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The Danger Zone
You Wouldn't Want to Sail on the Titanic! (Revised Edition)
It's 1912, and a brand-new ocean liner is crossing the Atlantic for the first time. This interactive series will enthrall young and reluctant readers (Ages 8-12) by making them part of the story, inviting them to become the main character. Each book uses humorous illustrations to depict the sometimes dark and horrific side of life during important eras in history. The huge ship is fitted out with unimaginable luxury, and her distinguished captain has many years' experience. Some say the Titanic is unsinkable...This new extended edition includes a Titanic timeline, a map of shipwrecks around the world, and a list of places to visit.
32 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2013
6 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
David Stewart
293 books17 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 7, 2017
I'm ashamed to admit that most of what I know of the Titanic's only voyage comes from that movie; and there I really only paid attention after the lookout cried, "Iceberg, right ahead!"
Here, the sinking is only half the story. We learn all about the amazing construction of this incredible ocean liner - from the 11,300 men employed to build the ship to the three anchors she carried - one of which weighed over 17 tons; a team of 20 horses was required to pull it from the foundry to the shipyard. We meet the captain, and members of the crew, and read the astounding list of items needed to feed and ensure the comfort of the guests: 11,000 pounds of fresh fish, 25,000 pounds of poultry and game, 40,000 towels . . . There's a tour of the ship, and a meet-and-greet with some of the passengers. Why, lucky you - you're in first class. You may just get to survive the horror that lies ahead.
You probably know the rest of the story thanks to Kate and Leo, but there's a nice epilogue, including mention of some safety standards and practices that were adopted in the aftermath of the great ship's demise.
This is a pretty cool, info-packed page-turner for the middle-grade reader (and adults like me who get much of their history from so-so movies).
Here, the sinking is only half the story. We learn all about the amazing construction of this incredible ocean liner - from the 11,300 men employed to build the ship to the three anchors she carried - one of which weighed over 17 tons; a team of 20 horses was required to pull it from the foundry to the shipyard. We meet the captain, and members of the crew, and read the astounding list of items needed to feed and ensure the comfort of the guests: 11,000 pounds of fresh fish, 25,000 pounds of poultry and game, 40,000 towels . . . There's a tour of the ship, and a meet-and-greet with some of the passengers. Why, lucky you - you're in first class. You may just get to survive the horror that lies ahead.
You probably know the rest of the story thanks to Kate and Leo, but there's a nice epilogue, including mention of some safety standards and practices that were adopted in the aftermath of the great ship's demise.
This is a pretty cool, info-packed page-turner for the middle-grade reader (and adults like me who get much of their history from so-so movies).
September 18, 2017
The Good: At its core, this was an entertaining look at one of the most notorious accidents in history. The illustrations were nicely detailed, and there were plenty of fun facts.
The Bad: Unless you're a Titanic fanatic, this probably isn't worth purchasing; sitting down at the bookstore or library and reading through it once is likely enough.
Conclusion: Despite it being the highest grossing movie ever made, I have never seen James Cameron's Titanic film; warnings of nudity as well as its insane length are enough to keep me away. Still, I've heard and read accounts of the ill-fated ship from a historical standpoint, and they were good...including this one. History isn't my strong suit, though, so, this is no favorite of mine...but, I enjoyed it for what it was.
The Bad: Unless you're a Titanic fanatic, this probably isn't worth purchasing; sitting down at the bookstore or library and reading through it once is likely enough.
Conclusion: Despite it being the highest grossing movie ever made, I have never seen James Cameron's Titanic film; warnings of nudity as well as its insane length are enough to keep me away. Still, I've heard and read accounts of the ill-fated ship from a historical standpoint, and they were good...including this one. History isn't my strong suit, though, so, this is no favorite of mine...but, I enjoyed it for what it was.
January 29, 2020
SHORT REVIEW: This books does some things very well, but it has some content that might be misleading and confusing for children.
LONG REVIEW (Feel free to skim): I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it has a lot going for it. It sticks with the series’ usual practice of looking at grisly history with wry gallows humor; the somewhat light approach and goofy pictures take the edge off what might have been a very dark read, and yet the book never takes this too far. It NEVER makes fun of the disaster or the victims, and it NEVER tries to soften the truth of what happened that awful night. The book also does a good job of giving what might be considered dry, tedious facts in an entertaining manner; for example, cartoon figures will have a speech-bubble conversation in which they casually bring up information about the ship's size and cargo. This is more interesting than simply reading a list of figures.
I like that the book takes time to explore other perspectives. In real life, Ismay's reputation never recovered from the stigma of taking a seat in a life boat. Even some modern books still condemn him for that. Here, however, readers are invited to experience the sinking from his point of view. I mean that literally: the book is written in second-person, and "you" do various things that Ismay did. It's fun, but it's also a much more even-handed approach than I've seen in other Titanic books. My favorite part of this book is when they talk about the workers on the ship. There is one scene in the book when a stoker is complaining about how little he makes for all his hard work. And it definitely shows his hard, physically demanding work. But the book also shows that although the stoker probably had a more demanding job than, say, the able seamen, he was also making more money than the able seamen. And even the able seamen, for their 8-hour days, were making more money than the stewardesses in their 17-hour days. This information is interesting, and it makes it easier for children to understand the many different kinds of jobs that were done on the ship, and the different people who did them.
I didn't like that this book is sloppy. It takes shortcuts. For example, in comparing salaries, some of the wages are adjusted for today's dollars, and some are not. I think they should be consistent. It will be difficult enough for a child to understand just how far $27 could go in 1912, but it will be impossible for them to get a sense of scale when they're comparing it to some other salary in today's money. The stewardesses worked long hours, yes, which makes me wonder when the other people were working. What were the stokers' hours? How do the jobs compare?
Worse than leaving information out, the book includes much that is either incorrect or misleading. At the end of the book, for example, it mentions that only one person was saved out of the water. Since there isn’t ANY other context for this, and since there is no source given for this, I have no idea what to make of it. ONE person only? Who was this one individual? Was it Jack Thayer, who survived the plunge into the water? Or Second Officer Lightoller, who was swept into the Atlantic when the ship sank from under him, and who was saved from the water? Colonel Gracie? Harold Bride? Or the Chief Baker, who swam around by himself for a long time before being rescued from the water? All of these people lived to tell about their experiences on the sip—and this is just off the top of my head. Fifth Officer Lowe pulled at least 14 people living from the water, and of these, 6 survived. And Lowe’s boat was only 1 of 3 boats that, after being launched, either stayed nearby to pick up survivors from the water or returned after the sinking to rescue whom they could. And in addition to these three boats, there were two others, Collapsibles A and B, that were never launched, but which were still on the ship when it sank, and whose passengers almost exclusively came from the water. So this book’s comment is either flat-out wrong, or I’m not understanding it the way they meant it. Either way, it muddles the situation, rather than clarifies it. Similarly, I didn’t like how much the book piggybacks off the 1997 Titanic film. The design of some characters mimics the actors and actresses of the film. The purple striped dress Rose wears in the film is seen here, along with some other visuals that nod to the movie. But it's dangerous to take a certain idea from a very long epic film, and portray just part of it in a few illustrations. This is how things get missed. One thing the movie did very well was show the many difficulties faced by the poor immigrants on the ship. There were definite language barriers, which were problematic enough before the collision, and fatal for many afterward. There were financial difficulties, too. Many of these passengers were already facing an uncertain future. Would they find a job? Would they have a home? Many of the steerage passengers had left relatives behind, or were planning to meet up with relatives who had traveled earlier. It was not uncommon for one family member to go to America to seek employment while the rest of the family would wait. But which movie scene does this book select? The party scene where they're all dancing. It was a fine scene in the film because it came in context. This book has one two-page tour-of-the-ship spread, and it shows the first class passengers as super boring and the third class passengers as carefree, happy-go-lucky people. In real life, these people probably had music and celebration, but they also had strength and courage to try to make a new life elsewhere. They weren't blind to reality: they were aware of the difficulties they would face in a foreign country and were determined rise above them all. It makes me sad that a hardworking group of people facing very real problems were only shown in their only big pre-collision scene having a silly dance. It makes the immigrant experience seem like one long birthday party.
LONG REVIEW (Feel free to skim): I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it has a lot going for it. It sticks with the series’ usual practice of looking at grisly history with wry gallows humor; the somewhat light approach and goofy pictures take the edge off what might have been a very dark read, and yet the book never takes this too far. It NEVER makes fun of the disaster or the victims, and it NEVER tries to soften the truth of what happened that awful night. The book also does a good job of giving what might be considered dry, tedious facts in an entertaining manner; for example, cartoon figures will have a speech-bubble conversation in which they casually bring up information about the ship's size and cargo. This is more interesting than simply reading a list of figures.
I like that the book takes time to explore other perspectives. In real life, Ismay's reputation never recovered from the stigma of taking a seat in a life boat. Even some modern books still condemn him for that. Here, however, readers are invited to experience the sinking from his point of view. I mean that literally: the book is written in second-person, and "you" do various things that Ismay did. It's fun, but it's also a much more even-handed approach than I've seen in other Titanic books. My favorite part of this book is when they talk about the workers on the ship. There is one scene in the book when a stoker is complaining about how little he makes for all his hard work. And it definitely shows his hard, physically demanding work. But the book also shows that although the stoker probably had a more demanding job than, say, the able seamen, he was also making more money than the able seamen. And even the able seamen, for their 8-hour days, were making more money than the stewardesses in their 17-hour days. This information is interesting, and it makes it easier for children to understand the many different kinds of jobs that were done on the ship, and the different people who did them.
I didn't like that this book is sloppy. It takes shortcuts. For example, in comparing salaries, some of the wages are adjusted for today's dollars, and some are not. I think they should be consistent. It will be difficult enough for a child to understand just how far $27 could go in 1912, but it will be impossible for them to get a sense of scale when they're comparing it to some other salary in today's money. The stewardesses worked long hours, yes, which makes me wonder when the other people were working. What were the stokers' hours? How do the jobs compare?
Worse than leaving information out, the book includes much that is either incorrect or misleading. At the end of the book, for example, it mentions that only one person was saved out of the water. Since there isn’t ANY other context for this, and since there is no source given for this, I have no idea what to make of it. ONE person only? Who was this one individual? Was it Jack Thayer, who survived the plunge into the water? Or Second Officer Lightoller, who was swept into the Atlantic when the ship sank from under him, and who was saved from the water? Colonel Gracie? Harold Bride? Or the Chief Baker, who swam around by himself for a long time before being rescued from the water? All of these people lived to tell about their experiences on the sip—and this is just off the top of my head. Fifth Officer Lowe pulled at least 14 people living from the water, and of these, 6 survived. And Lowe’s boat was only 1 of 3 boats that, after being launched, either stayed nearby to pick up survivors from the water or returned after the sinking to rescue whom they could. And in addition to these three boats, there were two others, Collapsibles A and B, that were never launched, but which were still on the ship when it sank, and whose passengers almost exclusively came from the water. So this book’s comment is either flat-out wrong, or I’m not understanding it the way they meant it. Either way, it muddles the situation, rather than clarifies it. Similarly, I didn’t like how much the book piggybacks off the 1997 Titanic film. The design of some characters mimics the actors and actresses of the film. The purple striped dress Rose wears in the film is seen here, along with some other visuals that nod to the movie. But it's dangerous to take a certain idea from a very long epic film, and portray just part of it in a few illustrations. This is how things get missed. One thing the movie did very well was show the many difficulties faced by the poor immigrants on the ship. There were definite language barriers, which were problematic enough before the collision, and fatal for many afterward. There were financial difficulties, too. Many of these passengers were already facing an uncertain future. Would they find a job? Would they have a home? Many of the steerage passengers had left relatives behind, or were planning to meet up with relatives who had traveled earlier. It was not uncommon for one family member to go to America to seek employment while the rest of the family would wait. But which movie scene does this book select? The party scene where they're all dancing. It was a fine scene in the film because it came in context. This book has one two-page tour-of-the-ship spread, and it shows the first class passengers as super boring and the third class passengers as carefree, happy-go-lucky people. In real life, these people probably had music and celebration, but they also had strength and courage to try to make a new life elsewhere. They weren't blind to reality: they were aware of the difficulties they would face in a foreign country and were determined rise above them all. It makes me sad that a hardworking group of people facing very real problems were only shown in their only big pre-collision scene having a silly dance. It makes the immigrant experience seem like one long birthday party.
March 10, 2019
Endelig en ny bok om Titanic for barn. Boka forteller litt om forhistorien til Titanic opp mot forliset. Var noe jeg faktisk ikke hadde lest om tidligere. Men mye har stått om før :) Men grei bok for de minste som vil vite mer om Titanics tragiske skjebne.
April 9, 2014
This book puts readers into the shoes of a passenger on the famous ship: J. Bruce Ismay, managing director of the White Star Line. The book covers the design, building, and maiden voyage of the ship. Captain, crew, and passengers are all discussed as are other subjects such as food stores and equipment on board. Details of the sinking are displayed in diagrams and minute by minute in the Captain's Log. Readers find out what happened to themselves in a paragraph in the section about the aftermath.
There's a lot of information packed into this slim little book. Terms are defined and boxes and sidebars give tidbits of information that incites interest in the subject. A further reading section would've been a nice touch, but it wasn't included. Overall, this is a good introduction that is age appropriate for grades 3-5, but it isn't the first book I'd reach for on the subject.
There's a lot of information packed into this slim little book. Terms are defined and boxes and sidebars give tidbits of information that incites interest in the subject. A further reading section would've been a nice touch, but it wasn't included. Overall, this is a good introduction that is age appropriate for grades 3-5, but it isn't the first book I'd reach for on the subject.
July 12, 2010
Great graphics and format that will keep attention of older elementary students and even a nice cliff notes version for adults.
February 8, 2013
Very informative book about the Titanic told from the perspective of J. Bruce Ismay. Lots of graphics and text features.
February 19, 2020
This book was about all the information you would never think about! Such as the Titanic weight and the size. There were 8 deaths and 240 accidents while building the ship. There were 1st class 2nd class and 3rd class. The Titanic claimed that it had water tight doors since it was above the waters sea level. If an accident occurred then the titanic would be fine because the ship could still float even if four of the compartments were filled.
I gave this book a 5 star because it was very interesting. I also liked that it gave lots of facts. I recommend this book to anyone who likes fun facts. I also recommend this book to anyone who likes informational books. Overall this book was good.
I gave this book a 5 star because it was very interesting. I also liked that it gave lots of facts. I recommend this book to anyone who likes fun facts. I also recommend this book to anyone who likes informational books. Overall this book was good.
October 2, 2023
Full disclosure- I read this aloud to my dogs. Yes, I am one of those people. We’re trying a bedtime story as part of the night routine.
BESIDES THAT- I remember obsessively reading these books as a kid so I thought it would be fun to reorder it and take a trip down memory lane. I was pleasantly surprised with how detailed the book was.
Enjoyable for adults and kiddos (and dogs) alike.
BESIDES THAT- I remember obsessively reading these books as a kid so I thought it would be fun to reorder it and take a trip down memory lane. I was pleasantly surprised with how detailed the book was.
Enjoyable for adults and kiddos (and dogs) alike.
July 8, 2017
This is a great introduction to the tragic voyage of the Titanic for children who are interested in history. The book discusses the disaster in a lighthearted but respectful manner. Love this series and all the tidbits of fascinating facts it presents in any easy to understand manner.
December 7, 2017
I liked this book as much as the others. It gives kids an understanding about the horrors that were faced when the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912. It was a horrible tragedy that should be remembered.
May 20, 2018
Age-appropriate details on the Titanic, accompanied by humorous illustrations.
June 23, 2019
A quick overview of a famous ship and it's end.
There were many interesting points in this book but it lacked depth.
Reading time around thirty minutes.
There were many interesting points in this book but it lacked depth.
Reading time around thirty minutes.
November 6, 2020
Love all the "You Wouldn't Want to Be..." books
March 10, 2024
Excellent.
Titanic, Titanic, Titanic.
Titanic, Titanic, Titanic.
February 7, 2017
Particularly fact packed for a book from the Avoid series.
May 15, 2012
Illustrations and the font of the book makes it an easy book to approach. Interesting take on the event. Puts the reader in one of the real character's position.
It is filled with wide variety of information.
Good for both girls and boys.
Was a bit too much though, as many non-fictions of these kinds are. Information were all over the place.
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6-Uniform, present-tense, "you are there" discussions. These titles are somewhat jovial in their portrayals of ghastly subject matters, downplaying the horrors of human sacrifice, for example. Cartoon characters are about to have a tree fall on them in Railroad and find frozen bodies in the water in Titanic. In Aztec Sacrifice, "you" are a captured warrior and end up having your heart cut out as an offering to the gods. Suggestions are made as to why a warrior would not be too scared, maybe because an herbal potion could make him feel drowsy and peaceful. Every spread offers a "Handy Hint" box. In Railroad, "you" are advised to "Steer clear of the saloons and casinos-." In Aztec Sacrifice, it is suggested that "you" make offers to your city's guardian god for protection. Of the three volumes, Aztec Sacrifice is the most gruesome and will therefore appeal to a certain clientele. Because of its ever-popular topic, Titanic will have no problem finding an audience. Because of its less-gory premise, Railroad might need to follow on the popularity of the other two titles. Heavily illustrated, colorful, and far from dull, these titles will have little trouble grabbing readers' interest.
Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
It is filled with wide variety of information.
Good for both girls and boys.
Was a bit too much though, as many non-fictions of these kinds are. Information were all over the place.
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6-Uniform, present-tense, "you are there" discussions. These titles are somewhat jovial in their portrayals of ghastly subject matters, downplaying the horrors of human sacrifice, for example. Cartoon characters are about to have a tree fall on them in Railroad and find frozen bodies in the water in Titanic. In Aztec Sacrifice, "you" are a captured warrior and end up having your heart cut out as an offering to the gods. Suggestions are made as to why a warrior would not be too scared, maybe because an herbal potion could make him feel drowsy and peaceful. Every spread offers a "Handy Hint" box. In Railroad, "you" are advised to "Steer clear of the saloons and casinos-." In Aztec Sacrifice, it is suggested that "you" make offers to your city's guardian god for protection. Of the three volumes, Aztec Sacrifice is the most gruesome and will therefore appeal to a certain clientele. Because of its ever-popular topic, Titanic will have no problem finding an audience. Because of its less-gory premise, Railroad might need to follow on the popularity of the other two titles. Heavily illustrated, colorful, and far from dull, these titles will have little trouble grabbing readers' interest.
Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
January 19, 2015
"You Wouldn't Want to Sail On the Titanic" is a delightful book, both informative and hilarious. Though it is clearly being aimed at a younger audience than what I am used to reading, it has an appeal to a wider age range then the three Titanic kids-nonfiction books I reviewed yesterday (see my reviews for "A Pig on the Titanic", "The Titanic Disaster: A True Book" and "Remembering the Titanic"). In fact, this book would really be ideal for middle schoolers and might even be of use to high schoolers, though mostly for the statistics and pictures.
This book is very engaging and full of delightful drawings, many of them based off of historical pictures. Also, the little asides from the people, such as the three Firemen commenting on the boilers on Titanic: "There are 29 boilers on this ship!", says one. While the second says, "Yes, each 16.3 ft. high!" And the third fireman's comments relate to his low compensation for his work with, "Bloomin' backbreaking work for $27 a month". The Handy Hints section is along the same vein, sly commentary on the times.
I really enjoyed this book and plan on adding a copy of it to both my personal collection and to my growing classroom collection.
This book is very engaging and full of delightful drawings, many of them based off of historical pictures. Also, the little asides from the people, such as the three Firemen commenting on the boilers on Titanic: "There are 29 boilers on this ship!", says one. While the second says, "Yes, each 16.3 ft. high!" And the third fireman's comments relate to his low compensation for his work with, "Bloomin' backbreaking work for $27 a month". The Handy Hints section is along the same vein, sly commentary on the times.
I really enjoyed this book and plan on adding a copy of it to both my personal collection and to my growing classroom collection.
April 9, 2014
This is a detailed an informative tale about the Titanic disaster. The narrative takes the reader through a comprehensive timeline of the conception of building the ship through the tragic event and rescuing of those passengers who made it to the lifeboats.
The illustrations are cartoonish, but give the reader a good idea of life during the early 1900s. Our girls were amazed by the power of inflation, and were surprised by the low wages and at what money could buy over one hundred years ago.
The story is a bit more straightforward than some of the other books in this series and the fact that the reader assumes the character of J. Bruce Ismay seems almost incidental. Still, the information is very thorough and explains how laws changed as a result of the tragedy.
Overall, we really enjoyed reading this book together. We did not learn a lot of new information by reading this book, but it was a good reminder of a famous historical event and an interesting snapshot of life about one hundred years ago. We also appreciated the information provided about other shipwrecks around the world.
The illustrations are cartoonish, but give the reader a good idea of life during the early 1900s. Our girls were amazed by the power of inflation, and were surprised by the low wages and at what money could buy over one hundred years ago.
The story is a bit more straightforward than some of the other books in this series and the fact that the reader assumes the character of J. Bruce Ismay seems almost incidental. Still, the information is very thorough and explains how laws changed as a result of the tragedy.
Overall, we really enjoyed reading this book together. We did not learn a lot of new information by reading this book, but it was a good reminder of a famous historical event and an interesting snapshot of life about one hundred years ago. We also appreciated the information provided about other shipwrecks around the world.
November 2, 2009
This book is part of a whole series of informational children's books based on events in history. Most of the books focus on time periods in history where life was difficult or some disaster happened, such as the Titanic. The books contain general facts about the topic sometimes written in cartoon form, but it is the illustrations that really make the books come alive. The drawings are rather comical but they do reflect the factual information being conveyed. This is a great series of books for students to learn about different events and times in history, in a fun and easy-to-understand format. I definitely recommend any of the "You Wouldn't Want to ...." books to everyone.
Read
April 3, 2010This book would be a great supplement to an elementary teacher who is about to cover or even has already covered the tragedy that was the sinking of the Titanic. It is packed full of facts, but it doesn't read like a history book. Its non-traditional layout makes it an easy and fun read while still presenting all of the facts of the tragedy (starting from the day the idea was first thought of and going up until after the ships sinking, not skipping anything in between) through critical eyes. The illustrations are also great in telling the story, so this book is a great resource for readers of many levels.
January 12, 2012
Not my favourite in the series, but definitely a nice addition. Contains all of the typical elements of the series, such as humourous illustrations, plenty of tidbit facts, and the characteristic situating of the reader as one of the people involved. Certainly an excellent series to use with children and tweens to get them interested in history.
September 8, 2015
I don't know what is so interesting about the events of the Titanic but this book really fills you in on so much information. Did you know that Titanic was one of three ships built with the same design? You can read about all the cargo and food that had been loaded before setting sail. And the book has information about other ships that sunk.
March 2, 2009
This book is a great addition to the collection. Filled with great illustrations, this book focuses on the data and interesting trivia that encompasses the Titanic and it's historic first voyage. A great read for anyone wanting to learn information about the Titanic.
May 16, 2015
I really liked reading this book, because the timing was perfect. I am currently reading a novel about some people who sailed on the Titanic. I enjoyed reading some simple facts about the Titanic to complement my reading.
March 31, 2009
I like the humor in history it gives
March 9, 2010
Format: Picture Book
Interest Level: 3rd-6th grade
Interest Level: 3rd-6th grade
July 12, 2010
I found the use of second person writing style unusual as it's rare, but could be a nice change as an example for students.
April 13, 2011
* This book gives you a name and says you're a passenger on the oceanliner.
* Give specifications of the ship, how it was built and powered, and what was on board.
* Good for class library
* Give specifications of the ship, how it was built and powered, and what was on board.
* Good for class library
February 18, 2012
This book gave an entertaining twist to the story of the Titanic. It still has lot of facts in it but does it in a comic book fashion so that it would be interesting to children.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews