History Smashers: The Titanic

History Smashers #4

by Kate Messner, Dylan Meconis (Illustrator)

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth behind the sinking of the Titanic with beloved educator/author Kate Messner. The fun mix of sidebars, illustrations, photos, and graphic panels make this perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

On April 15, 1912 an "unsinkable" ship called the Titanic unexpectedly hit an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic. Right?

Wrong! Nobody was really talking about the Titanic being unsinkable until after it sank.

The truth is, four different ships wired the Titanic to report icebergs and field ice in the area. But the Titanic never slowed down. In fact, when the Californian warned that it was trapped in ice, the Titanic's wireless operator was so busy sending outgoing messages that he replied, "Shut up!" No joke.

Discover the nonfiction series that demolishes everything you thought you knew about history.

Don't miss History The Mayflower, Women's Right to Vote, and Pearl Harbor.

Genres: Nonfiction, Middle Grade, History, Childrens, Graphic Novels, Historical, Juvenile

ebook

First published April 6, 2021

About the author

Kate Messner is an award-winning author, TED 2012 speaker, and former middle school English teacher. Her books for kids include THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z.,SUGAR AND ICE, and EYE OF THE STORM (Walker/Bloomsbury Dec. 2010) the MARTY MCGUIRE series (Scholastic), SEA MONSTER'S FIRST DAY, and OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW (Chronicle, Books). Kate also wrote SPITFIRE and CHAMPLAIN AND THE SILENT ONE, both Lake Champlain historical novels published by North Country Books.

Kate lives with her family on Lake Champlain, where she loves to read, write, hike, swing on birch trees, and eat chocolate. She also hangs out in various places online.
Visit Kate's website: http://www.katemessner.com

Find Kate on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/KateMessner

...or follow her on Twitter - @katemessner

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The facts, the specific details Kate Messner textually presents in her fourth instalment of her History Smashers series, in her 2021 The Titanic are extensive, covering pretty much everything one needs to know to get a decently comprehensive introduction to and understanding of the Titanic, from the ship’s construction in Belfast, Northern Ireland to Robert Ballard discovering the shipwreck of the Titanic in the mid 1980s, with The Titanic featuring not just Messner’s printed words but also providing infographics, sidebars, photographs, and Matt Aytch Taylor’s accompanying illustrations and graphic novel interludes showing a delightfully realistic and descriptive visual mirror to and for what Kate Messner has penned (and that my only complaint about The Titanic is that the font size for the graphic novel parts are much too small for my eyes).

And yes, albeit a plethora of facts, facts and more facts are presented, are meticulously showcased in The Titanic (and with much of this densely packed and also often rather technical in nature since it covers themes such as shipbuilding, physics, oceanography, meteorology), the narrative quality of The Titanic most definitely is child-friendly, is nicely concisely straightforward, and that I really do hugely appreciate that Kate Messner uses scientific and technical jargon only very sparingly, thus making The Titanic perfect for an intended audience of eight to around eleven year olds, but also something to equally consider for older readers wanting an introduction to the Titanic that is basic, that is simple but without sacrificing educational power (so that The Titanic is in my humble opinion good education and enlightenment for both young and older, and with Messner’s excellent bibliographic materials, with the sources and book/online suggestions for further reading also rendering The Titanic into a perfect starting point for further Titanic based research).

Not quite as relentlessly and as all encompassingly fake and problematic history destroying for and to me as the three other History Smashers books I have read to date have tended to be (as to be honest, most of the rumours buried and shattered in The Titanic were already known to me as being not actual reality, as being innuendo, superstition and conspiracy theory since my childhood, except that the Titanic was never actually considered as being supposedly unsinkable), still Kate Messner’s text combined with Matt Aytch Taylor’s artwork provide a solidly five star reading experience that I do highly and warmly recommend. And indeed, The Titanic is also a book my inner child totally adores, not to mention she also very much wishes that a series like History Smashers could have been available in the late 1970s and early 1980s when she was a tween/teenager.

[Tara Ethridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cool concept for a book and 5 stars for me because I was riveted! Kate Messner takes the history of the Titanic and shares true information about the tragedy that has been warped a bit over time into a more romantic telling of the story. Fascinating facts and graphic novel panels sprinkled throughout the chapter book format. One tidbit is that the boat was going very fast--much faster than it should have in iceberg-riddled waters--and most likely because of trying to beat the record of another ship's journey. This is the perfect book for older readers who have read everything about the Titanic already!

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the first History Smashers (on the Mayflower) as a Black-Eyed Susan nominee, and like so many others, I've remained fascinated by the story of the Titanic (YES, I liked the Kate Winslet movie!), so this was my "I'm going to grab and read whatever I want now that I'm on Winter Break" read. It was excellent, but I DO wish there had been a few more details. Still, I learned quite a lot, and I appreciate that the series includes lots of references and research. The pictures and comic strip sections are also great to pull kids into the story.

[J.J. Lair · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author told the truth again. The Titanic was warned multiple times?! It was way scarier and dark and cold than you think from watching movies. The sinking was a scary tale.

[Ezra Letson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook! Provides a concise and interesting overview of the before, during, and after of the Titanic's sinking and debunks a number of common rumors and myths associated with the tragedy.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good! It really gave you insights on what is true, partially true, or not true at all that is backed up with research. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son is currently obsessed with the titanic and grabbed this book from his school library. As an adult, and historian, I appreciated how the author presented the content, not just regurgitating historical details but also including the elements of the story through a graphic novel format with images and captions, and “myth busting” section at the end. It sustained my attention for its duration, and fueled my son’s continued curiosity in this tragic disaster. Very well done.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done. It’s probably best to read a physical copy. It’s a mixture of regular text, graphic novel, and newspaper type writing. I think this series is fantastic for teaching kids (and adults!) all about historical events in an engaging way.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read aloud to my 6yo and while he was a little young for some of the content (people died, this is real life) we both greatly enjoyed the book! The format is fabulous and we’ll be purchasing the whole series when he’s a little older.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are fascinating for kids (and adults!). This one is sure to be popular.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tessa gives this five stars because “we learned tons of stuff. I liked how the book had pictures, charts, and lots of facts.”

[Erin Ching · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for my middle grader who loves the titanic story and just can't get enough facts.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome read aloud for kids to learn about the Titanic. The pictures are a very neat addition to the book.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and a quick read! Loved the format and learned new things about the Titanic. Kids will eat this up. Can't wait to try more in the series!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: Mention The Titanic, and most people think of the disaster at sea. But the truth is, the first victims of the Titanic died while the ship was still being built.

Premise/plot: What you see is what you get. This is a nonfiction book written for young readers (elementary aged) about the Titanic. The first two chapters tell the story of the building and early sails. (The Titanic picked up passengers from several different ports--and also let folks off.) The third chapter tells of the many warnings (four if I counted correctly) that came from other ships sailing in the area of numerous icebergs. Chapters four through seven focus on the disaster itself--hitting the iceberg, the distress calls, the loading of the lifeboats, the sinking, the rescue. Chapters eight through ten focus on the aftermath: the investigations, the changes in policy, the hunt to find the wreck, the current state of Titanic, etc. The book also includes a timeline, an author's note, and bibliography.

My thoughts: The past few generations have been fortunate to have access to great nonfiction. This one has photographs, illustrations, sidebars in comic style, charts and more. I also appreciated ALL the quotes from primary source materials. The narrative style is written in a compelling way.

Depending on if this was your first or your fiftieth book to read about the Titanic, you may or may not encounter information that was new-to-you. But I thought it was packed with information. Some of it familiar. Some of it new-to-me. Granted, I am closer to having just read a handful of books than having read them all. And I've not read any over and over and over again.

One thing that I personally was not aware of was the ship The Californian. This ship was closest to the Titanic but didn't respond to the distress calls.

The book did challenge my perspectives a bit. Which I think is what it was intended to do. I would definitely recommend this one.

Quotes:

Historians wonder if more lifeboats would have made a big difference. Some argue it wouldn't have, because there simply wouldn't have been time to launch them all. Even with twenty lifeboats, the crew ran out of time to load passengers before the ship went down.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of a new series intended to refute rumors and urban legends about moments or movements in history, this one is a 3.5 for me. I've read several books about the Titanic, the luxurious liner that sank April 15, 1912, more than a century ago. But I'm always up for learning more, which made me eager to read this account of the ship and the voyage. While I already knew much of what is included here about the Titanic, from its construction to its launch and subsequent voyage, the author provides some new information while clarifying some points about its presumed unsinkability and the investigations into culpability after the sea tragedy. There is even coverage of some of the pets who survived the wreck and discussion of why so many of the lifeboats were launched half-empty. Youngsters will love the format since there are photographs, sketches, and even cartoon panels to cover various topics, and they'll particularly appreciate the sometimes outlandish theories about the ship [for instance, that the Titanic didn't sink but another ship did or that the voyage was cursed by the presence of an Egyptian mummy on board the ship]. Even details about the temperature of the water into which survivors plunged and how long someone could last under those conditions will keep readers engaged and offer them cool nuggets of information to share with their friends. While this book didn't "smash' everything I knew about the Titanic, it did challenge some of my assumptions, and it was great fun to read. Teachers would be foolish not to include this title and the others in the series as part of their history or social studies collection and/or as supplemental materials for the existing curriculum. Kate Messner's fascination with this topic is clear in every line.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I read this book, I didn't know much about the Titanic. Only that the rumored "Unsinkable Ship" sunk after hitting an iceberg. History Smashers: The Titanic showed me that some of the things I've heard aren't exactly true. I love that Kate Messner used the facts to tell the stories of some of the famous historic moments in history. Less and less people know the truth about American history. Thank you Kate, for telling the truth about our amazing history through and in this wonderful book.

[Viktoria Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Messner did it again. While I don’t know that I learned anything new from this book, she did dispel some rumors. I have read many non fiction accounts of of the Titanic, including interviews with survivors. While I have barely touched the surface of knowledge, it was fun to read Messner’s account, knowing she extensively researched everything prior to print. I will be checking out some of the books she listed to read more about Titanic.

[Mary Bronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed the History Smashers series. I think this is a great non fiction for children and adults to learn more about the Titanic then what people assume they know. Whether it is from watching the movie or just reading from random sources. I love how Kate Messner always talks about everything from different angles and how some historical records or topics may not tell the whole truth.

[Tressa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised to learn how much I really didn't know about the Titanic, aside from what was depicted in the James Cameron film (and his surrounding research, documentaries, etc.).

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several books in the I Survived and Who Was/What Was series, and so I heard about this series and decided to give this a try. This is one of several books in the History Smashers series geared towards elementary to lower middle school students. I think this may fit more under the graphic novel category actually because there is not that much text and the illustrations take up most of the pages. There are ten chapters and each chapter has many illustrations, and there are several parts set as a graphic novel. Then at the end, the author addresses several famous myths, and there is a timeline, author's note, suggested readings, and a bibliography.

I am an avid Titanic fan, and so I enjoyed this book even though it is geared towards kids. I learned some new facts such as the Titanic actually had two bands (one in the saloon and one on the deck). I also was surprised to learn that there were problems when they changed regulations after the disaster to make sure there are always enough lifeboats for every passenger. For smaller boats that were not designed to hold that much weight, it actually became dangerous for the ships to add enough lifeboats. "In 1915, a Great Lakes riverboat called the SS Eastland rolled over onto its side while it was tied to a dock in Chicago, killing 844 people. The boat had some design issues to begin with and had only been built to handle six lifeboats. With the new law, it was carrying eleven, along with thousands of pounds of life rafts and life jackets that made it unstable and led to the disaster" (133). I would have never guessed trying to make ships safer could've created more problems (in some special cases). Additionally, I really appreciated how Messner addressed the conspiracy theory between Titanic and Olympic. Some people think the two ships were switched to try and make money from the insurance, but this is COMPLETELY false, and I applaud Messner for educating kids about this from the start.

There are some downsides to this book. If you are an adult, you may be a little bored at times when parts of this well-known ship's story are told once again. I also found the writing to be a little awkward at times. For example, she writes about the iceberg, "sharp spurs of ice can stick out from the underwater parts" (60). I think this could have used some editing. I also thought the illustrations were a little too cartoonish for my taste. I know this book is for kids, but I think the drawings need to be more realistic. After all, this is a nonfiction book. Some of the drawings, such as the ship itself, are very well done. However, the people are not as realistic and look like small Fisher Price people. I did not care for that style of drawings for this type of book.

Overall, even though I have some concerns, I would recommend this book for young readers showing an interest in the Titanic or history in general. (Maybe just supplement this with some other nonfiction books such as Titanic: An Illustrated History by Don Lynch or Titanic Q & A by Mary Montero.)

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second History Smasher book that I have had the pleasure to read and yep, this 50+ year old Nana enjoyed every minute of it! I wasn’t one who enjoyed history in school, yet I liked learning about important events. When I learned about the Titanic in school, I didn’t recall learning much except the basic facts and over the years, I have picked up a great deal of information about how this event came about (thank you, social media). I’m one who likes to learn quirky and interesting details and I want to know the truth about something. I don’t want to know what “someone thinks,” as we all have an opinion and whether it’s right or wrong depends on the individual. When I read about this series of children’s books, I knew that they might be something that I would like as they’re straight to the point, fun and entertaining reading, lots of illustrations and pictures, and I loved the way the author presents the information.

The book begins with the building of the Titanic, and it ends with current events of the Titanic. There’s a wonderful section of Rumors in which they address different rumors associated with the ship, there’s a Titanic Timeline, and a fantastic index. The author’s notes at the end of the book lists additional books and websites about the Titanic. The bibliography is massive, and the author includes a couple pages from History Smashers: The Mayflower and History Smashers: Pearl Harbor in the final pages. Yes, I highly recommend this book for any age if you’re interested in the Titanic. Grab yourself a copy! 5 stars
Some interesting facts I learned:
• There were 254 official accidents recorded while building the Titanic which included at least 8 deaths.
• The Titanic received multiple warnings about “icebergs and field ice” in the path but yet, they never slowed down. Why? Were they trying to meet their deadlines?
• The Californian Ship was closer to the disabled Titanic, yet the Carpathia Ship was the one that helped the victims of the Titanic. It was interesting to learn why.
• The Titanic was only required to carry 16 lifeboats onboard. That was not enough for all the passengers. Reading why they were only “legally required” to carry 16 and how this law has now changed.
• The water temperature was 28 degrees F. How long do you think you could survive in that type of water with a cork life vest?
• Thomas Andrews, a ship builder, remained on board while the ship sank, throwing chairs and anything that he thought would float to the individuals in the water.
• The tours to the wreckage were interesting to read about and now there are hopes of another private company starting up operations to resumes these tours. I just heard that they want to halt these tours as they want the Titanic’s resting stop to be recorded as a burial site. The wreckage is deteriorating, what is the future of this famous event.
• Items have been taken from the wreckage of the Titanic, but they have now been released into the hands of a group of investors.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling deeper in love with the History Smashers series, one book at a time. Messner provides straightforward details and "history smashing" factoids that dispel rumors and myths about an event so prolific as the Titanic's sinking.

Framed in the way that the series makes historians out of kids, it's easy to pull a few bits and pieces to bandy around when you want to seem smart. I do the same thing and I'm not a kid. I like discovering new things. For this book on the Titanic, I found the story of the one man that was listed as part of the dead who would have been working in the coal room only to reappear at his family's home days later stating that he had gotten drunk at a pub the night before, lost his log book that would have gotten him on the ship, and walked around for a few days to save face. But what the researchers found is that likely someone did board the ship with this man's missing log book and was likely working the shift that he would have worked. Fascinating!

If I learned just one thing, it was an awesome book and I learned more than one thing- like animals that were on board and the likelihood of the two orchestra/bands playing on the ship as it was "going down".

Messner, keep it up!

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a step up in depth and complexity from the “Who Was…?” series. It was engaging and informative, and we really liked it. I appreciated the fact that this book introduces children to what it means to study history like a historian. For example, the author noted that many newspapers rushed to print stories about the Titanic the morning after it sank, but most of them reported incorrect information. The truth about the disaster cannot be found by reading one source; it must be pieced together using eyewitness accounts and even evidence from the shipwreck itself, which has been studied using some amazing modern technology. Overall, great book. We will definitely be reading some more books from this series.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent series. So much so that I'm reading about topics that don't even interest me. From this one:

The Titanic had a sister ship, the Olympic, which, as it successfully crossed first, should be at least as famous (given humanity's obsession with 'first' as premier).

The site of the wreck is a gravesite. But since 1987 RMS Titanic Inc. has not only been going down to lookie-loo, but also retrieving artifacts, including passengers' personal possessions.

Third-class passengers were not shoved aside or actively discriminated against.

The new rules for more lifeboats caused other problems, for example 844 deaths when a Great Lakes riverboat, the SS Eastland, listed over while tied to the dock. Fascinating photograph.

[Julie Reeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you know there were dogs on the titanic? and three ended up being saved with their humans? Loved learning about facts I had not previously in my study of the Titanic. This is my favorite of the series that I have read so far.

*a kid in the library asked for recs. on the titanic and I showed him this one. He let me know he doubted that he would learn anything new, being that he was pretty sure he was an expert. I let him know that while I am sure he knows a ton this book will be a fun read- that will totally teach him some new things. Loved this interaction.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about the Titanic that debunks some myths about the ship and its demise.

I really love the History Smasher series. They give you so much information, but it's delivered in an engaging way. There are traditional chapters mixed with graphic novel elements, some sidebars and tons of pictures. This book covered everything from the construction of the ship, to the sinking and even to more recent efforts to preserve the ship and its artifacts. I even learned some new facts about the boat.

Overall, a well written book that gives you the most accurate information about the Titanic.

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never tire of reading about this topic. I'm not sure how much of it was new because I've read some books with extensive detail about the doomed ship, but it's just as fascinating every time. This is pretty concise and perfect for a middle grade reader who doesn't have the stamina, hyperfocus, and/or decoding or comprehension skills for Titanic: Voices From the Disaster

[Sarah Hay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The doomed maiden voyage of the Titanic is recounted in History Smashers: Titanic. Rumors about what happened that fateful night are addressed as information for first hand witnesses supports or denies them. Lots of information is given in this easy to read book. Perfect for kids who like history and non-fiction, part of a series so there are more of they like this one.
Good for ages 10 and up.

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great assortment of traditional text, comics, and sidebars to set the record straight about the ill fated Titanic, a topic that has much kid appeal. Love the myth busters feel at the end where some rumors about the ship are “smashed”. Messner is a master of all things kidlit, back matter shows her commitment to fully researching her topics.