Major Impossible (Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #9)
by Nathan Hale · Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #9
A one-armed Civil War veteran takes on the Grand Canyon in this historically gripping graphic adventure
The story
When Nathan Hale faces execution as a Revolutionary War spy, he tells his captors the extraordinary true story of John Wesley Powell — a Union officer who lost his arm in battle but went on to lead a crew of ten men on the first expedition down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Over three months, the explorers face rapids, starvation, and crew dissent as they attempt what everyone said was impossible.
Age verdict
Best for ages 9-12. The amputation and survival scenes are presented matter-of-factly without graphic detail, but sensitive 8-year-olds may find the danger intense. The parallel narrative structure rewards slightly older readers.
Our take
A historically rich graphic novel adventure that scores evenly across kid and teacher perspectives, with slightly lower parent scores due to format-typical vocabulary and prose limitations. Strongest in real-world knowledge delivery, visual storytelling, and reluctant reader accessibility.
What stands out
Each audience's top 3 dimensions. Out of 30 scored per book.
Kids love
- Mental movie Exceptional
Comparable to 5 Worlds, triangulated with Pigeon and Lunch Lady — exceptional visual rendering within the graphic novel form. Sits at anchor ; score reflects mastery within the medium, not photorealistic detail of painted worlds.
- First-chapter grab Strong
Comparable to Lunch Lady, triangulated with All the Broken Pieces and ACOAMF — opening establishes stakes through dual visual + frame narrative. Sits at anchor ; the hook is immediate and clear, but lacks ACOAMF's psychological disturbance.
Parents love
- Real-world window Exceptional
Comparable to Earthquake, triangulated with Lafayette and Blended — real-world content density is exceptional. Sits at anchor . This positions the book as a valuable real-world knowledge source across multiple disciplines.
- Reading gateway Strong
Comparable to Paddington, triangulated with 5 Worlds and InvestiGators — effective gateway for reluctant readers. Sits at anchor ; slightly below 5 Worlds due to narrower appeal (history vs. pure adventure).
Teachers love
- Cross-curricular value Strong
Comparable to Wander, triangulated with Reaper and Coyote Sunrise — cross-curricular connections are strong and natural. Sits at anchor .
- Reluctant reader rescue Strong
Comparable to Wimpy Kid, triangulated with Dog Man and Artemis Fowl — strong reluctant-reader hook. Sits at anchor ; below Dog Man due to narrower subject appeal.
✓ Perfect for
- • History-loving kids who want adventure with their education
- • Reluctant readers who need visual storytelling to engage
- • Kids fascinated by survival stories and extreme exploration
- • Readers who enjoy true stories about real people doing extraordinary things
Not ideal for
Children seeking character-driven emotional stories or humor-forward entertainment — this is adventure and history first, with emotion and humor serving the narrative rather than driving it.
⚠ Heads up
At a glance
- Pages
- 128
- Chapters
- 8
- Words
- 15k
- Lexile
- 540L
- Difficulty
- Easy
- POV
- Third Person Omniscient
- Illustration
- Fully Illustrated
- Published
- 2019
- Illustrator
- Nathan Hale
- ISBN
- 9798897225804
Mood & style
You'll know it worked when…
Most kids finish in one sitting (1-2 hours). If they're not engaged by the expedition launch, the adventure-history blend may not be their preference.
If your kid loved this
Matched across 30 dimensions — interest hooks, character appeal, tone, pacing, emotional core. Not by what other people bought. By what fits the same reader profile.
Going Solo
by Roald Dahl
Same genre (historical). Both adventurous in tone
Little House on the Prairie
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Same genre (historical). Same emotional weight (moderate)
Refugee
by Alan Gratz
Same genre (historical). Same pacing (rollercoaster)
Peak
by Roland Smith
Both adventurous in tone. Same pacing (rollercoaster)
Ground Zero
by Alan Gratz
Same genre (historical). Same pacing (rollercoaster)
Flashback Four #2: The Titanic Mission
by Dan Gutman
Same genre (historical). Both adventurous in tone
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