Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of the "Children Ship" - Excellence in Nonfiction Award


 






Torpedoed by Deborah Heiligman is a true story that takes place during World War II in England.  During this time, there was intense bombing, so parents decided to send their children across the ocean on a ship to find safety, even though traveling through the Atlantic Ocean during this time was at risk for getting attacked by German submarines.  In the September of 1940, the worst imaginable happened.  The ship, City of Baneras, was attacked by a torpedo.  On the ship were two hundred passengers, half of them children.  The passengers are forced onto the lifeboats in the dark night as the ship begins to sink.  While waiting for lifeboats, the survivors recount clinging on for life through the cold water and the stormy night.  When help finally arrives, on lifeboat is mistakenly left behind.  Therefore, the rescue continues on for eight more days.  

In Torpedoed, ordinary people become heros.  The book is a page turner, making you wonder what will come next as the survivors narrowly escape the tragic accident.  It is a story of courage and an ode to the ones who lost their lives.

Heiligman, D. (2019). Torpedoed: The true story of the world war ii sinking of "The children's ship". Godwin Books, Henry Holt and Company.

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