Iceberg, Right Ahead!

The Tragedy of the Titanic

  • Interest Level: Grade 6 - Grade 12
  • Reading Level: Grade 8

“Iceberg, Right Ahead!” Only 160 minutes passed between the time a sailor on lookout duty uttered these chilling words and the moment when the mighty ocean liner Titanic totally disappeared into the cold, dark waters of the North Atlantic. This century-old tragedy, which took more than 1,500 lives, still captivates people in the twenty-first century.

Seventy-three years separate the two major Titanic events—the 1912 sinking of the vessel and the dramatic 1985 discovery of the wreck by Robert Ballard. But additional stories about the victims, survivors, rescuers, reporters, investigators, and many others show the far-reaching effects this tragedy had on society. Award-winning author Stephanie Sammartino McPherson has collected numerous personal accounts of the event, including the knighted man who spent the rest of his life in seclusion because he was accused of dishonorable behavior in a lifeboat, the stewardess who survived two shipwrecks and a mid-ocean collision, and the New York Times executive who sent multiple reporters to meet the rescue ship, thus earning a national reputation for his newspaper. She also links the Titanic tragedy to changes in regulations worldwide. After a Senate Inquiry and a British trial attempted to assign blame for the disaster, new laws on ship safety were put in place. A group of nations also banded together to form an ice patrol, eventually leading to the formation of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Even the most avid Titanic fans will learn something new as McPherson brings the reader up to date on the politics and intrigue still surrounding the wreck—including what modern science can reveal about what really happened to the ship and who was at fault. Prepare to follow the never-ending story of the Titanic into its second century.

Format Your Price Add
978-1-5124-5295-2
$37.99
978-1-4677-5932-8
$39.99
978-1-5124-4241-0
$19.99
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Interest Level Grade 6 - Grade 12
Reading Level Grade 8
Genre Social Studies, Young Adult
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Twenty-First Century Books ™
Language English
Publication Date 2015-08-01
Reading Counts! Level 8.6
Text Type Informational/Explanatory
BISACS YAN025220, YAN050060, YAN056020
Dewey 910.9163'4
Graphics 1-color illustrations
Lexile 1070
ATOS Reading Level 8.1
Accelerated Reader® Quiz 145216
Accelerated Reader® Points 5.0
Features Awards, Bibliography/further reading, Glossary, Index, Maps, Reviewed, Sidebars, Source notes, Starred Reviews, Table of contents, Teaching Guides, Timeline, and eSource

Author: Stephanie Sammartino McPherson

Stephanie Sammartino McPherson wrote her first children’s story in college. She enjoyed the process so much that she’s never stopped writing. A former teacher and freelance newspaper writer, she has written more than thirty books and numerous magazine stories. Her recent books include Hothouse Earth: The Climate Crisis and the Importance of Carbon Neutrality, winner of the Green Earth Book Award for young adult nonfiction, and Breakthrough: Katalin Karikó and the mRNA Vaccine. Stephanie and her husband, Richard, live in Virginia.

Lerner eSource™ offers free digital teaching and learning resources, including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) teaching guides. These guides, created by classroom teachers, offer short lessons and writing exercises that give students specific instruction and practice using Common Core skills and strategies. Lerner eSource also provides additional resources including online activities, downloadable/printable graphic organizers, and additional educational materials that would also support Common Core instruction. Download, share, pin, print, and save as many of these free resources as you like!

Iceberg, Right Ahead!

“Iceberg, Right Ahead!” Only 160 minutes passed between the time a sailor on lookout duty uttered these chilling words and the moment when the mighty ocean liner Titanic totally disappeared into the cold, dark waters of the North Atlantic. This century-old… View available downloads →

Awards

  • SSLI Book Award Honor Book, Commended, 2013
  • ALA Notable Children's Books, Winner, 2012
  • VOYA Nonfiction Honor List, Winner, 2012

Reviews

Library Media Connection

“Although the book is not lengthy, its riveting format will draw its audience in and will certainly encourage further investigation.” —Library Media Connection

Booklist

“This handsome, clearly written book is a solid resource for the learning about the Titanic 100 years later.” —Booklist

VOYA

“The tension surrounding the Titanic’s demise captures readers from page one of the introduction in this new release, which coincides with the one-hundredth anniversary of the sinking of the ship in April 2012…. This is a worthwhile addition to your maritime collection.” —VOYA

School Library Journal

“A comprehensive, well-written, thoroughly researched title.” —starred, School Library Journal

Kirkus Reviews

“An attractive, solid entry on a disaster that continues to fascinate.” —Kirkus Reviews