jenbsbooks's Reviews (2.41k)

I listened to the audio of this book/original publication. As far as the story, I thought it was a really great way to get across many of the facts and information in a story setting. Short, lots of action, not a ton of backstory (which seems to happen in many of the Titanic tales). I always try to get the Kindle copy of any of my audiobooks, to re-read portions, check for any extras that didn't make it into the audio (author's notes, illustrations, discussion questions, etc). The regular book had some illustrations - I also checked out the Special Edition, which was chock full of bonus material (almost as many extras as text in the original book). I saw there was a graphic novel version ... so I checked it out too.

Because the book is so short, it translated quite well to the graphic novel format - I didn't go page by page but didn't feel that anything was left out. The pictures really brought some of the story to life more than just reading/listening to the words. It would have been interesting for me to have read this FIRST, to see if I was as able to follow the story (it's easy after the fact, having listened to the audiobook and skimmed the Kindle copy). I would give this a thumbs up to any reluctant reader who didn't quite feel up to the original version. 

I've read a couple others in the "I Survived ..." series. When I picked up this one, I didn't realize this had been the first one! Of the ones I've read (Mt.St.Helens, and The Children's Blizzard) this was my favorite. Staying on topic, not a ton of miscellaneous backstory (as I found in the other two).  Rating based on my adult perception of it for middle grade.

I'd read a couple other Titanic books aimed at younger audiences (#middlegradeMay) and this would be the simplest. Very short. Starts right at the iceberg, then goes back 19 hours (and a flashback or two of time before) but most of the action is on the ship, during/after the collision. Despite the whole 'sinking' ... it didn't feel too overwhelming to me (thinking of reading it to/recommending it for younger readers). 

In all I've read - the ship designer, Thomas Andrews, comes off well (despite his ship not being unsinkable as thought). In this and Gordon Korman's books, he's portrayed as very affable, willing to talk to children ... I wonder if that is based on real life/research.  Ismay  (White Star director)  gets some looks in [book:Iceberg|60758287]  ... not very positive, as he got on a lifeboat, didn't look back. In [book:Unsinkable|9473340], he and the captain make the decision not to go back for binoculars (I haven't finished that series to see how else his part of the story is told in that one) and being in a hurry. Ismay is not in the story here, but in the special edition (print/Kindle) with extras, his photo is there with the caption "Passenger J. Bruce Ismay was the managing director of the White Star Line, which owned Titanic. He was criticized-unfairly-for escaping in a lifeboat." I do wonder at the "unfairly" tone ... as if it was women and children given the space in the lifeboats, and the captain and designer and all the other men stayed and went down with the ship, why should he not be judged negatively? 

The special edition (and one reason I like to check out the various formats) had a TON of extra information/illustrations and photos. Mostly information I've heard before, but always interesting to read again (even as an adult, not overly elementary).  Very worth checking out if this story/topic is of interest to a reader. The physical book I have is an original publication - some illustrations to add visual interest. I think I'll go ahead and put my original book in my LFL, and I'll buy the special edition for my personal library shelves. 

In audio - narrator was female. I might have expected male, as the MC was a boy, but it was 3rd person, so, it was fine.  Audio didn't include the bonus content, just the Author's Notes from the original publication (still some good info there, just the Special Edition Bonus content has SO much more). 

I've been buying books at thrift stores for my LittleFreeLibrary (#182597) and I found this series ... should I buy just the first book, or all three? I did the former, SHOULD have done the latter. This isn't a series where you can just read one book (although that IS likely what I will do ... unsinkable will stay unresolved for me). 

I quite liked the story/set-up ... all third person/past tense, it starts off a bit jumpy as the POV shifts from Paddy&Daniel, to Alfie, to Sophie, then Julia. The boys get quite a bit more of the "screen time" over the girls. There's an occasional shift of POV to others (the captain, once or twice) but it mainly stays with the four tweens. 

Like most Titanic tales, we get a little bit of the design of the ship, why it's unsinkable (the different sections that can be closed off, so even if something did happen, it could be contained). Young Daniel gets an idea (a long slash across the entire side) and wants to share it with the ship designer, alas ... (not that it would have made any difference methinks). 

All the characters are dealing with their own problems - nothing to do with possible "sinkage" ... other than Daniel's preoccupation at the very beginning, it really doesn't come up. Lifeboats are mentioned, barely. The lack of binoculars (which my last read, [book:Iceberg|60758287] had as part of its focus). The mention of the Marconi room. Some descriptions of the ship, levels, people.

#middlegradeMay, I figured I'd give this a read before putting it out in the library. My second Titanic story this month. My second Gordon Korman this month. Despite being aimed at a younger audience, this actually kept my attention ... so much so that I wonder if it might be a little advanced for some 10-11 year olds, even though that is the target audience? 

My library had this in Kindle, but I could only find audio on Audible (although not marked as an AudibleExclusive. Male narrator). I just can't justify spending a credit on 3+ hours. Maybe watch for cash sales and if there was a good enough deal? I really wish the audio was available via the library. 

I'm not sure why this didn't work for me ... if I just wasn't in the mood (this was right smack in the middle of my #middlegradeMay, so I'd been reading a lot of "younger" books. It fit!). I'm not even sure if I would have loved this in my younger years. I can't put a finger on what it was I didn't like ...

Very simple, conversational, 1st person/past tense ... main character POV of Ella. It was "fairy tale" but the wording seemed completely contemporary, so that was a little at odds (just my opinion). Overall, it just seemed too silly for me I guess.  Elves, giants, fairies, gnomes, ogres. 

Lots of "extras" which I usually love ... but they also didn't hold my interest here (an intro, deleted scenes and closer looks, a list of the gnomic languages and a glossary.

I had this in three formats, having picked up the physical book at some point, and borrowing the audio and Kindle copy from the library. I went primarily with the audio. Annoying music at the start of most chapters.   When a song was sung by one of the characters ... it was not sung by the narrator, but spoken (I realize it wasn't a 'real' song, but I would have preferred a made up tune. It just breaks me out of the story when it says they are singing, and they are speaking instead). 

Words I note: swathed

I really liked this! There was something so flowy with the writing (one reviewer said "lyrical prose" and yes, that fits). A bit of magic, discussions of knowledge and books and life. A while back someone had posted in one of my book groups wanting something with a "Newsies" feel, and I had to search out the post and mention this, because it was here ... the chimney sweeps coming together, "strike" wasn't said, but the feel was there.

I can't remember how this one popped up on my radar ... the audio is AudibleExclusive, and I'd gone ahead and purchased it at some point. The ebook(Kindle) was available from the library. It was already on my list when I found a physical copy. The physical book had discussion questions, in addition to "Story Soup" (additional info) and Historical Notes. Also in the physical book, I noticed a dark page midway, it was where the book had been divided into two parts ... 
1:Innocence  
2:Experience  
I don't know that I had caught that during my listen (I went primarily with the audiobook) or quick glance at the Table of Contents, but wow, that hit me, as that dichotomy is addressed in the book (about an author/books). Love that tie-in!  There were many chapters in each part ... I'm not sure how many as I haven't manually counted them, and they weren't listed numerically (I DO like a basic/numerical chapter listing, it just helps me stay organized, know where I am and find my place easier between formats). Here, there were the two parts, and then chapter headers (Voices in the Dark, The Sweep's Gift, First Climb, Stuck, The Devil's Nudge, Story Soup ...)  Most of the chapters continued chronologically, but there were "memory" chapters, of the girl (Nan) and the Sweep, from "before" ... in text, these chapters were in Italics, which helped set them apart. 

I stopped a few times to make notes/highlights. Quite a few QUOTES saved on Goodreads. The discussion questions were good, made me think. I appreciated the additional information in the author's notes.  

Something I track, is if a song is "sung" by a character ... is it sung by the narrator in the audiobook? Many do a "patter-speak" instead of singing and I can understand the issues (if the narrator isn't comfortable with their singing voice, if the song isn't real - no actual melody, copyright issues?) ...here, there were a few songs, and they were sung, and I was grateful for that! It kept me in the book, added to the ambience and experience. 

Other words I note: dais, obsolescence, bespoke

The physical book is lovely - love the cover and the dark pages (not all of them, just a few/title pages). While most books I buy at thrift stores are meant for the LittleFreeLibrary, I end up hanging on  to some favorites. Methinks I might have to hang on  to this one ...

I liked this, and ... it did feel young. The MC is 12-year old Ben. 3rd person/past tense.  It was a bit too predictable for me (the Jack storyline, stuff with Scout), with things just happening a little too conveniently at times. But I could see this being a hit with the younger audiences ... animals, action, and our young MC and his dog(s) saving the day. 

I had this in all three formats ... I'd picked up a physical copy at a thrift store (for the Little Free Library) and figured I'd review it myself first, #middlegradeMay and all that. I was able to borrow the audiobook and Kindle copy from the library. 

I read this for the first time AGES ago ... I was a book loving teen, and my mom was volunteering at the elementary school as "The Library Lady" for my younger brother. She'd go in, read a bit from a book to hopefully get the kids interested and excited enough to finish it themselves.  She would get a huge stack of books and have me read them all, and tell her which were my favorites.

This one was a favorite. Years later as I was married and in my own home, I found the book at a library sale. During my #middlegradeMay2025 I figured I should give it a re-read. While it is an older book, I was surprised it wasn't at any of my libraries, not in any format. Looking online, there isn't a Kindle or ebook edition at all. There is audio, but I can't justify spending a credit for a kid's book that's just over two hours. It was only $5 cash price ... but I happened to check Spotify (we get 15 hours of audiobook with the monthly plan) and it was there. So, I listened. 

The audio was great, very animated with fun voices ... one being Madison, the parrot. It takes place in England, so British accents. 3rd person/past tense. 15 chapters. Even though it's been 30+ years since I read this, I had a vague memory of events. It lived up to my memory. Very cute and imaginative book. One I'd recommend. The paperback is available to buy new. There are some cute illustrations in the print copy.

Heads up TRIGGER ... the dog dies. It hits very early on (second chapter) and it hits HARD. 

There are additional triggers, things people may not feel comfortable with (and why this book has been on the banned lists). Masturbation/boners/looking at pornography is talked/joked about. There's drinking, and consequences of alcohol.  The words "retarded" and "nigger" and one instance of proFanity. 

Lots  of thoughts on this one ... and ultimately, I think that's a good thing? It means I'll remember it. I'll likely hang on  to my copy for my personal library. Will I recommend it to others? Probably? It was engaging and kept my interest. Lots of notes/highlights, topics for discussion. LOTS of extras. 

YA - the main character is 14 years old, an American Indian on a reservation. He's got some health issues, poverty problems. After reading several middle-grade books where parental abandonment was central to the story, I was glad here at least the parents were still in the picture, not perfect (drinking, poverty) but there, loving and supportive. Junior states "my mother and father are the twin suns around which I orbit and my world would EXPLODE without them."

1st person/past tense - very conversational ... despite the title, this doesn't read like a journal, but more like a conversation to the reader. Lots of humor, quite a few pictures too. The MC likes to draw comics, so they are included in the book and feel like a very natural addition. 

I went with the audiobook ... read by the author, which was perfect. The slight accent, the emotion at times, felt more real that I think I've ever heard with an audiobook narrator. But as mentioned above ... there are pictures, which DO add a lot. I've gotten into the habit of putting both the audiobook and ebook on hold (plus in this case, I had a physical copy as well) as I like to have the text for reference, to SEE it, re-read portions, check if there are extras (like pictures or discussion questions,  etc) that weren't included in audio. It was interesting, because there was a PDF included with the audio (although I'm never quite sure how to access this) and the audio referenced it (a line added "so if you want to see my picture, be sure to check out the PDF ...") 

I was a little caught off guard ... not so much by how it ended, but that it ended when it did. Looking at my audiobook, there were almost two hours left! SO MANY EXTRAS! I like bonus content.  Maybe only in the 10th Anniversary edition? There's "A Note From Sherman Alexie" in which he talks a lot about the inspiration for one of the characters.  In the Kindle copy, there are some personal photos.  There's additional "chapters" from Rowdy's POV. There's an alternate first chapter.  There's a little from an Educator/English teacher with insight. There's fan artwork (Kindle copy), there's an author interview, there's an interview with the illustrator (this was in the physical copy too, but was one of the only extras other than discussion questions).  There were discussion questions, which I always appreciate. I thought this set of questions was especially profound, really made me stop and think about things I might not have otherwise. 

30 chapters ... which I had to count manually, as they were NOT labeled numerically/chronologically, but by descriptive headers (I love headers, but I must admit I like having numbered chapters, just for ease of knowing where I am and switching between formats more easily). After finishing the book ... I love to look back over the headers, and see what memories nudge from those few words. Per usual, the physical book doesn't even have a TOC.

Annoying music to start on audio (I've found this to be the case with most middle-grade/YA books, as I'm doing a #middlegradeMay ... and I guess I should have pushed this as it's NOT labeled MiddleGrade by most) and the narration was slow, I had to speed it up. 

I loved this author's "The Giver" quartet, and have read a ton of WW2 historical fiction ... so why have I never read this one? I was out of high school when this came out. With a girl front and center, and my boys already being reluctant readers, it wasn't one that I read to see about recommending to them. It ended up in my personal library at some point, I'll admit to being influenced by the Newbery award medallion. Finally, during this #middlegradeMay challenge, I really made a push to read any unread middle grade books on my bookshelf. 4.5 stars, based a bit more on how I think I would have rated it if I'd read it in my younger years, although still 4* from my adult perspective. 

This was a pretty straight-forward story, appropriate for the age group yet still enough there for older audiences. 3rd person/past tense. MC is 10-year old Annemarie. Not a true story, but the author's notes at the end indicate she was inspired by a friend's stories of living through the German occupation.

It's always interesting to get the different effects of the war, as it affected SO many people in different countries. Similar in some ways, but always something unique, something new to learn. Here, much of the focus was on Denmark, and the smuggling out of the jews, a new way to trick the nose of the dogs. 

While I had the physical book, I borrowed the audiobook and Kindle copy from the library. I went primarily with the audio. It was a quick read, short. If this were for school or book club, I'm sure I would have delved a little deeper. I would have loved to have some discussion questions included. I'm sure I could Google and find some. 

17 chapters with descriptive headers ... I love to look back over the Table of Contents and get that little reminder nudge of what was in each chapter. Sadly, the audiobook TOC didn't include the headers, but YEAH, the physical book actually provided a TOC, w/headers! Very rare!  I liked that the Kindle copy included an introduction from the author. 

I've had this book on my book shelf for ages. I honestly don't remember where or why I picked it up. It's one I can't recall being talked about much, despite the Newberry Award (2002). I am fairly certain that little gold medallion is what kept the book in my library. If it won an award, it should be good, right?  But a story about an orphan boy (named Tree-ear?) in a twelfth-century Korean village who wants to learn to make pottery? The cover/title didn't really to me either.

But ... #middlegradeMay, I figured I should make more of an effort to get to the books right there on my shelf (although of course I still grabbed the audiobook and Kindle copy from the library, each format has its advantages). Just shy of 150 pages (although there were extras), it was a quick read (listen ... I went primarily with the audiobook). 

I was pulled into the story more than I thought I would ... there were little moments of wisdom, things that could be discussed (I'm often in "book club" or even "school" mode). I was almost distraught

when the robbers came, seriously, it made me SO sad! And so sad again when he returned and Crane Man had passed away

and I always appreciate a good title tie-in (it's almost a spoiler ... as is the blurb). 

The Kindle copy had the author's Newbery Acceptance Speech, which was a fun extra, and not something I would have thought to look up on my own. I was glad to have that included, lots of good information there. Also, the Author'sNote was very informative. Just one reason why I like to have all formats of the book, as some include things the others don't. The audiobook didn't have the extras. The physical book didn't have the speech, but had the Author's Note and an additional Q&A.  

So ... I figured I'd move this into my Little Free Library if it wasn't anything special.
I think I'll hang on to it ...