1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Armstrong, Jennifer. 1998. SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD: THE EXTRAORDINARY TRUE STORY OF SHACKELTON AND THE ENDURANCE. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0517800144
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Documenting the story of survival of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his twenty-seven man crew, this book gives the reader the behind-the-scenes information that will shed more light on this subject than he or she expected. From the outset of naming the crew and getting the supplies to the gripping ordeal of Shackleton leaving his men to find land, Armstrong's storytelling paints a vivid picture.
Follow the crew as they are left behind to try and stay alive. Join Shackleton and his group as they brave the unknown and try again and again to get help. Through stunning photographs, see the rescue, look at the ice moustaches, and live in the overturned hulls of remaining ships. The pictures are stunning and put the reader at the scene.
If history books were written like this, all school children would be Social Studies majors.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is an unbelievable story. It is like a Hollywood epic where the good guys always win and each staggering challenge after another is bested and the hero saves the day...oh, except for the fact that this story is actually true!
Before reading this book, I heard bits and pieces about this Shackleton guy and some sort of boat in the ice, but I never knew the extent of the ordeal and how surreal it was. Jennifer Armstrong's writing captured me from her short prologue "Just Imagine". After reading that, I was hooked. She was able to seize the story without boring me.
I found myself marking pages with post-it notes and flipping back and forth to pictures and diagrams and the ship manifest. I am a visual learner, so I want to see Blackborrow, the stowaway; the "Franks", Wild and Worsley, who lead in Schackleton's stead; and of course, Shackleton himself. The other "Frank", ship's photographer Hurley, may have been the most valuable member of Shackleton's crew, in the reader's mind.
The photographs brought the raw and hostile environment to life. Seeing the dogs, the frozen sea, the listing ship, and the various camps gives the reader the insight and perspective that he or she craves. Unlike many non-fiction, informational books, I felt like this book was written on the spot; that Armstrong was there alongside Frank Hurley. He snapped the photos while she jotted the text.
I also liked the maps and sketches of the various routes taken during this 2 year ordeal. The scale provides a perseptive that the text just cannot. I was as hungry at the end of the book as I was at the beginning. I almost wanted to start the book over as soon as I had finished. That is the mark of a great book.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
* Starred review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: "This unbelievable story is enhanced by the vigorous prose; from the captivating introduction through the epilogue, it is the writing as much as the story that will rivet readers."
* Starred review in PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: "Armstrong's absorbing storytelling, illustrated with dramatic black-and-white photographs, makes this an enthralling adventure."
5. CONNECTIONS
*Before the book is read, have students answer some questions you have put on a ditto sheet: Could you survive on an iceberg? Would you eat a seal? etc.
*Familiarize the students with the Antarctic, including the weather conditions and some of the animals located there, such as seals and penguins. Pull other non-fiction books about the region and have the students talk about the temperature and how cold that would actually be.
Follow the crew as they are left behind to try and stay alive. Join Shackleton and his group as they brave the unknown and try again and again to get help. Through stunning photographs, see the rescue, look at the ice moustaches, and live in the overturned hulls of remaining ships. The pictures are stunning and put the reader at the scene.
If history books were written like this, all school children would be Social Studies majors.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is an unbelievable story. It is like a Hollywood epic where the good guys always win and each staggering challenge after another is bested and the hero saves the day...oh, except for the fact that this story is actually true!
Before reading this book, I heard bits and pieces about this Shackleton guy and some sort of boat in the ice, but I never knew the extent of the ordeal and how surreal it was. Jennifer Armstrong's writing captured me from her short prologue "Just Imagine". After reading that, I was hooked. She was able to seize the story without boring me.
I found myself marking pages with post-it notes and flipping back and forth to pictures and diagrams and the ship manifest. I am a visual learner, so I want to see Blackborrow, the stowaway; the "Franks", Wild and Worsley, who lead in Schackleton's stead; and of course, Shackleton himself. The other "Frank", ship's photographer Hurley, may have been the most valuable member of Shackleton's crew, in the reader's mind.
The photographs brought the raw and hostile environment to life. Seeing the dogs, the frozen sea, the listing ship, and the various camps gives the reader the insight and perspective that he or she craves. Unlike many non-fiction, informational books, I felt like this book was written on the spot; that Armstrong was there alongside Frank Hurley. He snapped the photos while she jotted the text.
I also liked the maps and sketches of the various routes taken during this 2 year ordeal. The scale provides a perseptive that the text just cannot. I was as hungry at the end of the book as I was at the beginning. I almost wanted to start the book over as soon as I had finished. That is the mark of a great book.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
* Starred review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: "This unbelievable story is enhanced by the vigorous prose; from the captivating introduction through the epilogue, it is the writing as much as the story that will rivet readers."
* Starred review in PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: "Armstrong's absorbing storytelling, illustrated with dramatic black-and-white photographs, makes this an enthralling adventure."
5. CONNECTIONS
*Before the book is read, have students answer some questions you have put on a ditto sheet: Could you survive on an iceberg? Would you eat a seal? etc.
*Familiarize the students with the Antarctic, including the weather conditions and some of the animals located there, such as seals and penguins. Pull other non-fiction books about the region and have the students talk about the temperature and how cold that would actually be.
*After reading, compare with another book similar to this: TRAPPED BY THE ICE!: SHACKLETON'S AMAZING ANTARCTIC ADVENTURE by Michael McCurdy. How is the writing similar? How is it different? Which book captures your interest more? Why?
McCurdy, Michael. 2004. TRAPPED BY THE ICE!: SHACKLETON'S AMAZING ANTARCTIC ADVENTURE. New York, NY: Walker and Co. ISBN 0802784380
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