On Board the Titanic: What It Was Like When the Great Liner Sank

by Shelley Tanaka

I Was There Books (1)

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Seventeen-year-old Jack Thayer explores the Titanic and forms a brief friendship with another passenger before experiencing the wreck of the giant ocean liner.

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9 reviews
This well written book about the sinking of the Titanic will give children a vivid account of the vastness and greatness of the ship, and how an iceberg still managed to sink her. Illustrated with many photographs and drawings, the narrative describes how the iceberg struck the ship, how she filled with water and then broke in two. The story is told through the voices of two young men, a passenger and a telegraph operator. Though filled details, it is not too graphic for young readers, and it gives a good overview of the disaster.
I did not realize this was a children's book when I put it in my audiobook cart to check out. It moved quickly, but gave a decent amount of information about the events from the perspective of a first class passenger and a radio operator. The story shared enough information to describe the tragedy, but without being traumatic for younger readers. The author also provided more background information after the story was over. Even I learned a few new things from this book.
This book combines real information about the Titanic with the story of its sinking from the point of view of two real passengers-Jack Thayer and Harold McBride. Jack Thayer was a first-class passenger, and Harold McBride was a radio operator. As you read their stories, you want to keep reading to find out whether they survive. While this part is a fictional account, it is adapted from these two passengers' memories of the disaster.

The non-fiction part of the story gives context to the disaster and relies on historical research. This style helps children learn about what actually happened, but also understand the personal experiences of the people involved. Every page includes historic photos, diagrams by Jack McMaster, and detailed show more paintings by Ken Marschall. On one page readers can see a painting of the ship hitting the iceberg and a diagram showing where the iceberg damaged the ship. show less
Another excellent example of a book geared towards both teaching children about significant moments in history, and in exciting their thirst for knowledge.
Cristian 3/18 returned

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Series

Common Knowledge

Original publication date
1996
Important places
Atlantic Ocean; North Atlantic Ocean; Titanic
Important events
Sinking of the Titanic (1912-04-14 | 1912-04-15)

Classifications

Genre
Nonfiction
DDC/MDS
910.91634History & geographyGeography & travelmodified standard subdivisions of Geography and travelHistory, geographic treatment, biography - Discovery. explorationGeography of and travel in areas, regions, places in generalAir And WaterAtlantic Ocean
LCC
PZ7 .T16135 .OLanguage and LiteratureFiction and juvenile belles lettresFiction and juvenile belles lettresJuvenile belles lettres
BISAC

Statistics

Members
791
Popularity
35,033
Reviews
7
Rating
(3.89)
Languages
English, German
Media
Paper, Audiobook
ISBNs
23
ASINs
4