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Summary
Summary
Albert Trask couldn't be more excited. Thirteen years old, he's leaving cold, dreary London to return home to Washington, D.C. Even more thrilling, he's sailing on the most luxurious ocean liner in the world: the unsinkable Titanic! But not everything is perfect. Albert's widowed mother seems too distracted to pay any attention to her children, so Albert finds himself stuck looking after his snotty six-year-old sister, Ginny. And even though Albert's old enough now to wear long trousers, everyone still treats him like a little kid. But when the unthinkable happens and the Titanic hits an iceberg, Albert is faced with big decisions: grown-up decisions that could mean life or death. Seamlessly weaving historical fact with great story-telling, Barbara Williams has created a gripping adventure about the responsibilities that come with growing up. Narrator Jeff Woodman skillfully captures the tragedy and heroism of a night the world will long remember.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-Thirteen-year-old Albert Trask, his widowed mother, his uncle Clay and his six-year-old sister are returning from England to their grandmother's home in Washington, D.C. aboard the ill-fated Titanic. Barbara Williams' novel (Dial, 1995) gives young listeners a first-hand account of what it was like to be a passenger on the ship. Albert's explorations of the ship, conversations he overhears, and his conflicts with his uncle add to the drama. The use of day and hour to introduce each of the 24 chapters adds realism. At the end of the narration, the author explains her use of actual historic figures such as the Astors and Captain Smith, and how she based the main character on a 13-year-old boy who was at first denied access to the lifeboats because he was considered a man. Narrator Jeff Woodman uses a different voice for the various characters, and the narration is well paced and clear. This audiobook will be popular in school and public libraries serving intermediate and junior high students.-Diane Balodis, Alden Intermediate School, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The sinking of the Titanic in April 1912 provides the emotional peak of this fact-based novel. Albert Trask, 13, is thrilled to be leaving England with his widowed mother, uncle and six-year-old sister. He's had enough of private tutoring and rainy weather, and can't wait to return to the family home outside Washington, D.C. But as the journey begins, Albert overhears a passenger suggest that the vessel isn't carrying enough lifeboats-a suspicion he confirms in conversation with a crewman. Williams (Mitzi and the Terrible Tyrannosaurus Rex) devotes relatively little space to the actual calamity, however, and the lengthy prelude grows tedious. The author's postscript mentions that Albert was created from a boy she discovered in her research, a 13-year-old initially prevented from boarding a lifeboat because he had attained the age of manhood. No passage in the novel itself, unfortunately, evokes the catastrophe with as much poignancy. Ages 9-13. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Thirteen-year-old Albert returns to the United States from England, accompanied by his mother and six-year-old sister, aboard the ill-fated 'Titanic'. Well-researched, the novel contains much factual information about the actual event, which occasionally makes the book a bit slow-moving. Overall, however, Williams's narrative is engaging. From HORN BOOK 1995, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Williams (Beheaded, Survived, 1987, etc.) revisits the tragic sinking of the Titanic in this engrossing historical novel Albert, 13, and his sister Virginia, 6, are returning to America from England on the ill-fated ship with their recently widowed mother, Katherine. Also accompanying them is their Uncle Clay, sent by her late husband's wealthy mother to bring them home. Clay and his mother have heard reports that Katherine is being ``defiled'' by actresses and suffragists in London, and threaten to cut her off financially. Tense relationships dominate the first part of the book, as Albert tries to follow his father's order to ``be the man of the family.'' He is given his opportunity, of course, when the ship hits an iceberg. Williams replays the ship's last three hours in slow motion, building suspense as the passengers realize what has happened. Real-life details (those musicians playing on) add to the evocation of the tragedy. Even young children are fascinated by this tale; a cinematic cover (a life-jacketed Albert in a watery foreground, the ship sinking behind him) will ensure the book's popularity. (Fiction. 8-14)
Booklist Review
Gr. 4-8. Under pressure from his Grandmother Trask in Virginia, 13-year-old Albert Trask and his family are returning to the U.S. on the Titanic. Because his recently widowed mother is preoccupied with escaping her mother-in-law's control, and his younger sister, Ginny, is busy acting out to gain her mother's attention, Albert is free to explore the colossal ship and observe its passengers. He learns much during his four-day journey, and when the ship begins to sink (and Mother cannot be located), Albert must help Ginny and himself aboard a lifeboat. Williams includes several real passengers among her mostly fictitious characters and carefully distinguishes between the two in her afterword. The use of specific dates and times for chapter headings adds to the narrative's authentic flavor. Although Albert's mother and uncle seem one-dimensional (ensuring that few readers will mourn their demise), this is a fast-paced adventure that will appeal to history buffs as well as fans of Ballard's Exploring the Titanic (1988). (Reviewed May 15, 1995)0803717903Kay Weisman
