I Was There: On Board the Titanic (I Was There Books) [Hardcover]

Shelley Tanaka (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 1996 | Age Level: 9 and up | Series: I Was There Books

The sinking of the great liner Titanic in 1912 is lavishly illustrated by a student of the wreck and is recounted from the perspective of seventeen-year old Jack Thayer and twenty-two-year old Harold Bride, who were both saved by getting themselves onto a life raft.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5?This book covers the six days surrounding the sinking of the Titanic, as seen through the eyes of two survivors: 17-year-old Jack Thayer, a passenger, and Harold Bride, the 22-year-old assistant wireless operator. With fictionalized words and feelings attributed to these actual historical figures, the text has a slightly stilted feel to it. Facts and details about the ship are sometimes awkwardly inserted into Jack's experiences, especially during the first part of the book. But overall, the fictionalization works fairly well. Jack observes details that give immediacy to the disaster and the people involved. As the story progresses towards the catastrophe, it is hard not to get caught up in the tension. By the time of the actual shipwreck, readers know Jack pretty well, as well as a few other passengers, so the tragedy has a personal impact beyond the sheer numbers. Numerous full-color and black-and-white diagrams, historical photographs and drawings, and original paintings help bring the voyage to life. Technical flaws that contributed to the tragedy are woven neatly into the text and diagrams. Robert Ballard's Exploring the Titanic (Scholastic, 1988) is more fascinating, and Deborah Kent's The Titanic (Childrens, 1993) gives a drier, more straightforward account, while Daisy Spedden's Polar the Titanic Bear (Little, 1994) offers a more fanciful fictionalized version. Tanaka's book will serve as an attractive introduction to a popular topic.?Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library,
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-7. The doomed voyage of the Titanic holds a mysterious fascination for children and adults, whether the story is fact or fiction. In this solidly told tale, the maiden voyage of the "unsinkable" ship is re-created with stunning vividness. There are intimate glimpses of many of the passengers and crew, including 17-year-old Jack Thayer, who is sailing with his parents, and the much maligned Bruce Ismay, president of the company that owned the Titanic. The illustrations are splendid. Each painting is skillfully realized, capturing the breadth and opulence of the largest ship to grace the oceans at the time. Especially breathtaking are the scenes of the Titanic against midnight blue backdrops with otherworldly-looking icebergs that seem to glow with eerie menace. The tragic story of the ship that was supposed to be indestructible holds up well in this new telling and is enhanced by well-done diagrams and excellent photographs. Denia Hester

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; First Edition edition (September 2, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786802839
• ISBN-13: 978-0786802838
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #511,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #79 in Books > Children's Books > Transportation > Boats & Ships

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for kids, September 6, 2005

By 

Kimberly "AmazonFan" (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: On Board the Titanic: What It Was Like When the Great Liner Sank (Paperback)

When my five-year old son became obsessed with the Titanic I was a bit worried, because of the morbidity of the subject mainly -we tend to forget that about 1500 people died in this historic incident. So I was very pleased to see that there are actually books on the subject written with children in mind - and this one is very good. It's written from the view points of two young men who were actually on the Titanic and survived - a young man from First Class named Jack Thayer, and Harold Bride, one of the ship's wireless operators and a true hero. Not too scary, full of fascinating details about the ship and an enjoyable read for grown-ups, too! Highly recommended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars My first nothin'-but-Titanic book, June 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: I Was There: On Board the Titanic (I Was There Books) (Hardcover)

I recommend this book for children. I recieved this book through a book order in '97 when I was in grade 4. I'm headed for grade 6 for the '99-'00 schoolyear. If are a child whom loves' Titanic, I say this be your 1st book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Titanic book ever!, October 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: I Was There: On Board the Titanic (I Was There Books) (Hardcover)

There are millions of Titanic books out there, but this one is the best of them all! The details are fantastic! The pictures shocked me! They were so real! I felt I was in the real Titanic in 1912! The portraits were real!! This is the real Titanic story, not some made up story. The book is filled with diagrams, portraits, pictures, and little paragraphs on the sides of the pages! Shelly Tanaka and Ken Marschall did a wonderful job on this book! I recommend this book to Titanic lovers everywhere. I myself loved this book!!!!