It’s December 6, 1917, in Halifax, New Scotia. It started as a usual day for the people of this busy port city. It will end with nearly two thousand people dead and most of Halifax and the nearby town of Dartmouth leveled to the ground. The event that caused the largest man-made explosion until the detonation of the atomic bomb in 1945 was the collision of two ships in the harbor. The Mont-Blanc was carrying cases of TNT and other highly explosive materials for the war effort in Europe. The Imo was heading to NYC to be loaded with relief supplies for European countries at war.
Written by Sally M. Walker, “Blizzard of Glass” is a well-researched book for children about this unspeakable tragedy. Pictures, maps, and family biographies really bring to life this story that most Americans have never heard of. In spite of the gruesome of the story, Walker methodically explains what happened on December 6th, before and after the explosion, and the days that followed.
I think young readers, probably ages 11 and up, would empathize with the children and their families. Adults and children died on that day; many lost their sight, were separated from their families, or were orphaned. This is a sad story but it is also a hopeful one. The people of Halifax rebuilt their city and their lives. A massive effort by the people of Canada and the US, especially the citizens of Massachusetts, helped provide food, clothing, housing and money. Since 1971 a freshly cut Christmas tree towers above Boston Common. it is a gift of thanks from Nova Scotia to the people of Massachusetts who helped their nearby neighbors in time of need.