Escape from... The Titanic by Mary Kay Carson, illustrated by Nigel Chilvers

 Once the I Survived series took off, there was an immediate burst of similar titles. Some are, in my opinion, far superior (Girls Survive!) and some are just good read-alikes. I would put this latest series, Escape from... into that category.

Written by nonfiction author Mary Kay Carson (at least, that's what she primarily writes in my mind), this is the story of a young Irish girl named Sarah who is returning to America on the Titanic. She's middle class, uncomfortable around her grumpy and prejudiced uncle, and awed by the size and majesty of the ship, not to mention the fabulously wealthy people aboard it. She makes friends with Patrick, an Irish bellboy, and gets to know his family in the third class levels of the ship. Sarah is coming to terms with her own prejudice against her Irish relatives, seen in the light of her uncle's even more antagonistic attitude and her experiences with Patrick's friendly family, when a birthday celebration for herself and Patrick in third class is interrupted by the collision.

Sarah manages to survive in a lifeboat, with the last-minute help of Patrick, but she is traumatized by the horror she has undergone. Miraculously, Patrick and some, but not all, of his family survive. The story is told in alternating viewpoints, both those of Sarah and Patrick, although Patrick's sections are mostly action and a little reflection on his family and their lives. There are "reality checks" at the end of each chapter, which tell readers about whether the events in the story are true or not - was there really a cat who refused to travel on the Titanic? Were crewmembers as young as twelve? Was there prejudice against the Irish in America? Black and white illustrations are also scattered throughout the book and there are additional facts and information about the Titanic at the back.

Sarah's abrupt realization of her own bias and that of others sounds a little too good to be true and the narrative overall is a little choppy and the dialogue often feels forced. However, for readers who have devoured all the I Survived books and will take anything similar or for those who prefer more factual and less emotional and dramatic accounts, this is a good choice.

Verdict: There are at least three titles projected in this series so far; if you already have I Survived and Girls Survive, this is a good additional purchase to offer to younger kids who want historical fiction along those lines.

ISBN: 9781499811667; Published May 2021 by little bee; Borrowed from another library in my consortium