Sinking of the Titanic

Graphic Library: Graphic History

by Matt Doeden

For use in schools and libraries only. In graphic novel format, this book tells the story of the 1912 sinking of the "Titanic.

Genres: Graphic Novels, History, Nonfiction, Comics, Middle Grade

Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Matt Doeden was born in southern Minnesota and lived parts of his childhood in Golden Valley, Minnesota, and Madison, Minnesota. He studied journalism at Mankato State University, where he worked at the college newspaper for three years. In his senior year, he served as the paper's Sports Editor, which put him in charge of the entire sports section, the sports writers, and the photographers. He covered mostly college sports, but also the Minnesota Vikings, who held training camp at MSU.

His work allowed him to meet and interview people like Dennis Green, Cris Carter, Robert Smith, and more. Matt went on to work as a sports writer for the Mankato paper, and then he got a job as an editor with a small children's publisher called Capstone Press, and in 2003 he decided to start his own business as a freelance writer and editor.

Since then, Matt has written and edited hundreds of books. Lots of them are on high-interest topics like cars, sports, and airplanes. He also writes and edits on geography, science, and even math.

Reviews

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel is aimed at upper elementary students and does on excellent job of introducing them to the tragic sinking of the Titanic. Colorful illustrations and succinct captions explain the details of the ship and its inevitable loss after hitting the iceberg. The book includes a glossary, bibliography, and websites for those inclined to learn more. Part of a series of historical events, this book will appeal to both boys and girls.

[Kasey H · Rating 4 out of 5]

DATE: December 5, 2012

I just finished The Sinking of the Titanic by Matt Doeden. Matt Doeden makes information books sound very interesting. It’s very hard for that to happen when writing information books. He does a great job of describing all the details of how devastating it was. This was a graphic novel and so there were speech bubbles from people who were saying things during the event of the Titanic. He does a great job of making those words sound realistic- and just perfect, in my opinion. I know some of you have already head of the story of the Titanic, but it was a very devastating story of a ship that hit an iceberg, and sank. Some of people were not off the boat in time to save their lives so thousands of people died. Many families and friends were very sad. An event in my life where I was sad was when I didn’t get on a soccer team that I wanted to be on. I tried to get on the team just like the people tried to get off the boat. Not just like it, but it felt like it! I was devastated for days, and I bet those people were devastated for a way longer time! This book was very action-packed because there is no way the Titanic could have been a slow story. Things were happening so fast. The book was very fast-paced because, just how I explained it was action-packed, it was fast-paced. Overall, Matt Doeden was a very good writer, but the Titanic was a very sad story!

[ALLEN · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thirty-two page graphic novel relates, simply and efficiently, the 1912 sinking of the TITANIC. Amazon recommends it for the (American) third and fourth grades; for that group I'd give it five stars but for the rest of us, four.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars! It can’t have been easy taking such a complex and tragic topic and writing about it for children, but Matt Doeden has pulled it off admirably in this brief graphic novel. The language is simple and clear, but never condescending. In telling the story, Doeden shows a remarkable instinct for knowing which elements to include and which to omit. There were a lot of complicated factors that led to the disaster, but Doeden presents a clear (and very accurate) narrative, and he does so in only 27 pages. I am especially in awe of this book’s professional nature—this is one of the most balanced, objective, and non-misleading children’s history books I’ve seen. Doeden also shies away from the unprovable and the debunked. For example, there is debate about the last song performed by the band; Doeden shows the band playing as the ship sinks, but he does not specify any particular tune. Decisions such as this helped keep the book grounded in fact. Dialog that is quoted exactly appears in yellow speech bubbles, so that readers know what’s true and what’s been reconstructed. The illustrations are evocative and highly emotional, but never gruesome. Magnificently done!

[Dann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic Library presents The Sinking of the Titanic, and excellent junior graphic novel full of adventure. Telling the story of the Titanic’s maiden voyage, the book follows the passengers and crew as celebration turns to tragedy when the ship hits an iceberg and sinks into the sea. Author Matt Doeden does an impressive job at condensing and simplifying the story for young readers while also keeping it exciting. And, there’s a surprising attention to authenticity; going so far as to include direct quotes from the US and British inquests and actual letters and marconigrams from Titanic passengers. The artwork too is especially well-done and is very kinetic, with a strong use of color. Additionally, supplementary material such as Titanic trivia, a glossary of nautical terms, and further reading suggestions are included. Inspiring kids to learn, The Sinking of the Titanic is incredibly compelling.

[Elizabeth]

I chose this book from Park Middle School's list of Capstone non-fiction e-books. This book is a graphic novel take on the story of Titanic. It is great for readers from third through - sixth graders, so children 8 and up. The book is very appealing due to it's bold pictures on every page. The pictures are emphasized because it's a graphic novel, so there are less words that pictures. The book is fast-paced and full of information on the sinking of Titanic. It would keep the interest of most readers.

[SKP · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a retired children’s librarian & I know that part of the fascination that children have with the Titanic story is the adventure & being able to imagine what it was like to be there. This was not the best book on the Titanic for kids in my opinion —not at all. It just basically regurgitates the commonly known facts about the story and does it so quickly and in such an impersonal manner that there isn’t really a story. A much, much better graphic version of the Titanic story is I SURVIVED: THE SINKING OF TITANIC, 1912:THE GRAPHIC NOVEL by Lauren Tarshis, Art by Haus Studio. The art in that is much better too. It is a much longer book, but still reads fast and really helps the child to imagine what it was like to experience it.

[Adams Eagles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Orianah G.
10

Review:
Titanic is a really good book. In the book the newspaper said Titanic was practically an unsinkable ship and Titanic was the largest ship ever built. Some people on the dock were saying,Say hello to New York for us! Safe voyage!

The first thing that I like about the book is Titanic was the largest ship ever built.The second thing I like about the Titanic is the first-class passengers traveled in luxury.The third thing I like is that are on the dock the people waved good bye.

I would recommend it to 3rd-5th grade to read this book.because it might be interesting to 3rd grade and a good book review to 4th 5th grade.

[Stephen Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved Graphic Library’s books, and this one is gradation.

I highly recommend this series to both parents and educator’s to introducing reluctant readers to these high interest books. I have often used these graphic history and graphic biography books with students for many years with remarkable success. I’ve seen reluctant readers become either regular readers or avid readers as result of reading these books and pursing more information on their topics.

Graphic novels have saved a lot of students’ academic lives.

Thank you for the loan Oil City Library!

[Doctor Doom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely done retelling of this tragic event except they give credence to the old [pre-Ballard] theory of a big gash which according to Ballard [whom they also reference] would have sunk the Titanic even quicker. That just makes it a bit confusing.

[Bobby Adkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was set up like a comic. It became very hard to read at points. Whenever it was not confusing it was easy to read. It had a simple vocab, but also had some to challenge them. It was an okay book to help readers.

[Emma Schwarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good book because it stated how many people passed away and had pictures of how the ship sank so it was very graphic. I would recommend this to people who like pictures and information.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

I've read a graphic novel of the titanic and it was way better than this one I recommend the other one if you want more from the book and it was kind of short but not comparing it to the other book it's still a good book

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

As part of the reading challenge on Kindle I had to read one book that was a graphic novel, this was my choice.

I think this book was really well written. I do have one question after reading the book, why didn't the ship have enough life boats!?

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great way to get students interested in non-fiction books! Great pictures and facts.

[CaseyKS. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book on facts about the Titanic.

[Suhasa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand it's a short book but I feel some keep bits were left out. There are better Titanic books.

[Elizabeth Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A graphic story for young readers to learn more about the Titanic. The images are good and do capture the tragedy of that night.

[Citri · Rating 2 out of 5]

While interesting to see in comic form, I'm not sure how historically accurate some of the fashions and information included were. It hits the main points okay enough though for a juvenile read.

[Amie Floersheim]

• Summarize the book
This is a graphic novel about the sinking of the Titanic. It tells the story of the passengers as they boarded and started to set sail on what seemed like to them, an amazing beautiful ship. There are thought and speech bubbles that show the character’s thoughts as they enjoy the ship. It also helps the readers sense the terror as it hits the iceberg and the words get bigger signifying the loud screech that it must have made. There is a lot of information in the text such as the fact that there was over 2200 passengers and how the boat went down because it broke in half as one end was sinking. It also shows the fear and sadness of the people who were not able to get on a life boat and either drowned or had to jump into the water to try to survive. It also showed how the Carpathia came and picked up the passengers who survived.
• Identify the characteristics from the text that support the specific genre (What makes it traditional literature? What makes it historical fiction?)
This is a graphic novel because the story is written by a series of illustrations. The illustrations have bubbles that show what the characters say or think. Some of the pages only have one picture while others have a series of pictures separated into boxes to show the sequence of events.
• Identify specific literary or educational concepts that could be integrated into the classroom. (eg. This book is a good text to use when teaching how to make inferences, or This books deals with bullying and would be useful when beginning a discussion about bullying in the classroom.)
This book would be great to have when learning about the Titanic because it could introduce this genre to readers who maybe haven’t shown interest in graphic novels before. It could also be a way for students who really enjoy graphic novels to learn about the Titanic.
• Provide any other suggestions that would be useful regarding literary content, reading level, and other ways in which the book might be integrated.
This graphic novel could also be used when teaching about dialogue and using language to help with character development in a story.

[Leslie Medrano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Graphic novel- nonfiction
Format: Children's Comic Book
Award: None

Summary: This comic book is a true story of the Titanic tragic voyage. First it begins by explaining, the different people who were on the ship. Then it explains how the collision happened. The Titanic was going too fast, that it was hard for them to steer the boat away from the iceberg. The Captain gives orders to get as many people off the ship onto the life boats. Many families were separated because they were only allowing women and children onto the life boats. At 2:17 the Titanic split in half. About two hours after, the Carpathia reached the scene. They helped the survivors on board and try to comfort them as best as they could. When they arrived in New York City, thousands of people were waiting to search for their friends or family members. Unfortunately, many people learned the worst that day.

Critique: I like this book and will definitely use it in my classroom. I have a student now that really enjoys reading comic books. If a teacher can find a format in which the student will enjoy, they should definitely use it. The student will be more interested about reading about a time in history through a comic book.

Teaching prompt: After reading the book, the teacher can refer to page 9 and ask the students "do you think the operator could have avoided the sinking of the Titanic, if he would have just rushed to get that message to the Captain?"

Craft element: After reading the book, the students can write about how they might have felt if they were waiting in New York City for their family or friend and learned that their loved one was not on the ship.

[David Benjamin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary: The Sinking of the Titanic is about the great disaster of the Titanic, just in graphic novel form. It doesn't go to in depth, but provides full colored illustrations and a new perspective on it.

Analysis: Within the graphic novel, the illustrations are fully colored and very detailed. Some of the pictures are full page and others are 1/3 to a 1/4 of a page. The speech bubbles are rounded for humans that speak face and face, square for telling change in time, and the lightening pattern for radios. All the text are within the portraits, and nothing breaks out into the gutter. The fully colored picture allows to show a new perspective on it. I did like how they imagined the band on the titanic staying to play, I found that a little bit funny. There are not many gutters, so the pictures tell most of the time changes.

[Reggie Overton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A unique approach to re tell the story of the Titanic that many of us know and sustain curiosity for more and more. This is a graphic novel ie comic book take on an event that overseas an array of characters and personalities that make up the events of the night no one will forget. We are immediately thrown into the action and not given much of a history lesson on the ship itself but instead the reader is immediately put into a setting that involves fear, bravery, courage, and the will of survival. Amongst human error and an over estimation of sheer technological abilities the characters must develop new strategies to save as many lives as possible aboard a doomed ship. The book is hardcover and the illustrations are simple yet colorful in a classic comic pin print style.

[Katerina · Rating 5 out of 5]

They made an un sinkable ship called the Titanic.It held 2,200passengers and crew, they were going to New York. all the passengers loved the boat they were all dancing on the boat in the ballroom. The radio Operator person got a message "JUst passed three large icebergs... heavy ice...
It was to late "screeeeeeech!" ,They have sunk .THe boat crew told them is to get into life boats fast!
Panic through out the boat babys crying mothers yelling for there children, right then...... CRAACK!
the ship had cracked in half the botom part sunk down quickly . the caption sunk with his ship like they do.
Some of them were saved but more than 1,500people diede.

[Thomas Rewi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This an interesting book about the mighty Titanic sinking. The novel includes story's about the 2,200 passengers and crew aboard the vessel as it sank. Also other story's about how Frederick Fleet not having binoculars to spot the iceberg, and when he did, it was too late. If the iceberg was seen earlier it would have saved the ship and all the people that died on the voyage. Also about other ships seeing the distress signals and playing them off. It's an interesting book which would be 3/5 stars.

[babyhippoface · Rating 2 out of 5]

The tragic story of the Titanic is told in brief graphic novel format for young readers. Illustrations are lackluster, but the comic book look will draw readers in and keep them turning pages. Two pages of more information, along with a glossary, table of contents, bibliography, index, and lists for further reading and research on this high-interest topic are given to encourage students to dig further in the the ship’s history.

[Robert B. Miller]

Read by Laurie, Spring 2008

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book i didnt expect to like but it was pretty good. I saw the movie and thought it would be kind of cool to learn about. It would be so scary to be in the ship when it was sinking!!

[Stefani🍁 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó como contaron la historia (es una novela de 32 páginas) I mean no es mucho pero contaron la historia muy bien y hay datos que desconocía