Most of my knowledge about the the Titanic disaster comes from the small snippets from my history textbooks from school or one of my many viewings of James Cameron blockbuster movie Titanic. The ships disaster has caught the attention of many but how do you pitch it to young readers without overwhelming them? Don Brown's All Stations! Distress! is a great example how to make a complex topic suitable and interesting for young readers.

Description: A glimpse into the construction of the Titanic as well as an illustrated account of the ship's disaster on April 12, 1912, when two thousand passengers fought to survive the tragedy. 

Review: All Stations! Distress! recounts the complicated, compact last moments of the Titanic's disastrous voyage. While the book's focus isn't focused on children, it does provide information few details about the construction of the ship and a general sense of what happened on the ship leading to the tragedy. While the text can make this book stand on its own, the illustrations enhance the story without being overly dramatic and horrifying yet adds to the somber mood of the narrative. As the book ends, we get to peak in the lives of some of the ship's survivors including Mrs. J. J. Brown, the Unsinkable Molly.  A brief bibliography can be found in the back of the book, but I would have liked to know where the quotes that Brown uses come from. This book would be a great introduction to the youngster who are still not ready to see Cameron's movie but don't want to miss all the excitement and fuss about the Titanic.

Rating: 4 stars

Curriculum Connection: Social Studies


Words of Caution: None. Recommended to Grades 3 and up.

If you like this book try: The Titanic Disaster by Peter Benoit