Author: Louise A. Vernon
Recommended Age: 12-14
Date Published: 1972
Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary: Since the moment twelve-year-old Hans Dunne was accused of stealing type, he became enraptured with the new process of printing that men like Johann Gutenberg were using to print the Bible. But others are competing for the same technique. Can Gutenberg finish the Bible before his work is foiled by his enemies?
Notes from The Radical Reader:
- Noble Characters: Hans wants to be a scribe and copy the Bible, but when his mother discovers his father’s large debts that prevent Hans from pursuing his dream, he must apprentice to Johann Gutenberg to learn the strange new craft that is being developed using the printing press.
- Captivating Plots: Rival printers, overdue debts, controversies in the church surrounding the heresy of mass-producing the Scriptures. Can Hans Dunne help Gutenberg complete the Bible with so many enemies plotting against him?
- Elaborate Worlds: Set in Germany during the 15th century, movable type is a new invention that is shaking the literary and religious world. But the newly emerging market is extremely competitive, and, as Hans soon learns, men are willing to go to great extremes to steal the type and presses needed to print Gutenberg’s Bible.
