Voyage on the Great Titanic facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Ellen Emerson White |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Dear America |
| Genre | Young adult fiction |
| Publisher | Scholastic Inc., New York |
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Publication date
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1998 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 202 |
| ISBN | 0-590-96273-6 |
| LC Class | PZ |
| Preceded by | Standing in the Light |
| Followed by | A Line in the Sand |
Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady, RMS Titanic, 1912 is a historical novel by Ellen Emerson White. It is the eleventh book in the popular Dear America series. The story was first published in 1998. A new edition with different cover art came out in 2010.
Contents
About the Story
This book tells the story of Margaret Ann Brady, a 13-year-old girl. Margaret is an orphan whose parents passed away when she was eight. She lives in a girls' orphanage and dreams of a better life. Her older brother, William, lives in America. Margaret hopes he will earn enough money to send for her one day.
One day, Margaret's life changes. A rich woman named Mrs. Carstairs needs a travel companion. The job is simple: help Mrs. Carstairs get dressed and walk her dog. Margaret quickly accepts this exciting new opportunity.
Boarding the Titanic
Soon, Margaret and Mrs. Carstairs board the famous Titanic. This ship was new and very grand. People called it "unsinkable." Margaret is a first-class passenger. She has always lived a simple life. So, she is amazed by the ship's luxury.
On board, Margaret becomes good friends with a young steward named Robert. A steward is like a helper for passengers. Their friendship grows very close. They are both a bit shy to show how much they care.
The Ship's Fate
Everything is going well until one night, April 14, 1912. Mrs. Carstairs and Margaret wake up to a big shake and loud noise. Robert tells them the ship has hit an iceberg. He tells them to put on their lifebelts.
The two women quickly go up to the deck. They are shocked to see the ship sinking fast. Margaret does not want to leave Robert. He is part of the crew and must stay on the ship. She runs back to find him.
Margaret finds Robert sitting alone. She tries to get him to come with her. But Robert says he cannot leave his post. They share a sad goodbye.
Survival and New Beginnings
Margaret is quickly put into a lifeboat. The small boat floats for many hours. Finally, another ship rescues them. Everyone, including Margaret, gets help for being cold and tired.
Margaret hopes Robert survived. But later in the book, it is revealed he did not. He went down with the Titanic. Margaret is very sad about Robert's death. But she decides to live her life fully, for him.
After arriving safely in America, Margaret is reunited with her brother, William. He had heard about the Titanic sinking. He also heard Margaret survived. But he needed to see her to believe it.
Margaret and William go to their new home. Margaret asks if they can get a cat. William agrees and says they can even get two cats.
Life After the Titanic
In the end of the story, Margaret continues to live with William. She starts college but leaves when William gets hurt in World War I. He recovers, but Margaret does not go back to college.
Margaret writes letters to Mrs. Carstairs, who also writes back. But they never see each other again. Margaret always feels sad about surviving the Titanic. She never travels by boat after that.
Later, Margaret gets married and has three children. She names one of her children "Robert." This is to remember her first love. Margaret lives a long life. She passes away peacefully in 1994 at 95 years old.
