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I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937
Lauren Tarshis
Children Ages 8-12
Hugo Ballard and his family are traveling across the Atlantic on the Hindenburg zeppelin. After spending a year in Kenya, Hugo’s little sister, Gertie, has contracted malaria and needs to see a medical team in New York. The whole family is praying they will make it to New York before the malaria takes Gurtie. However, on board, other problems await, including Nazi soldiers and a spy. Just when it seems they will finally land safely in New Jersey, an explosion causes the Hindenburg to burst into flames. Will Hugo and his family survive?
Questions Just for Fun
If you were flying on a zeppelin, what are some places you would hope to fly over and see from above?
How would flying on a zeppelin be different from flying on an airplane?
Questions to Think Critically and Biblically
When we look at evil in our world, it usually falls into one of two categories: 1) natural evil – the evil caused from living in a fallen world, such as tornadoes, earthquakes, sickness, etc. or 2) moral evil – the evil caused directly by sinful human actions such as stealing, murder, lying, etc. (Sometimes it can be a combination of the two, such as when a human purposefully starts a forest fire.) Think about the different tragedies that Hugo experienced - Gertie’s illness, the Nazi’s hunting the spy, the explosion of the Hindenburg. Which were the result of natural evil, and which were the result of moral evil?
Discussion Guide - Discuss how Gertie’s illness was the result of natural evil. A mosquito she was bitten by gave her malaria. The Nazi’s hunting the spy was a result of moral evil. The Nazi’s did not treat others like they were made in God’s image. The Hindenburg explosion was a result of natural evil. The hydrogen used to sail the ship caught fire.
What are some of the ways we see Hugo loving others (giving of himself)?
Discussion Guide - Discuss how we see Hugo seeking to care for Gertie through playing with her and caring for her when she is sick. We see him love Mr. Singer when he protects him from being discovered by Colonel Kohl. And we see him love his family when he wants to search for them when the Hindenburg bursts into flames.
Hugo did not tell Colonel Kohl the truth about Mr. Singer being in the cargo hold. The Bible is clear that lying is a sin. However, cases like this one, where someone is protecting a life, are an exception.
Discussion Guide - Read Exodus 1:15-21 and Joshua 2:1-6, 6:24-25. Discuss how lying is always an affront to God’s character. However, sometimes, in a fallen world, people are placed in situations without a perfect option. In such rare situations, saving innocent people from being murdered trumps complete honesty.
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