The most terrifying events in history are brought vividly to life in this new fictional series! In book 1, ten-year-old George is trapped on the Titanic — how will he survive?
Ten-year-old George Calder can’t believe his luck — he and his little sister, Phoebe, are on the famous Titanic, crossing the ocean with their Aunt Daisy. The ship is full of exciting places to explore, but when George ventures into the first class storage cabin, a terrible boom shakes the entire boat. Suddenly, water is everywhere, and George’s life changes forever.
Lauren Tarshis brings history’s most exciting and terrifying events to life in this new fictional series. Readers will be transported by stories of amazing kids and how they survived!
Over the past few years, I have made an effort to find books that I could share with my son. I have also been recently acquiring new books to use in my future classroom. These efforts have led to me discovering the I Survived series. I was drawn to the series because I have always been a fan of historical events and as a future educator, I’m sadden to find that most children do not share this interest in the past.
During the summer, my son and I read this book as part of a project for one of my graduate classes. Although my son is extremely intelligent, he struggles with reading comprehension. Especially when it comes to non-fiction pieces. This book explores the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic and the tragedy that befell its passengers on the early morning of April 15, 1912. I chose this book specifically because my son had recently watched the movie Titanic and because it was a historical fiction. It allowed me to use a type of literature that was more interesting for my young son, while opening up the opportunity for us to explore more of the true tragedy and legend of Titanic.
The story itself is well paced and I found it to be enjoyable. It reminded me of a book I had read in elementary school and I thought the author did a great job drawing in young readers. It allowed my son to become emotionally invested in George, his family, and new friends’ safety and I found him to worry as the ship begins to sink, if they would all survive.
This is book one of the I Survived series and I look forward to reading more of them. While it would be great to have true survivor accounts of these kinds of historical events, nonfiction is not always easy for young children and I think that historical fiction helps to bridge that gap for some.
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