Crossing on Time: Steam Engines, Fast Ships, and a Journey to the New World
CCBC Review:
In 1957, ten-year-old David Macaulay crossed from England to the United States with his family on the ocean liner SS United States, which had earned the Blue Riband for fastest transatlantic crossing on its first transatlantic journey in 1952. Here, Macaulay describes the early development of ocean liners powered by steam, and various ships that held the Blue Riband prior to the SS United States, before introducing ship designer William Francis Gibbs, who was determined to build a ship that could take the prize. Gibbs’s efforts were sidetracked by World War II, but after the war he designed and oversaw the building of the United States. The process is chronicled with keen detail culminating in a six-panel foldout showing a cutaway of the completed ship. Macaulay’s experience traveling on the ocean liner with his mother and two younger siblings adds another, vivid layer of human dimension to the story, and he capture a child’s eye view of the ship and its wonders. In addition to detailed drawings, there are black-and-white photos, including of the author’s family on their journey, incorporated into the end matter. ©2020 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by David Macaulay
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-14
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Substantial Narrative Non-Fiction
Subjects:
20th Century
Art and Artists
Autobiography/Memoir
Competitions and Contests
History (Nonfiction)
Vehicles and Transportation
Publisher:
Roaring Brook
Publish Year: 2019
Pages: 127
ISBN: 9781596434776
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 623 Macaulay