What Sank the World's Biggest Ship?: And Other Questions About the Titanic

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Overview

Why was the Titanic so huge? Did all the passengers really eat off gold plates? How could an iceberg just appear out of nowhere? Here are the answers to all these and other “must-know” questions about the building, launch, and tragic sinking of the most famous ship of all time. This trivia-rich look back on that fateful night includes gripping, true information that will entice young readers--even if they don't have to write a book report!
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Overview

Why was the Titanic so huge? Did all the passengers really eat off gold plates? How could an iceberg just appear out of nowhere? Here are the answers to all these and other “must-know” questions about the building, launch, and tragic sinking of the most famous ship of all time. This trivia-rich look back on that fateful night includes gripping, true information that will entice young readers--even if they don't have to write a book report!
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Editorial Reviews

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Most other great ships earned their fame by their speed or their beauty; the most famous of all, the RMS Titanic, possessed both those quality but became immortal by sinking. This fascinating question-and-answer paperback transforms the ship's dramatic, tragic story into both an instructive history lesson and an insightful tutorial on human nature and the power of natural disasters. An entertaining education.

— Teresa Devanzo

School Library Journal
Gr 2–5—A Q & A format works well as an introduction to the topic. Carson opens with the very broad question of what sank the Titanic and answers with some introductory information about various theories and contributing factors. The complete story is broken down into more specific questions and answers on each spread. These topics include the structure and building of the ship, materials used, decisions regarding lifeboats and design, theories about binoculars for the lookout crew, communication from other ocean liners, and a host of other bits of information that all lead to answering the initial question of why the behemoth ship sank. The focus here is really on the more technical aspects of the vessel and its creation, with minimal details about the people and the luxurious appointments that are often the highlight of similar titles. The writing is straightforward and accessible, and the explanations provide enough detail to satisfy those new to the topic, but more knowledgeable students will want to seek out sources with more depth and breadth. The accompanying artwork is serviceable, often depicting what has been described on the page, but does little to enhance or engage readers beyond the text.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA
Kirkus Reviews
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, this volume inaugurates a new series that employs a question-and-answer format to convey essential information. Here, the format works quite well, the questions being the ones that have so fascinated people ever since the tragedy occurred. Why did everyone think the Titanic was unsinkable? How could an iceberg appear out of nowhere? Did the telegraph operator ignore an important message? What happened to the stranded passengers? The answers are written in clear prose full of fascinating details: The ship was "the largest human-made moving object in the world"; "The propellers were as wide as houses"; "Using cheap rivets likely cost 1,500 lives." Paintings, photographs, maps and a timeline complement the text to offer a fascinating account for young readers who love information. Besides the questions that head each section, there are questions within the answers: Who was at fault? Why was the ship traveling so fast in an ice field? "Why didn't the lookouts have binoculars?" The format is irresistible, each answer just long enough to provide essential information. Unfortunately, there is no bibliography that could lead readers to other good books on the subject, but overall this will be a sure hit with young readers. A promising start to a new series. (Nonfiction. 7-11)
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781402787331
  • Publisher: Sterling Children's Books
  • Publication date: 4/3/2012
  • Series: Good Question! Series
  • Pages: 32
  • Sales rank: 223,282
  • Age range: 7 years
  • Product dimensions: 9.80 (w) x 7.80 (h) x 0.40 (d)

Meet the Author

Mary Kay Carson is an award-winning children's nonfiction author. She has written more than 40 books for kids about wildlife, space, weather, nature, and history, including Alexander Graham Bell: Giving Voice to the World, The Underground Railroad for Kids, and The Wright Brothers for Kids. Mary Kay also gives presentations at schools about writing and her books. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information go to: marykaycarson.com.
Mark Elliott has illustrated numerous children's books for HarperCollins, Scholastic, Dial, Knopf, and Holiday House. His work has been exhibited in several shows at the Society of Illustrators, The Art Directors Guild, and has appeared in numerous Spectrum Annuals. Mark lives in Stamford, CT.
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