karr (Ages 8-9)
Ridley is
an orphan living in South Carolina at the start – the very start – of the Civil
War. In this story for beginning chapter book readers, Ridley becomes an
assistant to Thaddeus Lowe, a real person who actually founded the Balloon Corps
to spy for the Union Army! In the story, Ridley meets Mr Lowe when his balloon
goes off course and lands in South Carolina wherever one thinks he is the devil
or a spy for the Union Army. Thanks to Ridley, Lowe and his balloon are soon on
a train for the North and Ridley has become his assistant. From then on the two
have many adventures including a trip to Washington DC to persuade President
Lincoln that a Balloon Corps would be a great help to spy on the Confederate
Army. (Lincoln agreed – but General Scott didn’t like the idea!) Meanwhile
Ridley was practicing his Morse Code and finally he got his chance to be a Spy
in the Sky as he floated a mile up over the Virginia countryside and sent back
messages with information about troop positions and information! This book is
humorous, entertaining and interesting!
Illustrated by Thomas F Yezerski. Paperback (64 pages)
LINKS TO OTHER THADDEUS LOWE WEBSITES