Nonfiction Book Review #2

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Armstrong, Jennifer. 1998. SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD: THE EXTRAORDINARY TRUE STORY OF SHACKLETON AND THE ENDURANCE. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0517800136

2. PLOT SUMMARY
SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD is a recount of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition team that set out to be the first to cross Antarctica from one side to the other. The team consisted of Ernest Shackleton and 27 other men. They never even made it to land. Their ship became trapped in the ice 100 miles off shore in 1914. Jennifer Armstrong tells of their survival and journey to land that took a year and a half.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD is the winner of the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction. It is also an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book. Jennifer Armstrong does an amazing job at bringing the story to life. The reader feels as if they were really there, as they get to know the men and the experiences they went through.

The book is well organized and easy to use with a Contents page containing the section titles and page numbers, and an Index with illustrations’ page numbers in boldface. It is also well documented with bibliographical references, divided by the following topics: Antarctica, navigation, and general; Shackleton; and Periodical. This makes it easy for a reader to consult the author’s sources if they want further information on this subject. On page 128, Armstrong has an Acknowledgments page where she mentions the books she used as sources, including Shackleton’s own writings and books on Antarctica. Finally, Armstrong’s work is credible because of the assistance she obtained from the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, England. The Institute has a library and archival material from the ship Endurance, including the captain’s logbook and the original photos taken by the expedition’s photographer, Frank Hurley.

At the beginning of the book, there is a photograph of the members of the expedition and then a list of the men’s names and positions. Then, we get two pages of the sketches of Endurance’s original plans and a little excerpt of the history of Endurance. Next, there are two maps provided by Kayley LeFaiver. One is an overall map of Antarctica, with the paths of past expeditions to the South Pole marked. The second map is of the Endurance Expedition and the path of the ship and men from 1914 to 1916. The maps include the dates of significant events during the expedition. Finally, there is a quotation by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, a polar explorer, in 1922. This quote sums up the feelings of men for the expedition leader, Shackleton: “For scientific discovery, give me Scott; for speed and efficiency of travel, give me Amundsen; but when disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.”

The reader is immediately drawn into the book with Armstrong’s opening statement: “Just imagine yourself in the most hostile place on earth” and then goes on with a powerful description of the Antarctic environment and climate. She caps off the section with the news that in 1915, 28 men were stranded there and “They all survived.” This first page creates an interest for the reader because now they are going to want to know how these men survived. Then, at the end of the book, Armstrong includes an Epilogue so the reader learns about the fate of the men when they finally returned home.

The use of many details makes this book interesting to read. First, Armstrong makes many comparisons in order for the reader to get a sense of the actual conditions and environment of Antarctica. For example, when describing the 346 miles the men would have to walk to get to Paulet Island, the author tells us that it “more than the distance between Boston and New York City, almost as far as from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and the entire width of Iowa” (p. 51). We also get a comparison of the ship surrounded by ice from one of the men, Orde-Lees. He writes that they were stuck “like an almond in the middle of a chocolate bar” (p. 24). When describing the Southern Ocean during the winter, the author uses personification for a dramatic effect: “Winds scream over the waves. The sun retreats in horror” (p. 82). In addition, Armstrong does not just write out the facts. She also shares fun stories about the men. I laughed when reading about the men having a mock trial and “Worsley was accused of stealing a trouser button from the offering plate of a Presbyterian church” (p. 33-34). I also enjoyed the toast that always accompanied the drinks, “To our sweethearts and wives—may they never meet!” (p. 134).

Armstrong also included personal remarks and observations from the crewmembers through their journal entries. For example, Shackleton writes of his worries and concerns during the trying times of waiting to get off the ice: “The last day of the old year: May the new one bring us good fortune, a safe deliverance from this anxious time, and all good things to those we love so far away” (pg. 65). Finally, Armstrong puts in these mini lessons at the beginning of each section. We learn about the race to the South Pole, the history of Antarctica (it was part of Gondwana, a super continent, 160 million years ago), and interesting facts (Antarctica contains 90% of the earth’s ice and that there are 80 kinds of ice). We also learn about iceblink and water sky, about salt water turning to ice and how it is made drinkable. The author defines new terms for the reader (“Old Jamaica” is sailors’ slang for the sun). Armstrong does slip in a little anthropomorphism when she describes how the “Emperor penguins bowed formally to the ship and crew as they passed. Adelie penguins surveyed them from passing icebergs and called, “Clark! Clark!” -which was the name of the expedition’s biologist” (p. 17).

SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD contains reproductions of the actual photos from the expedition. Frank Hurley was the Expedition Photographer and he took over 400 pictures of their ordeal. When the Endurance sank, he had to get rid of most of the plates because they were too heavy. However, he did keep 150 of them. The pictures make the story more real to the reader by allowing them to see the actually conditions that these men were in. Of course, all of the photos are in black and white, which makes them even more clear and dramatic. The front cover is a picture of the men harnessed and pulling one of the boats across the ice. The title page contains a dramatic picture of the ship Endurance trapped in the ice. I thought it was a negative, until I read later on in the book that it was not a negative. Finally, the picture captions are also full of interesting tidbits of information.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“Armstrong's absorbing storytelling, illustrated with dramatic black-and-white photographs, makes this an enthralling adventure.”

School Library Journal (Starred Review)
“A book that will capture the attention and imagination of any reader.”Kirkus Review (Pointer)
“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.”

Horn Book
“Ernest Shackleton's extraordinary 1914-1916 Antarctic expedition was, in Jennifer Armstrong's words, "one of the most incredible feats of survival ever recorded.” The elements of the story make for fascinating reading: a courageous and inspiring leader; a foundered ship swallowed by ice; a stalwart crew stranded on shifting ice floes; a final, daring-beyond-description rescue effort in an open boat through eight hundred miles of hurricane-blown seas and on foot over an uncharted mountain range. Each of these captivating accounts should find an audience--Armstrong's for the detail-oriented, want-to-know-it-all...”

5. CONNECTIONS
This book would be great to use during a world history lesson or even a geography lesson.
*Activities with this book:
-Do a Breaking News piece, where the children create news pieces to deliver on air (can be video taped). One, for example, cam be: “Here’s John reporting on the breaking news of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition’s amazing survival.” and then a child reads a report.
-Have children create a scrapbook of items that were on the Endurance ship and/or make their own map of the Expedition’s path of travels starting and ending in England.
-Divide up the students and have each group pick a person or topic from the book that they want to learn more about. Have them research the topic in other books, websites, and documents, and then have them present the information to the class. Some possible topics include a biography of Shackleton or any of the other men, Endurance and ships in general, the continent of Antarctica, etc.

Sorry this post was so long. There were so many details I wanted to share!
Happy Reading!
Lonnie