The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic

The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices From the Titanic by Allan Wolf. Published by Candlewick Press, 2011.

April 14, 1912. The day the Titanic sank. Multiple viewpoints create a vivid account of the disaster. There are many famous books and movies of the sinking with famous people such as John Astor and Molly Brown. This book has 24 narrators, including some unusual perspectives such as a rat, the coroner, and the iceberg.

The individual narrators each have unique voices. Captain E. J. Smith is full of pride that he has such a prestigious assignment as the culmination of his career. The violinist Jock Hume is annoyed that he is not allowed to improvise and share his music with everyone. Another narrator is telegraph operator Harold Bribe, whose increasingly frantic messages foretold the magnitude of the looming disaster. An unusual narrator is the iceberg. It is a cold, dispassionate presence inserted between many of the entries.

The Undertaker, who dealt with the bodies as they were retrieved from the water had a very overwhelming job- try to identify the body and determine cause of death. Each time he was brought a new body, I found myself hoping that it wouldn’t be one of the other narrators who I had grown to care about through the book. Statistically, I knew they were unlikely to survive. The plight of the refugees and the extremely high loss of life among the third class passengers were especially poignant.

This historical fiction with multiple narrators will appeal to a wide audience.  Recommended grades 8 and up.

Visit author Alan Wolf's website

The Girl of Fire and Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson. Published by Greenwillow Books, 2011.

Elisa is the Godstone bearer, chosen by God for a life of service. Elisa doesn’t know exactly why she has been selected by God or even what she is supposed to be doing. She is the second daughter of a King, but she has never enjoyed life at court. Elisa doesn’t know exactly why she has been selected by God or even what she is supposed to be doing. She feels inferior to her pretty, confident sister.

Elisa spends her 16^th birthday getting married to a man she has never even met. It is a practical match based on the political needs of her country. Within a few days, she and her new husband have departed for his home. Before Elisa even has time to be homesick, their group is suddenly attacked, resulting in some serious injuries and the death of one of Elisa’s closest confidantes.

Arriving at court, Elisa finds herself in a strange situation. Her engagement and marriage haven’t been announced. Her Godstone is a secret. Her new husband apparently has a girlfriend. The only good thing is she meets a scholarly priest with a wonderful collection of books. When she begins reading one of her favorite military strategy books she notices that the content is different. This inconsistency leads to a huge discovery- information has been systematically and deliberately withheld from her. Her family, tutors and friends have been lying to her for her entire life. This knowledge makes Elisa more determined to learn about the Godstone and the history of the other Godstone bearers.

Elisa’s life is about to go through another change. She is kidnapped and wakes up to find herself the center of a centuries old plot involving armies and secret wars.

This fantasy fiction is recommended for grades 9 and up. 

Visit author Rae Carson's website