Titanic (Series) by Gordon Korman: A Review

Korman is known for his paperback trilogies for kids, fast-moving stories with lots of dialogue and humor. This latest series about the ill-fated Titanic delivers a good amount of action and suspense.

The first book, Unsinkable sets up the characters and the basic premises of the story. We are introduced to

-Paddy, a pickpocket who stows away on the ship to avoid a dangerous gang in Ireland

-Alfie, a steward working on his first voyage. His father works shoveling coal in the engine rooms

-Sophie, a girl who is continually embarrassed by her outspoken suffragette mother

-Juliana, one of the first class passengers who is traveling with her overbearing, gambling-addicted father

We also get to know some of the other prominent people in the Titanic’s story: Captain Edward J. Smith, designer Thomas Andrews, and second officer Charles Lightoller. The children also encounter some evidence that the man who was once serial killer Jack the Ripper is on board. (One of the most famous passengers, Molly Brown, is curiously absent. Perhaps the suffragette is meant to be a stand-in for her character.)

The second and third books, Collision Course, and S. O. S., pick up the pace as the children gather clues to the identity of a mysterious stranger and cope with the sinking ship..

Korman weaves in factual detail, but keeps the emphasis mostly on adventure and mystery. It should be noted that one of the main characters perishes before being rescued, an unusual occurrence for a children’s book, but true to the history, since about two thirds of the passengers and crew died that night.

This fast-paced, accessible trilogy will satisfy fans of a good adventure as well as children who are fascinated by the Titanic.


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