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The Mystery of the Titanic: A Historical Investigation for Kids
Uncover the secrets of the Titanic in this fascinating exploration for kids 8 to 12
If you’re interested in the incredible story of the R.M.S. Titanic, this book helps you dive even deeper. Start with the details that explain why the ship was so famous even before it sank, then discover the secrets that are still resting at the bottom of the ocean today.
Become an investigator as you dig into mysteries like why it took so long for help to arrive while the Titanic was sinking and what made it so difficult for scientists to find the wreckage. As you sail through the story, watch out for the detective figure who pops up every time there is a clue on the page that will help you solve the mystery of the Titanic.
Experience life at sea—Read the true stories of the ship’s passengers, and learn where they slept, what they ate, and even what they did for fun while onboard.Uncover the truth—Photos, illustrations, and diagrams help you explore the scientific techniques that researchers used to locate the wreck of the Titanic and reconstruct what happened to it.Form your own hypothesis—Determine if different factors like the weather, the ship’s construction, and poor communication among the crew could have contributed to the fatal voyage.
Immerse yourself in the history and science behind the famous story of the Titanic.
If you’re interested in the incredible story of the R.M.S. Titanic, this book helps you dive even deeper. Start with the details that explain why the ship was so famous even before it sank, then discover the secrets that are still resting at the bottom of the ocean today.
Become an investigator as you dig into mysteries like why it took so long for help to arrive while the Titanic was sinking and what made it so difficult for scientists to find the wreckage. As you sail through the story, watch out for the detective figure who pops up every time there is a clue on the page that will help you solve the mystery of the Titanic.
Experience life at sea—Read the true stories of the ship’s passengers, and learn where they slept, what they ate, and even what they did for fun while onboard.Uncover the truth—Photos, illustrations, and diagrams help you explore the scientific techniques that researchers used to locate the wreck of the Titanic and reconstruct what happened to it.Form your own hypothesis—Determine if different factors like the weather, the ship’s construction, and poor communication among the crew could have contributed to the fatal voyage.
Immerse yourself in the history and science behind the famous story of the Titanic.
104 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 23, 2021
44 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Milner Halls
69 books52 followersKelly Milner Halls specializes in high interest, well researched nonfiction for young readers. Her books include TALES OF THE CRYPTIDS, SAVING THE BAGHDAD ZOO, IN SEARCH OF SASQUATCH and ALIEN INVESTIGATION. But she is also an avid YA fan and loves realistic fiction including GIRL MEETS BOY, the anthology she edited for Chronicle (January 2012). Her first short story is in that anthology. She hopes it won't be her last. When she's not writing or doing school visits, she works for her friend and mentor Chris Crutcher in Spokane.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 7, 2021
For anyone seeking well-written and superbly researched books on topics that fascinate kids (and many adults) the place to start is with the works of Kelly Miner Halls. Her many books and articles pursue wide-ranging subjects that appear to pose unanswerable questions. Her website is titled WONDERS OF WEIRD, and her school visits have kids perched on the edge of their seats, reacting to her revelations with oohs, ahhs, and laughter.
The topic of THE TITANIC is an ideal match for this author. Despite movies, books, documentaries, and ongoing attention from pop culture and scientific research that is directed at THE TITANIC, there are still things to learn and new connections to be made. In this recent book I was engaged from the first page to the last, despite teaching and reading books on this topic with kids for decades.
Halls began with a deep dive (forgive me) into archival and recent research across a wide range of topics., many of them seemingly tangential to THE TITANIC. Her sources are well documented in back matter that includes glossary, bibliography, and suggested links to reliable websites offering videos and updated, sometimes interactive content. Plenty of readers, and not just kids, will appreciate these and pursue further investigations.
Once Halls compiled mountains of intriguing facts and curiosities, the author organized that material in a logical sequence but with a structure that allows readers to dip in and out, based on their specific interests.
The first half is focused on the ship itself: building it, living on it (for the brief days in which that occurred), and the iceberg. The second half addresses the MYSTERY of the Titanic. Those sections deal with technology, searching, explanations, and the present conditions and prospects for the remains of the Titanic. Woven throughout each area of the book readers will encounter archival photos, related sidebar material that might offer jaw-dropping data, puzzling contradictions, and detailed diagrams.
Throughout the first half a nautically dressed young detective whose appearance calls attention to information that will be incorporated in later analysis and discussions of the many mysteries surrounding THE TITANIC. Some of these bits of content were familiar to me, but many were new. The details included the timing of the tides, meteorological inversion layers, missing keys for the binoculars cabinet, and so many more that surprised me. All were woven throughout a masterful presentation that will open eyes and spark further curiosity.
The topic of THE TITANIC is an ideal match for this author. Despite movies, books, documentaries, and ongoing attention from pop culture and scientific research that is directed at THE TITANIC, there are still things to learn and new connections to be made. In this recent book I was engaged from the first page to the last, despite teaching and reading books on this topic with kids for decades.
Halls began with a deep dive (forgive me) into archival and recent research across a wide range of topics., many of them seemingly tangential to THE TITANIC. Her sources are well documented in back matter that includes glossary, bibliography, and suggested links to reliable websites offering videos and updated, sometimes interactive content. Plenty of readers, and not just kids, will appreciate these and pursue further investigations.
Once Halls compiled mountains of intriguing facts and curiosities, the author organized that material in a logical sequence but with a structure that allows readers to dip in and out, based on their specific interests.
The first half is focused on the ship itself: building it, living on it (for the brief days in which that occurred), and the iceberg. The second half addresses the MYSTERY of the Titanic. Those sections deal with technology, searching, explanations, and the present conditions and prospects for the remains of the Titanic. Woven throughout each area of the book readers will encounter archival photos, related sidebar material that might offer jaw-dropping data, puzzling contradictions, and detailed diagrams.
Throughout the first half a nautically dressed young detective whose appearance calls attention to information that will be incorporated in later analysis and discussions of the many mysteries surrounding THE TITANIC. Some of these bits of content were familiar to me, but many were new. The details included the timing of the tides, meteorological inversion layers, missing keys for the binoculars cabinet, and so many more that surprised me. All were woven throughout a masterful presentation that will open eyes and spark further curiosity.
May 24, 2021
Books on the Titanic abound, but this one is specifically designed for curious students in grades 4-6 or those younger who have care-givers reading through it with them. Author Kelly Halls and illustrator Joanne Lee-Vriethoff combine text and illustrations that guide readers through the design of this famous ship and encourage questions along the way. Illustrations are a mixture of drawings and actual photographs and a cartoon captain-detective pops up periodically when the text describes an aspect of the Titanic that may have contributed to its ultimate doom. Text is extensive for the target age group, but the large font and ample white space will make the reading easier. Back matter includes a glossary, list of references (including web sites and online articles that can be easily located), as well as a list of available videos for further research. Great choice for school, public and classroom libraries. Thanks for the preview copy, Amazon Vine.
March 12, 2021
Kudos to author Kelly Milner Halls for telling an oft-told story -- the wreck of the Titanic -- in an engaging and creative way. By teasing out the mysteries around why and how the ship sank, Halls has crafted a gripping nonfiction tale for young readers. Was it cost-cutting on rivets or a coal fire that weakened the hull where the iceberg struck? Was the ship going too fast, or did a thermal inversion caused by warm and cold currents colliding make it hard to see the obstacle? One thing is for sure: young readers with a taste for disaster (and mysteries) will gobble this book right up.
April 1, 2021
It is no secret that the attention span of tweens and teens can be short, but even the most reluctant young reader will be pulled into this retelling of the Titanic and its mysteries. Vignettes of those involved are spellbinding. The reader meets Irish shipbuilders who spent their one day off proudly touring their families around the shipyards, overworked radio operators frantically sending personal messages for wealthy passengers the night of the tragedy, the family of a victim finding a message in a bottle from their loved one lost one year after the "unsinkable' ship went down. Details of the ship's construction and what led to its sinking are told in gripping detail.
As a former teacher, I highly recommend The Mystery of the Titanic: A Historical Investigation for Kids|57138082]. Kelly Milner Halls' journalistic storytelling skills will grab your students' attention and not let it go! The book is laid out to be read in short bits or straight through, filled with clear graphics and fascinating sidebars for the visual learner, sharing the facts and letting the young reader draw conclusions. Great for teaching critical thinking skills!
As a former teacher, I highly recommend The Mystery of the Titanic: A Historical Investigation for Kids|57138082]. Kelly Milner Halls' journalistic storytelling skills will grab your students' attention and not let it go! The book is laid out to be read in short bits or straight through, filled with clear graphics and fascinating sidebars for the visual learner, sharing the facts and letting the young reader draw conclusions. Great for teaching critical thinking skills!
March 24, 2021
It’s hard to create a “ new take” on a one hundred year old historical event, but Kelly Milner Halls has managed to do just this. With the inclusion of black and white and color illustrations and photographs, facts are organized in an appealing and intriguing manner, along with colorful striking sidebars of trivia and lesser known details. I became fascinated in the story of the Titanic about the age of which this is aimed, and would have welcomed this quick reading fascinating look with so many specifics. Great Glossary and Reading Resources
March 3, 2021
Absolutely wonderful telling of the whole story of the Titanic. Halls starts with the building of the ship and ends with the finding of the ship, the recovery of artifacts and how we can get a look at the Titanic. What could be a dull read was made fascinating through photographs, quotes, and fun facts interspersed. Halls writing style is just right for even the most reluctant reader. Bravo!
April 19, 2023
I thought this was a GREAT book. It cover how it sank and the people on it. It goes into a lot of detail. This book is for people who want to read on the story of the Titanic.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews