Titanic: Truth and Rumors

by Michael Burgan, Eldon Doty (Illustrator)

Labels common stories about the Titanic as fact or fiction and teaches readers how to tell the difference between truth and rumors.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Childrens, Picture Books

32 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is perhaps the best children’s book on Titanic that I’ve ever been fortunate enough to read. It might be one of the best Titanic books, period. I have read quite a bit about Titanic and often encounter misinformation; this is especially true in books for children. Here, however, Burgan’s dedication to accuracy is phenomenal. In fact, the main focus of this book is on distinguishing the actual history from the rumor and legend. I was quite impressed when he called out the 1997 James Cameron film for its role in perpetuating false ideas about the disaster. (The movie is not a documentary; it was designed to be entertaining, and Burgan doesn’t disparage the film in any way. But I still think it took guts to point out that certain events portrayed in the film, events that never happened, are still able to shape our collective understanding of the occurrences that night. It was part of his way of getting his readers to think critically about the information they have, and about the strength of that information’s sources.)

Burgan’s writing is clear, and his explanations for the origins of some of the rumors are well thought-out. His respect for his audience shines through, too: he never condescends to his readers, and he even treats them like mini researchers. Perhaps the best example of this comes at the end, where he gives three common rumors about the ship. He then states that these three rumors are all false, but he also explains how he knows this, why the rumors persist, and what children can do to find out the real story. He explains that they have the power to evaluate sources and to discover for themselves what is real and what isn’t. I also grinned when I got to the part where he mentioned that if they are in doubt about the quality of a source, they should “ask a librarian.” Terrific advice, that!

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, intended for children, does an excellent job of debunking some of the myths surrounding the sinking of the Titanic. It is told in an interesting manner, it is well narrated in the audio version, and it may very well teach adults a thing or two. The author just doesn’t say what is false and what is true. He explains how the myths began in the first place, and why people believed them. This well-written book is bound to spark an interest for other books in this informative series.

[Iptisam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read The Titanic. it's education because there are a lot of things I didn't know.

[CaseyKS. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of amazing facts on the titanic & rumors that were debunked. My 10 year old son & I enjoyed it!

[Elizabeth Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has great pictures to show students. This is a great book to show students while studying the Titanic tragedy of 1912.