History Smashers: The Titanic

Illustrated by Matt Aytch Taylor
Look inside
Paperback
$8.99 US
5.25"W x 7.56"H x 0.48"D   | 8 oz | 48 per carton
On sale Apr 06, 2021 | 224 Pages | 978-0-593-12043-9
Age 8-12 years
Reading Level: Lexile 1020L | Fountas & Pinnell X
Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth behind the sinking of the Titanic with beloved educator/author Kate Messner. The fun mix of sidebars, illustrations, photos, and graphic panels make this perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

On April 15, 1912 an "unsinkable" ship called the Titanic unexpectedly hit an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic. Right?

Wrong! Nobody was really talking about the Titanic being unsinkable until after it sank.

The truth is, four different ships wired the Titanic to report icebergs and field ice in the area. But the Titanic never slowed down. In fact, when the Californian warned that it was trapped in ice, the Titanic's wireless operator was so busy sending outgoing messages that he replied, "Shut up!" No joke.

Discover the nonfiction series that demolishes everything you thought you knew about history.

Don't miss History Smashers: The Mayflower, Women's Right to Vote, and Pearl Harbor.
Kate Messner is passionately curious and writes books that encourage kids to wonder, too. Her titles include award-winning picture books, like Over and Under the Snow; novels, like Breakout and Chirp; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series and the popular Ranger in Time chapter books; and works of nonfiction with a focus on nature and history. Before becoming a full-time writer, Kate was a TV journalist and a National Board–certified middle school English teacher. She lives on Lake Champlain with her family and has managed to summit all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks between book deadlines.

Justin Greenwood is an artist best known for his work on comic book series, including Torrent, Area 510, Stumptown, Crone, The Last Siege, and The Fuse, and the nonfiction graphic novel Alexander Hamilton: The Graphic History of an American Founding Father. Born and raised in the Bay Area, he attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and graduated with a BFA in traditional illustration. When he’s not drawing, you can find him hanging with his wife and kids around the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, pretending to pan for gold while trying to sneak an occasional nap. View titles by Kate Messner
Praise for the History Smashers series:

"Critical, respectful, engaging: exemplary history for children." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

 "The book’s format may be a good match for those with shorter attention spans, and permits it to be gratifyingly capacious in what it covers." --New York Times Book Review 

"Well-researched, entertaining, and packed with facts." --Booklist

“Messner and Meconis provide a timely perspective on an important part of American history.” School Library Journal

"A history book for middle-graders that should be on everyone's (child and adult) to-read list." --Shelf Awareness

"Kate Messner serves up fun, fast history for kids who want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Absolutely smashing!" —Candace Fleming, award-wining author

"Informative and fun, eye-opening and entertaining. I wish I could have read History Smashers when I was in elementary school. I would have devoured them and developed a big appetite for even more of this sort of truth-telling." --Chris Barton, award-winning author

About

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth behind the sinking of the Titanic with beloved educator/author Kate Messner. The fun mix of sidebars, illustrations, photos, and graphic panels make this perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

On April 15, 1912 an "unsinkable" ship called the Titanic unexpectedly hit an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic. Right?

Wrong! Nobody was really talking about the Titanic being unsinkable until after it sank.

The truth is, four different ships wired the Titanic to report icebergs and field ice in the area. But the Titanic never slowed down. In fact, when the Californian warned that it was trapped in ice, the Titanic's wireless operator was so busy sending outgoing messages that he replied, "Shut up!" No joke.

Discover the nonfiction series that demolishes everything you thought you knew about history.

Don't miss History Smashers: The Mayflower, Women's Right to Vote, and Pearl Harbor.

Creators

Kate Messner is passionately curious and writes books that encourage kids to wonder, too. Her titles include award-winning picture books, like Over and Under the Snow; novels, like Breakout and Chirp; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series and the popular Ranger in Time chapter books; and works of nonfiction with a focus on nature and history. Before becoming a full-time writer, Kate was a TV journalist and a National Board–certified middle school English teacher. She lives on Lake Champlain with her family and has managed to summit all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks between book deadlines.

Justin Greenwood is an artist best known for his work on comic book series, including Torrent, Area 510, Stumptown, Crone, The Last Siege, and The Fuse, and the nonfiction graphic novel Alexander Hamilton: The Graphic History of an American Founding Father. Born and raised in the Bay Area, he attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and graduated with a BFA in traditional illustration. When he’s not drawing, you can find him hanging with his wife and kids around the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, pretending to pan for gold while trying to sneak an occasional nap. View titles by Kate Messner

Praise

Praise for the History Smashers series:

"Critical, respectful, engaging: exemplary history for children." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

 "The book’s format may be a good match for those with shorter attention spans, and permits it to be gratifyingly capacious in what it covers." --New York Times Book Review 

"Well-researched, entertaining, and packed with facts." --Booklist

“Messner and Meconis provide a timely perspective on an important part of American history.” School Library Journal

"A history book for middle-graders that should be on everyone's (child and adult) to-read list." --Shelf Awareness

"Kate Messner serves up fun, fast history for kids who want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Absolutely smashing!" —Candace Fleming, award-wining author

"Informative and fun, eye-opening and entertaining. I wish I could have read History Smashers when I was in elementary school. I would have devoured them and developed a big appetite for even more of this sort of truth-telling." --Chris Barton, award-winning author