Escape from…the Titanic

Gr 3-6–With a prologue that spells out the issues on the Titanic, this book foreshadows disaster. Patrick Kelley, an Irish bellboy set to turn 14 on the ship, and Sarah Walsh, a young white passenger headed back to her family in Boston, are thrown together in an unlikely match, with little in common except their Irish backgrounds. Both Sarah and Patrick share a birthday, and it is through this connection and a lot of sneaking around on the ship that their friendship solidifies. While they are having their go of enjoying the finest that White Star Line’s Titanic can offer to lower-class cruisers, they discover that an iceberg has torn part of the ship and trouble is imminent. The plot is told in short chapters with nonfiction vignettes woven in. While reluctant readers enjoy the quick jumps throughout the week, more advanced readers may see this a trifle more childish that some of the survivalist fiction they are accustomed to reading. Also included are bibliography and a “Find Out More” section.