Osborne, Mary Pope (1999). Magic Tree House #17: Tonight on the Titanic. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.Illustrated by Sal Murdocca.
Magic Tree House Series.
Jack and Annie are awakened by rain and a sense of urgency to visit Morgan the magical librarian's tree house in the middle of the night. They do not find Morgan, but a small terrier puppy with a note to find a gift from a ship lost at sea among other things. This gift will help break the spell the magical puppy is under.
And this is how Jack and Annie's adventure on the tragic Titanic begins. When they use information in the book The Unsinkable Ship to get on the Titanic, they find themselves just about to hit the infamous iceberg. They know exactly what happens 3 hours later, but everyone on board does not seem so concerned. They finally manage to convince young passengers Lucy and William O'Malley to board a lifeboat and save their lives. Lucy in turn gives Annie her father's pocket watch as a gift. This gift will help little puppy!
Jack and Annie must now leave the Titanic on the tree house, but they cannot find it! There are only 15 minutes left before the ship sinks and it is dangerously inclined! Then puppy comes to the rescue and saves the day!
Jack and Annie sure kept me on the edge of my seat and reminded me that every time I revisit the Titanic tragedy I once again try and force the ending to change. But of course it never does.
Mary Pope Osborne manages to successfully merge the fictional plight of Jack and Annie with the plight of the historical Titanic with very precise vocabulary and great plot arrangement. Sal Murdocca adds beautiful historically correct illustrations that add a wonderful sense of believability and help the reader visualize the plot so much better.
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