Module 11: Informational Books

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World, by Jennifer Armstrong, is a detailed account of the Antarctic Expedition of Ernest Shackleton and the crew members aboard the Endurance. This is an amazing true story of the men who set out to explore uncharted territory and ended up spending over a year in the hostile Antarctic environment. This book chronicles Shackleton's journey from start to finish and makes excellent use of crew journals, photographs, and primary sources kept in a museum.

Armstrong, J. (2000). Shipwreck at the bottom of the world: The Extraordinary true story of Shackleton and the Endurance. New York: Random House.

Picture Credit: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/jennifer-armstrong/shipwreck-at-bottom-of-world.htm

Impressions:
I'm usually a fan of fiction so I wasn't sure whether or not I would enjoy this book. I also had a vague familiarity with the topic so I decided to go ahead and give it a try. To my complete surprise, I really enjoyed it. Armstrong describes Shackleton's journey in great detail and interjects her well-written narrative with information concerning different aspects of exploration. Armstrong's informational writing is not at all dry, but is every bit as interesting as her narrative. The events of this journey are so remarkable that sometimes it's hard to remember that everything is true. There is never a boring or slow moment in this book.

Reviews:

“When their ship, Endurance, became icebound in Antarctica and sank in 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his 27 crewmen were 100 miles from land. Unbelievably, they all survived. At first, the men played on the ice to kill time, but after Endurance sank, they took to their life boats, and spent a year and a half traveling over ice, water, and mountains to reach safety. Taylor Mali's narration of the book by Jennifer Armstrong (Crown, 1998) is riveting, and his shifts from one accent to the next are effective and not at all distracting. The text moves from diary entries to explanations of how to read the sun, and the descriptions of the terrain and weather are superb. This is a very effective presentation of not only how the disaster occurred, but of the toll it took on the crew and how they rose to the challenge.” –Moesch, C. (2000). No title. [Review of the book Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance by J. Armstrong]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from Bowker’s Books in Print.

“Filled with intriguing details and written with dramatic style, this riveting account of the ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition reads like an adventure novel. In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton attempted to be the first explorer to cross Antarctica by foot "from sea to sea." On the eve of World War I, he set out with a crew of scientists and sailors on a specially designed ship, Endurance, but he and his team never reached their objective. The ship became entrapped in ice, and the men were forced to abandon their mission and try to survive in the brutally harsh Antarctic wasteland for 19 months. Thanks to Shackleton's leadership, the bravery of his crew, and a lot of luck, everyone survived. The astonishing circumstances of their ordeal include a treacherous hike across miles of frozen wasteland, an 800-mile open-boat journey through savage seas, and a perilous trek across the uncharted mountain ranges of South Georgia Island. Armstrong brings all of these experiences vividly to life, frequently using quotes from members of the expedition. Excellent black-and-white photographs taken during the journey document the entire adventure story. Elizabeth Cody Kimmel's Ice Story (Clarion, 1999) has larger and more plentiful photographs but Armstrong's text is far more engaging. Kimmel relates all of the facts skillfully, but Armstrong crafts them into an unforgettable story of true heroism and the triumph of the human spirit. A book that will capture the attention and imagination of any reader.”—Sullivan, E. (2010). No title. [Review of the book Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance by J. Armstrong.]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from Bowker’s Books in Print.

Suggestions:

This book would fit perfectly in a display about historical explorations. Additionally, it could also be used in displays about other survivor stores. I had a hard time thinking of an interesting activity to go along with this book, namely because it would take longer than one sitting to read through.