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hayleybeale's review against another edition
4.0
Exemplary nonfiction for upper elementary/lower middle school grades. Well-written with plenty of photos, drawings etc. Straightforward linear narrative from the building of the Titanic to current times, including new theories about how/why the Titanic sank. Excellent source notes and further resources page. There's going to be a glut of Titanic books next year for the 100th anniversary of its sinking, but this one will be hard to beat as an introduction.
jennifermreads's review against another edition
4.0
My appetite for this subject cannot be quenched. This book was better than Titanic Sinks! as the detail is greater and there is not the chance of confusion over fact versus fiction. I think this is an awesome book to give to kids getting interested in the subject. The story boxes throughout the book give additional info while also making it easier to read the book. I read every word but one could read photo captions and/or story boxes and/or the text to get varying amounts of info. The presentation makes it appealing to more reluctant readers who may still be overwhelmed by its length.
literallytara's review against another edition
4.0
April 15, 2012 is the one hundredth anniversary of the night the Titanic sank in an ice field in the Atlantic. On that fateful night, more than 1,500 people lost their lives in the icy waters after the ship went down. Using photographs, artifacts, and personal accounts from survivors, McPherson takes readers through the complete history of the Titanic. She covers the building of the great ship, its maiden voyage, the sinking, the official inquiry of the incident, the effects on safety regulations, the search for the wreckage, and films. At around 112 pages, this is the perfect book for middle school and YA readers who want to know everything about the Titanic.
I love the Titanic. Since this is the one hundredth anniversary of the ship's sinking, I'm finding myself fascinated by all the new material out there to learn more about the ill-fated ship. This particular book is great because it covers everything. It may not cover it in full-length-adult-non-fiction depth, but it covered it all well enough for me to learn new things. I especially loved the great statistics at the end about the percentages of total passengers in first, second, and third class and the break down of men, women, and children in each who survived.
Though the book is non-fiction, it tells the story well enough to stand out. Well-written non-fiction can pull you into the story like fiction, and this one does exactly that. To me, a child of the 80's, sometimes the Titanic can seem like that -- fiction. I have to step back sometimes and remember that this actually happened. There is a spot in the Atlantic Ocean where 1,500 people floated in life jackets until they died of hypothermia in the middle of the night. And that is terrifying.
I think that is why the Titanic fascinates us. We all wonder what we would have done in the face of such chaos and tragedy. Would we escape? Become heroes? Accept our fate with peace or terror? The photos and descriptions provide by McPherson left me questioning all of those things. Of course, then I found myself wanting to watch the 1997 Leonardo DiCaprio/Kate Winslet Titanic movie and watch the big-budget Hollywood version of what happened. In fact, two of my favorite quotes in the book come from the movie's director, James Cameron:
"I made Titanic because I wanted to dive to the shipwreck, not because I particularly wanted to the movie."
"[The Titanic is] the quintessential story of loss, of coming to terms with death, heroism and cowardice, and the full spectrum of human response before, during, and after a crisis."
Final Grade: B I've said before that it's hard for a non-fiction book to get an A from me, and that holds with this book. It's a FABULOUS read, a great non-fiction book, and it definitely stands out among other young adult non-fiction titles and Titanic books alike. But non-fiction always falls a little short of "OMG AMAZING" for me. And that's okay! My students will love this one, so will adults, and I highly recommend it for everyone over the age of eleven. I could see this paring well for a fiction/non-fiction unit with The Watch The Ends The Night by Allan Wolf, which covers a lot of the same people.
I love the Titanic. Since this is the one hundredth anniversary of the ship's sinking, I'm finding myself fascinated by all the new material out there to learn more about the ill-fated ship. This particular book is great because it covers everything. It may not cover it in full-length-adult-non-fiction depth, but it covered it all well enough for me to learn new things. I especially loved the great statistics at the end about the percentages of total passengers in first, second, and third class and the break down of men, women, and children in each who survived.
Though the book is non-fiction, it tells the story well enough to stand out. Well-written non-fiction can pull you into the story like fiction, and this one does exactly that. To me, a child of the 80's, sometimes the Titanic can seem like that -- fiction. I have to step back sometimes and remember that this actually happened. There is a spot in the Atlantic Ocean where 1,500 people floated in life jackets until they died of hypothermia in the middle of the night. And that is terrifying.
I think that is why the Titanic fascinates us. We all wonder what we would have done in the face of such chaos and tragedy. Would we escape? Become heroes? Accept our fate with peace or terror? The photos and descriptions provide by McPherson left me questioning all of those things. Of course, then I found myself wanting to watch the 1997 Leonardo DiCaprio/Kate Winslet Titanic movie and watch the big-budget Hollywood version of what happened. In fact, two of my favorite quotes in the book come from the movie's director, James Cameron:
"I made Titanic because I wanted to dive to the shipwreck, not because I particularly wanted to the movie."
"[The Titanic is] the quintessential story of loss, of coming to terms with death, heroism and cowardice, and the full spectrum of human response before, during, and after a crisis."
Final Grade: B I've said before that it's hard for a non-fiction book to get an A from me, and that holds with this book. It's a FABULOUS read, a great non-fiction book, and it definitely stands out among other young adult non-fiction titles and Titanic books alike. But non-fiction always falls a little short of "OMG AMAZING" for me. And that's okay! My students will love this one, so will adults, and I highly recommend it for everyone over the age of eleven. I could see this paring well for a fiction/non-fiction unit with The Watch The Ends The Night by Allan Wolf, which covers a lot of the same people.
mctmama's review against another edition
4.0
A good children's or teen non-fiction book about the Titanic. Reads quickly, and presents a lot of facts.
bibliocat4's review against another edition
4.0
Reading the first part of the book is a bit like giving a recap of Cameron's movie but the are some interesting asides and an overview of what happened after.
beckymmoe's review against another edition
5.0
What an amazing book! I received a digital ARC of it from NetGalley, and though it was absolutely gorgeous on my computer, I can't wait for the opportunity to be able to page through the actual book. It's the story of the Titanic disaster--before, during, and after--but it's also a collection of stories of people, companies, and even objects associated with the ship. My son was crazy about the Titanic when he was younger, so I've read countless books about it to and with him as well as watching several programs about it (we got Ghosts of the Abyss almost as soon as it came out) and even so there were so many pieces of information and stories in here that I'd never heard before. It's engagingly written so that both adults and young readers can enjoy it--a glossary a the back explains nautical terms, and throughout the book important vocabulary is defined in the reading so that the information makes sense. The amount of research that went into this book is incredible, and it really pays off--the latest information is in here, disproving some long-held beliefs about the sinking of the ship. With the 100th anniversary of the disaster right around the corner, this book will make an excellent addition to any library or Titanic enthusiast's collection.
lindagreen's review against another edition
4.0
This book serves as a wonderful introduction to the tragedy of the Titanic. Many people may already know the information contained in the book but for those just beginning to look into the tragedy, this book would be a fabulous method to get started. Due to its short length, it does not go into great detail of any of the facts but, instead, provides enough information to garner interest in learning more and prompting further research. An excellent addition for school libraries and public libraries with a strong young adult non-fiction section would do well to add this to their collection as well. It is a fast read with wonderful graphics that will appeal to even reluctant readers.
(ARC Galley Proof)
(ARC Galley Proof)
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