Ice Wreck

From Booklist
Gr. 2-4. Shackleton's heart-pounding expedition and rescue comes vividly to life in this beginning chapter book. Each exciting stage in the ordeal is told in simple, descriptive language. The text is filled with interesting facts about Antarctica and survival in an arctic climate, and it creates a solid, heroic portrait of Shackleton. Chapters end with just the right hooks to propel readers forward. Angular paintings by David LaFleur ably illustrate the action and treacherous conditions, but it's the scattered black-and-white photos that will intrigue children most, showing the boat precariously encased in ice and a nice shot of Shackleton himself. Steer more confident readers on to Elizabeth Cody Kimmel's Into the Ice (1999). A fine entry in the Road to Reading series. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
In 1914, Captain Ernest Shackleton and his crew set out for the South Pole. They never made it. Within sight of land, the ship ran into dangerous waters filled with chunks of ice. Then the sea froze around them, and there was no hope of rescue. The incredible true story of an eighteen-month odyssey. Mile 4 Road to Reading books help kids take the plunge into more complicated stories. Bite-size chapters make these books more challenging while the full-color artwork helps readers understand the text.

From the Inside Flap
A hundred years ago, Ernest Shackleton and his crew set out for the South Pole. They never made it. Within sight of land, the ship ran into dangerous waters filled with chunks of ice. Then the sea froze around them! There was no hope of rescue. Could Shackleton find a way to save himself and his men?
“Well-written and packed with illustrations and photographs, this amazing tale of the will to survive under unthinkable circumstances will amaze kids and keep them glued to every page.”—Dallas Morning News
“Shackleton’s heart-pounding expedition and rescue comes vividly to life in this beginning chapter book.”—Booklist
Lucille Recht Penner is the author of many nonfiction books for kids, including Dinosaur Babies, and Monster Bugs, in Random House’s Step into Reading program. Two of her titles were named Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Books. The author lives in Tucson, AZ.


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The amazing Antarctic survival story of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew is the basis for this transitional chapter book. Shackleton and his crew of 27 were attempting to cross the continent of Antarctica in 1914, when their ship, the "Endurance", became stuck in the ice. They stayed with the ship for seven months, camped on ice floes for five months, and then rowed in small lifeboats to a distant island. Their saga continued as Shackleton and four of the men continued on to another island to get help for the rest of the crew, and all the crew members survived the 18-month ordeal. Penner does a serviceable job of summarizing a complex story in brief chapters, with short sentences that convey the information with a sense of excitement and inherent danger. A few black-and-white photographs from the actual expedition are included (without captions), supplemented with LaFleur's coordinating illustrations in icy blues and lavenders. Several books for young readers on the Shackleton saga have been published in the last few years, including two well-received volumes by Jennifer Armstrong and an easy reader in Random House's Step into Reading series (Monica Kulling's "Sea of Ice: The Wreck of the Endurance", 1999). Still, kids do love disaster books, and this story has all the drawing power of a disaster without the unhappy ending (except for the poor sled dogs). "(Easy reader/nonfiction. 6-9)


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