I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 (I Survived Series #1)

by Lauren Tarshis, Scott Dawson (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

The first installment of the terrifyingly real series for young readers, this is the story of two young passengers who pool their resourcefulness to survive the sinking of the Titanic.

Unsinkable.
Until one night...

George Calder must be the luckiest kid alive. He and his little sister, Phoebe, are sailing with their aunt on the Titanic, the greatest ship ever built. George can't resist exploring every inch of the incredible boat, even it it keeps getting him into trouble.

Then the impossible happens—the Titanic hits an iceberg and water rushes in. George is stranded, alone and afraid, on the sinking ship. He's always gotten out of trouble before...but how can he survive this?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781451711196
Publisher:	Baker & Taylor, CATS
Publication date:	06/17/2011
Series:	I Survived Series
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	5.75(w) x 7.75(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Lauren Tarshis's New York Times bestselling I Survived series tells stories of young people and their resilience and strength in the midst of unimaginable disasters and times of turmoil. Lauren has brought her signature warmth and exhaustive research to topics such as the battle of D-Day, the American Revolution, Hurricane Katrina, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and other world events. She lives in Connecticut with her family, and can be found online at laurentarshis.com.

Read an Excerpt

The ship lurched. “We're going down!” a man screamed. George closed his eyes. He told himself that he was really home with on his farm. That he was really safe under his quilts, with Phoebe snoring across their little room. Slowly George opened his eyes. No. He was wide awake. And there was nowhere for George to go but into the freezing water.

Editorial Reviews

Returning from England with his aunt and little sister, ten-year-old George Calder explores the Titanic and revels in the luxury of their first-class suite-until the night the ship hits an iceberg and his explorations and determination save their lives. In this first of a new adventure series aimed at reluctant readers, Tarshis has woven plenty of concrete, factual information into her narrative. In an attention-grabbing opening scene the sinking ship lurches and George falls and loses consciousness. Backing up 19 hours, the author describes George's last day aboard ship, using short paragraphs with plenty of dialogue. George recalls earlier escapades: climbing into the crow's nest, meeting third-class passengers-an Italian immigrant and his son-and sliding down the banister of the grand staircase. On the final night, looking for a mummy in the baggage room, he encounters a thief. Both immigrant and thief play roles in his survival. The plot involves too many convenient coincidences, but the fast pace and intrinsically fascinating disaster story will keep readers turning the pages to the unexpectedly sentimental ending. (author's note, additional facts) (Historical fiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews