White Star: A Dog on the Titanic

by Marty Crisp

A simply-told, poignant tale of friendship and survival, set on history's most famous doomed ship!

The year is 1912, and twelve-year-old Sam Harris is traveling from England to America on the grand ship theTitanic. Sam is lonely at first, but is soon delighted to discover that there are dogs aboard! When Sam volunteers to help out in the kennel, he meets Star, a spunky Irish setter that belongs to the ship's captain. Sam and Star become fast friends, and when disaster strikes, the boy and dog must rely on each other more than ever before. The harrowing, breathless conclusion -- and fascinating historical information -- makes this boy-and-dog tale truly unforgettable.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Animals, Fiction, Childrens, Dogs, Historical, Middle Grade

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Marty Crisp lives in Ephrata, Pennsylvania a town about forty miles west of Harrisburg in Lancaster County where she writes as a correspondent for Lancaster Newspapers. She is married, has four grown children and is very fond of dogs, a primary subject in much of her writing. As a writer primarily for children, she has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Maxwell Medallion awarded by the Dog Writers Association of America.

Reviews

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm in agreement with my 2016 self here, but to add a little more explanation on a second reading: part of the problem with the emotional depth is the pacing. This all happens in a very short timeframe, of course, yet Sam's caretaker is complaining about him spending all his time with a dog the very day after Star boards (she's also not the best caretaker, but guardians in books rarely are, or else shenanigans could not ensue), and later, the ending is rushed and, more importantly, the night of the sinking is all extremely abrupt. In a kids' book, I suppose you don't want to linger on that part terribly long, but that may be part of the problem, as well. Having Sam lose his best friend might have been a bit much, in particular. There simply isn't time to cover such a tragedy in the depth or feeling it deserves in something packaged for kids.

First review
This is another one I want to give a point five rating to - this time a 2.5. I'm not generally a fan of fictionalized accounts of real events, particularly when the sinking of the Titanic offers a wealth of stories to research and detail, so there shouldn't be any need to make things up. I also found the book lacking in emotional depth (this is not helped by the occasionally unnatural dialogue), unable to truly convey what survivor's guilt feels like, or what that night felt like, and the happy ending didn't feel earned. Which may sound kind of cruel to a boy who survived the Titanic; he obviously deserves a happy ending, but his fears about not knowing his mother, who he has not seen in six years, were perfectly valid and would not be automatically fixed by a traumatic event. I also wish fictional Titanic stories would learn that we don't need an excuse to take a tour of the ship anymore; if all of them were true, the Crew Only sections of the boat would've been like Woodstock.

But onto the good stuff. The author obviously did do her research, including details and little true stories alongside Sam and Star's friendship in addition to further facts and information in the back for the curious reader. And the dog is, of course, lovely and adorable. I also finished it feeling quite morose, so it's not as if it was completely bereft of emotion, but that was partly due to the subject matter and partly due to Mrs. Isham and her beloved dog - just read her section under 'Fascinating People' in the back and you will know tears.

[Cody 8-3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cody Bigler
1-31-08
8-3

White Star
One of the best books that I ever read is called White Star. Marty Crisp who I thought was a very good writer for this book wrote this book. The best genre that would fit this book would be adventure.
The main characters in this book would be Sam Harris, White Star, and Mr. Ismay. Sam is a very interesting character and I thought that he was a very caring person for taking care of Mr. Ismay’s dog. White Star would be a sweet dog to have because in a part of the book Star is very brave and does something spectacular. The last main character I will tell you about is Mr. Ismay. He is a very caring and generous person because at the end of the book he does something nice for Sam.
Sam is a kid who loves to play with dogs and is going to take care of a famous dog that is owned by Mr. Ismay, but when the titanic gets in trouble he scrambles to help the dogs. The guards don’t let him get to them, and try to make it so he has to go to a lifeboat. The plot of the book would have to be that Sam is trying to save a dog while tying to escape the ship.
I rate this book a four out of five stars because this is one of the best books that I have ever read. I will recommend this book to people who like dogs and people that like really great adventure books.

[Isaiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Titanic based story, “ White Star” by Marty Crisp is a story obviously about the devastating sinking of the Titanic, as viewed through two soon-to-be friends, a young 12-year-old boy named Sam Harris, and a dog named Star, whom he met once volunteering in the kennel aboard the ship. Once the unknown cataclysm closes in, it puts their friendship to the test, and now must survive one of the worst man-made disasters in the world. The tie between history and the tie of friendship makes it a good read.
It’s a short but sweet book, which is why I gave this book 4 stars. I give it 4 stars because it is again, a very short book. I just think if the author added something like 50 more pages, it would’ve added that much more of the climax. Furthermore, it also could add more overall suspense. I recommend this book to middle school kids because they will relate to the situations Sam goes through since he’s about the same age. They can surely be shocked trying to relate to the consequences he lives through during that night. Overall, it’s a great holiday read to just get away from it all. I hope you agree that you won't feel any regret picking up this book.

[Rachel Fosbender · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved all of the interesting, yet heartbreaking, true facts about the Titanic disaster throughout this novel - such as of all the dogs on board, only 3 of them survived. With dogs not being allowed in the lifeboats, passengers were put in the tough position of leaving their dog behind or staying with them on the sinking ship.

Overall, I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Being historical fiction for younger students, I was expecting it to be cheesy or gloss over certain aspects of the events that took place. But this story was very emotional, had good pacing, and has readers questioning what they would do if put in this situation. There was also a solid balance of fiction mixed with fact. The author notes at the end how many of the characters were real people and lists short stories about several survivors and victims. I also liked that this book didn’t just end with the Titanic sinking but also includes the journey to New York and the passengers’ survivors’ guilt along with the desperate continued search for those “lost” at sea.

[Elle Traut · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple quick read for a kid who loves dogs the Titanic or needs to read a chapter book with success. Other than names of people and dogs on the ship, the words are predictable and the story line is simple. It doesn't dwell on the sadness but paints a pretty realistic picture of a 12 year old boy on the maiden cottage and how he survived.

[Tarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books about the Titanic, but I've never read one that really told about the dogs that were on board. Indeed, there was a dog kennel on the Titanic!

Sam Harris is a young boy in 1912 traveling on the Titanic. He has a sharp eye for dogs and always enjoys having fun. He makes friends with the boy who works in the ship's kennel, Phineas MacDonald. Together, with Sam's friend, Bucky, these boys create their own adventures aboard the ship (mostly adventures which include dogs).

White Star is the name of the beautiful Irish setter which immediately becomes attached to Sam. However, it's the Titanic owner's dog, so Sam knows that their time together is short.

It's a quick, fun book. Most suitable for ages 9-14. The story is dominantly about boys, but girls would enjoy reading "White Star: A Dog on the Titanic" too.

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

White Star is about a boy named Sam Harris and he is going on the Titanic to get to America to see his mom. But when he was on the boat he meets a dog named Star. Star was a show dog, and him and Sam are getting along really well and are starting to be good friends. When Sam walked out all the workers were getting lifeboats ready and they were loading kids and women first but Sam wanted to know what was happening. When he got told they hit an iceberg and were sinking he wanted Star to come with. But they wouldn't let the dog come on. To see what happens in the rest of the book you should read it.

[Kenya Starflight · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's something about the Titanic tragedy that has captured people's imaginations, spawning a stream of media centered on the ship and the mystique surrounding it. "White Star: A Dog on the Titanic" covers an element of the tragedy rarely visited in other takes on the shipwreck -- the story of the dogs kenneled aboard the ship. And while it's a fairly bland read, it's rather informative and covers aspects of the disaster that I'd never heard of or considered before.

Sam Harris isn't thrilled about returning home to the US, even if he's going to be traveling on the Titanic, one of the biggest and best cruise liners ever built. But at least he's traveling with his best friend from school... and at least he's made a new friend in White Star, an Irish Setter traveling in the ship's kennels. His bond with White Star will be put to the test, however, when the ship hits an iceberg... and the two must rely on each other to survive.

In my honest opinion, just because a book is a YA or middle-grade book isn't an excuse for the author to skimp on the writing. Sadly, the prose in this book is rather bland and mechanical -- not terrible, but not masterful either. The author does a lot of "telling" vs. "showing" as well, which makes things even blander.

The characters are decently fleshed out, at least -- even characters you'd think would be stock stereotypes have more to their characters than you'd think. And many of the characters are based on real historical figures as well (the author specifies which characters were real people and which were fictional in the back). And while the pacing of the book feels a little weird, it does do a good job at depicting the disaster without being overly graphic.

This book also contains a diagram of the ship, as well as plenty of notes about the ship and the people aboard it. I enjoyed this section almost more than the rest of the book proper -- maybe I should read a non-fiction book about the Titanic at some point...

[Shazza Maddog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam is sailing on the Titanic with Lady Cabot, on his way back to America. Six years ago, Sam's father died and his mother was unable to take care of him so he went to live with his grandparents in England. Now his mother has remarried and wants him to come home. Unfortunately, Sam's grown accustomed to England and his grandparents, particularly his grandfather, and doesn't like the idea of another man replacing his Dad. But being a kid, he doesn't really have a choice, so on the Titanic he goes.

He's also travelling with his best friend, Bucky, whose family is on the ship, so he does have a friend alongside him - but Sam quickly becomes entranced by the dogs kenneled aboard the Titanic, particularly an Irish Setter brought aboard by Joseph Bruce Ismay, son of the man who founded the White Star shipline. He never sees Ismay around the kennels so Sam can't ask but he dubs the setter "Star" for the white spot on his chest.

Star and Sam have many adventures onboard the ship, from running through the coal bins to walking the decks with Finn, the ship's dog handler. But the fun and games stop when Sam's awakened by a strange rumbling sound and then the ship's engines stopping. Then it becomes a race to save Star and maybe some of the other dogs from drowning.

A sad, sweet tale of the world's most famous ship, focusing on the animals and one boy's love of them.

[Taylor Deppe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about how Sam was in charge of watching dogs on the Titanic. He loved this dog named Star. He would sleep with Star every night. One night they heard a big bump at midnight. Sam went out of his room and everybody was being worried while standing in the halls. They put on life jackets, so everybody was in safety. Some people started jumping onto life boats in the water. 10 minutes later the Titanic started calapsing. The people who already jumped were the ones who had a better chance of staying alive. Star and Sam were in the water when the driver of a life boat asked just Sam to hop in, but Sam refused. Sam said that he wasn't leaving Star behind. So the driver let them both in. They went until they found a ship witch 4 hours later they did. It was called the Carpathia. So they all got in the big boat and went to New York City. They were some of the only ones who survived. When they got on the boat, in 2 days they were going to reach their destination. That was going to be a bad day for Sam because he had to give Star back to his owner. When that day came Jack, Star, and Sam went to find Mrs. ISmay. When they finally found her she was surprised that Star was still alive. She let Sam keep Star for rescuing him. Sam was really happy and so was Star.

[Robbyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre(s): children's, historical fiction
Theme(s): Titanic, dogs
Recommended for ages: 9+

Summary: Sam Harris is traveling on the Titanic on the way back to his mother and new step-father. He's lonely and unsure about what awaits him ahead. Lucky for him there are plenty of dogs aboard the ship, and he takes a special interest in Star, Mr. J. Bruce Ishmay's prized setter.

Review: This book was fun to read and I followed it up by two more juvenile fiction books about the Titanic. It's interesting to see how they showed the characters that were based on people we know were really on the Titanic and to speculate on what they might have been like. It took me a few chapters to get gripped in the story-but once you know the Titanic hits the iceberg you're dying to know how all the characters are going to end up.

Recommended for fans of: The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto
If you loved this book then you should try.... Dear America: Voyage on the Great Titanic, Red Dog

[Srirama · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Book is a very good book and that is because of it's truth and drama. The truth comes in and tells readers that this is the reality and the drama is the heartbreaking moments. For example, if you love dogs and you see around 3 out let's say hundred dogs survive, it is really heartbreaking. I think this Ship wreck is why we see less today. Dogs are said to be man's best friend but if people like in the life boats don't invite them and say men and dogs left behind it isn't fair. Anyways The book is basically about the amazing friendship of Sam and Star. Star who looks like an Irish Setter was actually a man named Mr. Ismay's dog but together they forge a great friendship and they used the friendship to preserve in the sinking of the RMS Titanic but will he get to keep Star Read this action/comedy packed book to find out.

[Elizabeth Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pick four stars because it was a great book. But some of the parts to me I did not like it. I am happy that the dog and the boy are alive. I think some should read it because it tells you some about the Titanic. I like when it has was history in it. If people like were history is going to be in a book. Then this is going to be a great book for them. But if people like where it can get sad then it will be a good book for them to read. If I could change something it would be the part were a lot of Sam friends and family die. I did not like when they did. I would make it were Sam family and friends make it and not die.

[Marilyn Showalter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical Fiction
4th-6th grade reading level
I liked this book because it made an event that happened a long time very connectable to dog owners especially. I liked that it described the Titanic in the way it did, and that it broke the myths that are a lot of times told. I didn’t like that a lot of the boy’s friends died in this accident, I would have thought since they were fictional characters that they could have saved at least a couple of his friends. However, I thought they portrayed this story in a life-like way since a lot of people died in this tragedy.

[Mamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have found that elementary aged students are fascinated by the many tales surrounding the Titanic. Children also have a natural affinity for animals. I think this would make an excellent read aloud for third grade and above, because the bond between the protagonist and White Star is so real. It would also spark some very thoughtful discussions because the author is very truthful about how there were few happy endings that dreadful night.

[Carli Starr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first discovered this book in 2nd or 3rd grade and I can't tell you the amount of times I've reread it, even to this day! I think about it all the time, one of my all-time favorites, and I can't exactly put my finger on why.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably better for a younger audience, like 8-12 or something, but I'm 15 and I liked it :)

[Sarah Soulagnet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book as a kid in 4th grade, and I still own it after many bookshelf purges now at age 25. This book holds a special place in my heart, ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Love dogs so i like star

[Colleen]

I didn't like this book -- too many plot holes, not-so-great pacing, psychological loose ends -- but my students were fascinated.

[Benjamin Tenney · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the single worst pieces of media I have ever been compelled to consume over the course of my entire life.

[Savy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book on the reality of the sinking of the titanic. However it also gave a story of a possibility of a boy and a dog that could of taken place. There were some sad parts, but there was some good spots about the loyalty of a dog and the friendship between a boy and dog.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good elementary age read about a boy, his friend, and a dog on the titanic.

[Raul Trejo-Mazariegos]

it can be a good

[Madison Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much. It is such a beautiful story, I actually think this is the first book that made me cry

[Anika · Rating 5 out of 5]

IN "White Star" By Mart Crisp, The year Is 1912.12 yr old Sam Harris Boards the famous Ship,"Titanic".On the ship,Sam Meets a courageous dog in the kennel,And decides to name is "White Star" But when Disaster strikes,White star is the only one to save Little Sam Harris's Life.This story Of bravery Will is very heartbreaking and will sure bring you to tears!
This Book was a absolute treasure to read! The plt had a very Winsome touch it! I felt like i was being glued into the book.The vocaburlary use was very advanced and it added a bonus.The main character is one of the most audacious characters i ever heard or read about! He did things that an adult would be terrified to do! The writing style was absoulutely marvelous! It was so specific and Detailed It actually brought me to tears toward the end! Chris was an extremly mult-dimensional person.IN the beginning he was a rather shy person but towards the end he turned out to be one of the bravest person on the ship.

I reccomend this to people who like to read Historical Fiction Books.I also recomened this to poeple who like to read books with a very sorrowfull plot.This book is filled with heart breaking and sad scences so some people who like to read that.I would recomend this to AALL age groups since it contains no Inaproperiate content

[Stacie (MagicOfBooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a Titanic nut! So when I saw this at a used bookstore, I thought, "what the heck? This looks cute."

A very fast and easy read if you want your child to read this. Plus, cute dogs!

As an adult reading this, though, it flies by and I feel like I don't get to know the characters. The sinking of the Titanic is such an immense story that obviously this book could only hit the highlights of each day of the voyage. I don't get a sense of Sam fretting for his life and I don't feel like the chapters during the sinking are taking place within a few hours---rather it feels like mere minutes. Okay, for a child, the action had to be quick or a child would lose interest, but for me I really wanted more with Sam really fighting to save his life and Star's. Just too quick for me personally.

Other than the pace, this is still a cute book and a great way to introduce a child to the sinking of the Titanic. The book really makes you think about the poor dogs that were on board. Really said to think about. The subject of dogs dying could be frightening/saddening to a child, so you might what to give a child this book with extreme caution if you feel dog deaths will upset that child.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Harris, 12, on board The Titanic, sailing home to reunite with his mother and new step-father after six long years. He takes a liking to the dogs on the ship, but one in particular quickly becomes his favorite...Star, a gorgeous Irish Setter that belongs to the owner of the ship. Star and Sam are inseparable, although he knows that they will go their own way when reaching America. In this fictionalized account of the tragedy of the doomed Titanic, the boy and dog worked together to stay alive in the icy waters of the Atlantic. Survivors on lifeboats pull them both on their raft and finally they are picked up by the Carpathia.

White Star by Marty Crisp is a heart-tugging tale of courage, determination, and loyalty. It presents the human side of the tragedy that we all know took place on April 15, 1912, yet few of us know about the animals that were on board and eventually lost their lives. The book is well-researched and the characters are portrayed with dignity and realism.

[Justin Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

White Star: A Dog on the Titanic was a very interesting book. I hate reading and not many books keep me attached to them unlike this one. The three main characters are Sam Harris, Star, and Mr. Ismay. Sam is heading back to America with his parents from Germany where his grandparents live. On the Titanic Sam meets Mr. Ismay and his dog Star. Sam asked Mr. Ismay if he could take Star on a walk around the Titanic. Sam and Star become instantly connected. Everyday after that Star is always with Sam. Towards the end of the book Star does something brave to save Sam's life.
This book is one of the very few books I actually enjoyed reading. The reason is because there was action throughout the whole book. I recommend this book to anyone who likes action type books because this book is full of it.

[Miss Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

gr 5-8 130pgs


1912, Titanic. 12 year old Sam is not looking forward to the voyage at all. He doesn't understand why he can't continue to live with his grandparents in England and instead must return to America to live with his mother and new step-father. Sam still misses his father and is sure he won't like his step-father. His feelings about the trip change when he and his friend Bucky find a dog kennel on board and Sam befriends one of the dogs, Star. When the ship begins to sink, Sam is determined that he and Star survive, but how?

This was an interesting story that would appeal to readers interested in the Titanic. The story covers the beginning of the voyage up to a few days after the survivors arrive in New York. I would not recommend this story to readers who love dogs because most of the dogs do not survive.