Titanic Young Survivors

Ten True Tales

by Allan Zullo

Seventeen-year-old Jack Thayer looks over the side of the sinking Titanic and stares into the frigid sea. There are no lifeboats left. He knows he has to jump, but can he?

Fifteen-year-old Edith Brown and her mother climb into Lifeboat 14. Edith begs her father to join them. Why won't he?

Eleven-year-old Billy Carter kneels down on the slanting deck of the Titanic and hugs his beloved dog--a tan and black Airedale. Can Billy save himself and his pet?

These and other young people came from many walks of life. Now, on the night of April 14, 1912, they all face a life-or-death crisis aboard the Titanic. When the unthinkable occurs, can they survive?

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Middle Grade, Short Stories, School, Historical, Survival

181 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Allan Zullo is an American non-fiction writer. He is the author or co-author of more than eighty paperbacks for adults and children.

A native of Rockford, Illinois, Zullo graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1969 with a degree in journalism. His books include The Baseball Hall of Shame and Baseball Confidential (both co-written with Bruce Nash), A Boomer's Guide to Grandparenting (co-written with his wife Kathryn), and the Haunted Kids series. Zullo has also written articles for The National Enquirer, The Christian Science Monitor, Ladies Home Journal, and The Palm Beach Post. His syndicated comic strip "The Ghost Story Club" ran in American newspapers from 1995 to 1998.

Zullo currently lives in Fairview, North Carolina.

Reviews

[Katja Labonté · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in honour of the 111th anniversary of the Titanic. It’s a very interesting collection of the stories of

Edith Brown (15, South African, second class);
Jack Thayer (17, American, first class);
Eva Hart (7, English, second class);
Jack Ryerson (13, American, first class);
Ruth Becker (12, American, second class);
Willie Coutts (9, English, third class);
Bertha Watt (12, Scottish, second class);
Billy Carter (11, American, first class);
Madge Collyer (8, English, second class);
and John Collins (17, Irish, crew).

These stories all cover the backstory of the children, some of their life on board the Titanic, and their experience of the sinking, ending with a short afterwards. The stories all open at different parts of the Titanic experience—the first few during the trip, then during the opening moments of the drama, then the middle of the panic, and finally the last few minutes—so that you get a sort of panoramic view of the tragedy even in these close-ups of the victims.

I have to admit a lot of the stories blurred together for me because so many of the kids had similar names, families, and events; but each story was interesting and poignant in its own right, and several of them I had never heard before. I believe this is a beautiful, heartfelt tribute to the 110 children that perished in this tragedy.

A Striking Quote: “There were 195 unmarried passengers between the ages of 10 weeks and 17 years old. Only 86—less than half—lived. Of the 13 in first class, 11 survived; of 34 in second class, 30 survived; of 134 in third class, only 44 survived. The youngest victim was four months old. Entire families perished. Among them: John and Annie Sage and their nine children, ranging in age from five to twenty, who had left their home in England looking for a fresh start in Jacksonville, Florida; Margaret Rice and her five children, ages two to ten, who were returning to Spokane, Washington; and Swedish farmers Anders and Alfrida Andersson and their five children, ages two to eleven, who were on their way to Canada.”

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

No big surprise...the ship sinks. And no matter how many times I see the movie or read about it, it makes me sad and teary. To read about true tales of children and their incredible loss is so moving. Some of the stories have a large amount of detail and others feel like filler for the book. Given the time period of this disaster, it's not surprising very little was documented. One common theme among most of the survivors was that they didn't want to talk about it which is so different from today's victims that sell their story to the highest bidder. Overall this is a good book for someone looking for humanizing details of this awful tragedy in history.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written for a middle-grade audience, but history buffs, do not allow yourselves to miss out on this one! The author focuses on the stories of ten children who survived the sinking of the Titanic. They were from all classes and many different countries. Some were the offspring of millionaires; others immigrating with parents determined to make a better life for them, or were working on the ship to gain passage. On the night of April 14, 1912, they were all just frightened children, wanting desperately to stay with their parents, friends, and even their pets, in the midst of total chaos...
A wonderful, meticulously researched book. I defy any readers of Titanic history not to learn at least one thing they had not known before reading this!

[Pearl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting point of view of life and death on the Titanic. It’s so sad reading about these people’s sufferings when all they were hoping for was to achieve their dreams. I loved that for each chapter there was an update on how the survivors continued their lives.

[Jacques · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

[Cabiria Aquarius · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sad. I hate to know what and how many was lost. But well written....

The lives of so many were lost. It makes me mad that lifeboats not even half full would be launched. I understand that you need to fill as much as possible and let them go so they can survive but seriously help fill it more. Let men on. Like ugh and even if she may be ‘unsinkable’ have enough lifeboats just in case.

It’s so sad. 😞

[Savanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like reading books about the titanic

[Charly]

Charlene Rose
20/2/15
Titanic Young Survivors: Book Review

When the unthinkable occurs, can they survive? These young people came from many different lives, now on the night of April 14th 1912, they all face a life or death crisis. Join Allan Zullo and these young survivors aboard the Titanic as they tell the tales they will never forget in the Titanic Young Survivors. This book is a collection of different tales of young survivors put together by Allan Zullo. The Great “Unsinkable” carried 2,208 passengers and crewmen, sadly only 86 children under the age of 17 and over the age of 10 weeks survived, which is less than half. In total 712 adults and children survived which is less than half of the people who boarded the Titanic. Many people (from third and second class) came aboard the Titanic for a new hope in a new country, first class passengers were going back home after a long vacation.

In this book the author uses foreshadowing and flashbacks to make the story more interesting. For example Edith says, “…but Father admitted to me later that something bad is going to happen”(13). This is an example of how the author used foreshadowing. Edith remembered some time back “…a woman said she has never felt this tense before” this is an example of flashbacks. These crafts made the book more interesting and enjoyable.

Overall I think the book was amazing; it took me on a fantastic journey I will never forget. The things I like about this book are the questioning chapter titles. For example, “Is the Titanic doomed?”(12). It was also interesting how people struggled not to die. An example is “…the boy climbed onto the railing and, with a cry, leaped into the craft… Please sir, the young man pleaded… I don’t want to die”(14). I would defiantly recommend this book to all readers, I hope you read the book and enjoy it.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although anyone familiar with the story of the unsinkable ship that struck an iceberg and sank in 1912 knows how the ship's story turned out, there is much more to the story than that. These ten brief accounts of young survivors put human faces to the tragedy, surely drawing readers into the book as they wonder how each of them will manage to survive. In some cases, it was through courage, but in other cases, simply through luck in being in the right place at the right time. All of these young survivors' stories are slightly different, but as they return to safety and try to resume their normal lives, it is often clear just how much of an impact the disaster had on their lives. Some bounce back and move on, but others never really recover from the loss of loved ones who they were forced to leave behind. I was particularly touched by the story of Billy Carter, an eleven-year-old boy who tried valiantly to save his dog as the lifeboats were being lowered into the sea. The author describes the desperation and courage that filled the hearts of these youngster so vividly that readers cannot help but be moved. The book certainly makes someone think twice about heading off on a cruise ship without checking out the number of lifeboats and lifejackets.

[Tabitha Juarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a good book. It was very informational. It talked about true stories of young titanic survivors. It was entertaining and informational. I recommend this book to people who like informational books.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart wrenching but interesting. This is a ya novel but would be worth the read for any adult.

[Kevin Cano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting book it shows you how people died or survived the Titanic.

[Esther LeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was both traumatizing, and amazing to read about several accounts from children my own age.

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ten accounts of the Titanic disaster from ten children who managed to survive.

I, like many people, am fascinated by the Titanic tragedy that happened in April 1912. I've read many books on the topic. I'm an easy audience. I think kids who already have some knowledge of what happened and are hungry for more, will find this book interesting. However, I don't think this is the best first book for kids who don't already have a foundation of knowledge. It's more about the people than it is about the Titanic itself. Although the first account provides details about the four days leading up to the collision, the others mostly describe what happens after the collision. Finding out about the iceberg. Getting to a lifeboat. Enduring hours of cold as they awaited rescue. With the exception of one third and two second class youth, the rest are stories of first class children. Most are similar, causing the momentum to slow half way through the book.

The saddest element in the entire book relates to the fathers. Most of the children with a father on board, had to wave goodbye as they were quickly shuffled into lifeboats. All of them were sure their fathers made it into a different lifeboat. Once rescued, they had to face the grim reality that their fathers had perished in the water.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book was really interesting and I loved the idea that the focus was on the children that were on board. Everyone knows the story of the Titanic in that she hit an iceberg on her maiden voyage and most people familiar with the subject know that there were some very rich and famous at the time people on board too.

What tends to be missed in a lot of the books are the children that were on board the ship, from first class to third class there were a lot of children that lost a loved one that fateful night and this books gives them a voice to tell their tale.

The book is a fairly short read with it being aimed at children but I will admit reading it as an adult too I thoroughly enjoyed the way that the author has written the book and the insight given.

It is 4 stars from me of this one, a really interesting book, it was great to be able to dip in and out as needed a must for any Titanic fans too to give the different view and perspective of that night that changed the history of so many – highly recommended!

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy learning more about the Titanic, and the stories in this book, told in the perspective of young survivors, was very enjoyable. Even though I read about what the survivors went through in the water over and over again, I still can't imagine the terror these people experienced- and the kids featured in this book were so brave. The best part, however, was the afterword of each story that told about the children as they grew, raised families and moved on from this tragedy. This would be a great middle grade read, or a read aloud as a part of a discussion of the Titanic.

[Chulandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good look into not only what happened to the young people on the titanic but also their families and what they were facing in life before the horrible accident. I wish that there would have been more stories from 3rd class passengers but seeings how many of them probably didn’t get the chance to get out alive there probably isn’t many stories to be told about this terrible accident. I also love how the author includes what happened to the passengers after the accident and tells how long they lived for.

[Annaka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is obviously such a heartbreaking book. I’ve always been fascinated by the titanic sinking as I’m sure a lot of the world is. I’ve always heard a lot of stories of adults during the sinking but to hear children’s points of view is worse. The poor little souls who had to grow up quickly after hearing horrific amounts of human suffering, watching people jump to their deaths or freeze to death. Seeing it from a child’s eyes is truly something else. I honestly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the titanic. It was definitely worth the quick read.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any kid who likes history would like this book. Many are fascinated with anything Titanic, so this book should be a hit. It's a very well-researched, well-written and heart-wrenching book. The massive proportions of the tragedy are brought home with individual stories of children who survived, but who often lost nearly everything. The reader is often reminded of the more than 1500 men, women and children who did not survive.

[Roberto Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this book is very good that the tales seem very tragic and show us what happen in the titanic the 3 top tales i love was of Ruth Becker that was 12 old girl that was his family in second class and with bravery save his family,the second one was Frank Goldsmith a young boy of third class who escaped with his mother while his father stayed behind, Jack Thayer a first class teenager who leapt into the icy waters as the Titanic sank.

the last thing was that some ways that the tales i coud see how i can survive or help in something for the final i think you should read this book

[Alicia Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book I learned to not give up. I learned this because the book is based on kids who survived a terrible event that occurred which is the titanic sinking. The kids even though their live could end tried to survive and did. This book showed me to keep going even at the worst times because if teenageers can surive years ago then I can.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when I think I’ve read all there is to read about the Titanic, a book like this pops up in my recommendations.

This was a fascinating look at ten children who survived the sinking, and I had only heard of one or two of them before this book. Their stories started to get a bit repetitive as time went on (not surprising) but I was still completely engrossed.

[Jeanie Lemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting book with first person accounts of the come of the young passengers who survived the Titanic disaster. This is a good book for students studying the disaster. It gives personal insights to what it was to be one of the passengers, the relationships forged aboard, and the anguish of the losses.

[Liz Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew some of the stories already from the documentary, but many of them were new to me. I thought the author Allan Zullo did an excellent job recreating the survivors' stories. It is an excellent middle grade book that shows children/young people what survivors of the Titanic experienced and how they felt during and after the sinking. Excellent source of primary document.

[Erin Workman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains a few accounts of young Titanic survivors. Most of the stories begin as the ship is sinking - so might not be the best read for someone who wants more of a complete story. If you’re already familiar with the history of the Titanic, however, this is a quick read that will absolutely add some depth of perspective.

It’s never easy to read these stories.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this for Carter who is currently eaten up with Titanic knowledge. I thought I'd read it before giving it to him. I finished it this morning. Really a kind of repetitive and sad read, although interesting.

[Veronica F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting... this book was written for kids. As an adult it annoyed me the way it was written and its haphazard nature. As a kid I may not have minded it. It's broken into short stories that intertwine, it would have been nice to have a visual so you see how each story intertwined .

[Jaqie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s very interesting but also it is sad because many people including their pets died. The survivors were very courageous because they survived their tragedy on the ship that was supposedly the unsinkable. If there were more lifeboats that would have saved more lives.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was so sad to hear about all the lost husbands and sons and all the women and children that died that miserable day at sea

[Ava Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book it was intriguing and informational.