Titanic Crossing [Hardcover]

Barbara Williams (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

In 1912, thirteen-year-old Albert considers his younger sister a pest, but things change when they travel with their mother and uncle aboard the Titanic and are caught up in its tragic sinking.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The sinking of the Titanic in April 1912 provides the emotional peak of this fact-based novel. Albert Trask, 13, is thrilled to be leaving England with his widowed mother, uncle and six-year-old sister. He's had enough of private tutoring and rainy weather, and can't wait to return to the family home outside Washington, D.C. But as the journey begins, Albert overhears a passenger suggest that the vessel isn't carrying enough lifeboats-a suspicion he confirms in conversation with a crewman. Williams (Mitzi and the Terrible Tyrannosaurus Rex) devotes relatively little space to the actual calamity, however, and the lengthy prelude grows tedious. The author's postscript mentions that Albert was created from a boy she discovered in her research, a 13-year-old initially prevented from boarding a lifeboat because he had attained the age of manhood. No passage in the novel itself, unfortunately, evokes the catastrophe with as much poignancy. Ages 9-13.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8?In an entertaining blend of fact and fiction, Albert Trask, 13, relates his experience aboard the opulent, ill-fated Titanic. He, his widowed mother, and spoiled little sister, Virginia, are returning to the U.S. from England, accompanied by domineering Uncle Claybourne. Albert's wealthy paternal grandmother in McLean, VA, is determined to oversee the lives of her daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Knowing his mother's desire for independence, Albert attempts to meet a distinguished theatrical producer who is onboard to find employment for her. His shipboard efforts fail, however, with the scrape of an iceberg. With historical accuracy, the orchestra plays on, lights are kept burning, half-full lifeboats are lowered, and passengers debate the seriousness of their situation. Albert is privy to crewmen's conversation about too much speed through the ice fields. He witnesses the desperate pleas of the ship's designer and officers to mobilize the passengers. The boy shoves his sister into a boat but is shamed into staying on deck to prove his manhood. Ultimately flung into the icy North Atlantic, he is one of the few to be plucked from the sea and taken aboard the Carpathia. His mother and uncle are lost, but Albert, Virginia, and Albert's friend, Emily, survive. At story's end, the young man stands up to his grandmother's overbearing demands and begins to discover that her plans for her orphaned grandchildren take their happiness into account. Readers lured more readily by fiction than nonfiction will find suspense, character development, and pathos amid the dramatic events.?Gerry Larson, Neal Middle School, Durham, NC
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (June 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803717903
• ISBN-13: 978-0803717909
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #645,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a Great Book!, March 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Titanic Crossing (Hardcover)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have been on the Titanic? Well, you will find out in this book Titanic Crossing. Titanic Crossing is a very vivid book filled with suspense and drama that will keep you reading for hours. This book is well written and is very realistic. The author mixes emotions and a boy's point of view to make a roller coaster of events that makes the story a delight to read. I loved this book up until the end when it doesn't tell of the boat sinking.Except for the one mistake that the author made of not telling the sinking it is an overall great book. This book is about a boy that is thirteen years old. His name is Albert Trask. Even though he is young he acts like an adult. He had to be the man of the house after his father died. He had to watch his sister and make sure his mother didn't have to much to do. His mother is a kind and caring person who loves her children and cares about other people more than herself. Uncle Clay is a self-centered man who spends most of his time playing card games, and Virginia, his six year old sister who is a spoiled brat that makes excuses to get out of anything she doesn't want to do. His voyage on the Titanic started one day in the year 1912. His family was returning home to Washington, D.C. On the ship he had to cope with his bratty sister, his Uncle Clay, and a girl he met named Emily Brewer. He had many adventures on the "unsinkable ship" until the night he heard a gut wrenching sound. That was when he realized the ship was sinking. Albert was really worried. Mother and Uncle Clay were nowhere in sight. His sister, Virginia, had gotten on alife boat but the crew man would not let Albert get on because he thought Albert looked like a grown man. Albert didn't know if he would get out of hihs trouble or if he would ever see his family again. If you want find out what happens at the end of this voyage you should check out this book today!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Titanic Crossing, November 15, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Titanic Crossing (Mass Market Paperback)

Titanic Crossing is book written by Barbara Williams. Titanic Crossing is about the time when a boy named Albert Trask goes on the "unsinkable" Titanic from England with his mother, Katherine Trask, Uncle Claybourne, and his pesky little sister Virginia (or Ginny for short) to Washington. Then suddenly the Titanic starts to sink! He and Ginny are very lucky to be found by a lifeboat. Even though Albert has a nasty bump on his head he tells Ginny that their mother and uncle have not been found and are probably in heaven. Then their grandmother tries to burn Ginny's doll, Elizabeth, because it's been infected with scarlet fever, but Albert defends his sister. After that Albert's grandmother asks if he would like to go to the school of his dreams, but he says no and keeps his promise that he will never go until Ginny is ready.

I like this book because it takes place mostly on the Titanic, and it deals with courage, and loyalty. This book deals a lot with courage because Albert has to be courageous when the Titanic sinks and he also has to be like that to tell Ginny that Mother and Uncle have gone to heaven. It's pretty touching.

I think the book is trying to prove that even if you think all hope is lost you should still be strong and have hope, then there is a chance for better things to come.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Titanic crossing, September 28, 2008

By 

Deborah W. Yepsen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Titanic Crossing (Mass Market Paperback)

Albert, a 13 year old boy, was going home, to Washington, D.C.. The best part was that he was going on the Titanic, the best luxury boat in the world. Plus, it was unsinkable. He had been reading about it for months. His uncle had come to London to pick them up, and he was going with them. The only dampers were that his uncle and mother were fighting, and his annoying little sister, Virginia, didn't want to go. She was complaining the whole day about not being able to bring their teacher, Miss Harcher.
They got to the boat, and boarded with the rest of the second clas passengers. At dinner that night, they met the Brewers. The parents were nice, and Sara was around Virginia's age, so he kept her busy, thats why he liked her. Emily, the girl closest to his age, though,he did not like at all. She was always showing off, and she never did anyhting fun.
Mother and uncle were in a partiuarly bad fitht the next morning, and Virginia started screaming "I have a stomach ache! I have 'pendecides!" Albert knew she was lying. She knew thar whenever she said that, her mother would give her anything she wanted, because that is what her father died from.
A few weeks later, Albert went up to the top deck, to get some fresh air, and he saw a large, gray blob. He heard a loud scraping noise, and the familiar whir of the motors stoped. He ran back to the room. Virginia was asleep, and there was a note, saying that mother and uncle had gone down to thrid class to visit a friend. Gorgie, their steward came in and said that there was a mandetory meeting on the deck. Albert woke Virginia, got her lifejacket on, and told her to come and play a game with him. They went to the deck and got in line for the first life boat, for cildren and woman only.
The sailor pulled Virginia on, but stopped Albert as he was about to get on. "How old are you?" he asked. Albert answerd "I am 13." The sailor snapped "You are to old. Go find another lifeboat." Albert pleaded, "But sir, my sister is only 6! Please let me on!" He heared a farmiliar voice. "I'll take care of her." It was Emily. "Ok" Albert relunctently agreed. He went off the find his mother, and suddenly remembered that there were no lifeboats in the third class. The boat started slipping, he fell, and somthing hit his head. He hit the water, and blacked out.