Hopkinson puts a human face on the Titanic’s sinking in this riveting nonfiction chronicle of the ship’s collision with an iceberg and the tragic aftermath. She threads together the stories of many passengers and crew members, focusing on a handful of survivors that includes an Argentine-born stewardess, a rambunctious nine-year-old British boy, a science teacher from England, and an American teenager traveling with his parents. The author quotes these four and others freely, their voices forming a deeply intimate account of the tragedy. Hopkinson packs her thoroughly researched story with a wealth of information about the ship itself (this book is an invaluable resource for students), and her portraits of the shipmates are fully realized and often heartbreaking. Chapters detailing the sinking, the scramble for lifeboats, and the harrowing wait for the Carpathia’s arrival are fast-paced and riveting. Photos of the ship, the (purported) iceberg, telegrams sent to and from the Titanic, and of the survivors’ rescue add significant context and amplify the immediacy of the drama. Ages 8–12. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Mar.)
Praise for Titanic: Voices from the Disaster:
A Sibert Honor Book
A YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist
An ALA Notable Children's Book
An IRA Teacher's Choice
A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year
A Horn Book Fanfare Book
A Cybils Award Finalist
"An affecting portrait of human ambition, folly and almost unbearable nobility in the face of death." -- The Wall Street Journal
"A meticulous recounting of the disaster... Hopkinson's reporting is so rich with information that it will be equally fascinating to young readers and adults alike." -- Los Angeles Times
*"Hopkinson knows precisely what's she doing in her coverage of the Titanic disaster... [A] fine book." -- The Horn Book, starred review
*"Fascinating... A thorough and absorbing re-creation of the ill-fated voyage." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
*"Riveting." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
*"An absorbing and richly satisfying read." -- School Library Journal, starred review
Praise for Up Before Daybreak:
*"Rarely have the links between northern industry, southern agriculture, slavery, war, child labor, and poverty been so skillfully distilled for this audience." -- Booklist, starred review
*"Superb nonfiction writing." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
*"Excellent." -- School Library Journal, starred review
Praise for Shutting Out the Sky:
*"Nonfiction at its best." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
*"[A] fascinating read." --School Library Journal, starred review
A release perfectly timed for the one-hundredth anniversary of the sinking of the giant luxury ocean liner on April 12, 1912, this informative book by an award-winning author about a potentially avoidable disaster made worse by miscommunication, hubris, and accidents presents a factual overview interspersed with just the right amount of personal stories, heroic actions, and tragic detail. While explaining how the disaster unfolded, based on survivors' accounts and historical research, Hopkinson answers readers' most likely questions about exactly what happened on the Titanic's highly publicized maiden voyage to cause the deaths of 1,496 passengers and crew. Readers learn about everything from the original design of the ship to the immediate aftermath of the disaster, the discovery of the sunken wreckage in 1985, and reasons the story continues to hold such fascination for movie makers, historians, and the average person alike. Illustrated with primary source material, such as handwritten letters, typed captain's orders, dinner menus, and (many) black-and-white photographs, this updated account of a well-documented event draws contemporary parallels that the current generation of readers will appreciate, such as a comparison of the personal telegraphic messages that passengers paid to have sent by the ship's wireless operators to text messages sent by vacationers today. This engaging account is likely to be a popular choice for book reports or pleasure reading among students in fifth through seventh grade and may appeal to reluctant older readers as well. Reviewer: Laurie Cavanaugh
Gr 6 Up—As the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic approaches, there is a whole new output of books reexamining and updating the information about the tragedy. This one weaves together the memories and writing of the survivors, and what makes it stand out is the intimacy readers feel for the crew and passengers. The story itself hasn't changed, but through Hopkinson's work, young people get to know and care deeply about the people involved. Children, stewards, officers, and passengers from all three class designations are included, and their stories combine to recount the events of that fateful April night. Readers with even a passing knowledge of the Titanic will find themselves drawn into the drama and heartbroken at the inevitable end. Period photographs, artwork, diagrams, and maps appear throughout to illustrate points and help clarify events. Traditionally accepted details about the ship from its construction to its luxurious appointments, are discussed, and some of the controversies that have arisen since the wreck was found, but the real focus here is on the people and the narrative. Students looking for real-life drama will find this an absorbing and richly satisfying read.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA
In what's sure to be a definitive work commemorating the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, Hopkinson offers a well-researched and fascinating account of the disaster. On Monday, April 15th, 1912, the magnificent Titanic sank after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic. Of the 2,208 people on board, only 712 survived. It's a well-known story, though maybe not to young readers, who, if anything, might have seen the movie. Hopkinson orchestrates a wealth of material here, using a third-person narrative voice to tell the story while incorporating eyewitness accounts of people on the "most luxurious ship the world had ever seen." A huge number of archival photographs and reproductions of telegrams, maps, letters, illustrations, sidebars and even a dinner menu complement the text, yielding a volume as interesting for browsing as for through-reading. The voices include a stewardess, a science teacher, a 9-year-old boy, the ship's designer, the captain and a mother on her way to a new life in America. Best of all is the author's spirit: She encourages readers to think like historians and wonder what it would have been like on the Titanic and imagine each character's story. Fifty pages of backmatter will inform and guide readers who want to know even more. A thorough and absorbing recreation of the ill-fated voyage. (Nonfiction. 8-16)
