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Capsized!
Capsized!

Capsized!

The Forgotten Story of the SS Eastland Disaster

JUVENILE NONFICTION

176 Pages, 5.5 x 8.5

Formats: EPUB, PDF, Mobipocket, Trade Paper

Trade Paper, $12.99 (US $12.99) (CA $17.99)

Publication Date: July 2020

ISBN 9781641603126

Rights: WOR

Chicago Review Press (Jul 2020)

eBook

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Overview

A fascinating historical account of courage and tragedy on the Chicago River

On July 24, 1915, the SS Eastland, filled to capacity with 2,500 aboard, capsized in the Chicago River while still moored to the pier. The disaster took more passenger lives than the Titanic and stands today as the greatest loss of life on the Great Lakes. Capsized! details the events leading up to the fateful day of the disaster and provides a nail-biting, minute-by-minute account of the ship’s capsizing. It also raises critical-thinking questions for young readers: Why do we know so much about Titanic’s sinking and yet so little about the Eastland disaster? Why was no one ever held responsible for this catastrophe? What lessons from this disaster might we be able to apply today?

Reviews

"A true disaster story rivetingly told." —Kirkus Reviews

"A badly designed ship, a careless captain, and decks jammed with 2,500 passengers are a recipe for disaster. Patricia Sutton describes the tragic launching of the SS Eastland in a dramatic, riveting narrative filled with the vivid firsthand accounts of those onboard that brings readers along on a harrowing day trip." —Jim Murphy, author of Newbery Honor titles The Great Fire and An American Plague

“A riveting page-turner sure to grab readers’ attention. Patricia Sutton’s well-researched Capsized! will leave you shocked, saddened, and unable to put it down."  —Kate Hannigan, author of The Detective’s Assistant

“Through meticulous research and vivid prose, Sutton brings to life the little-known story of the Eastland ship disaster. Based on firsthand accounts of passengers, ship workers and bystanders, readers can experience the people and events that led to the sinking of the fastest steamship on the Great Lakes and its tragic aftermath.” —Claire Rudolf Murphy, author of Gold Rush Women and Marching with Aunt Susan
 
 


"The narrative-driven account, filled with quotes from individuals and newspapers, historical photos, and trial transcripts, is engaging and accessible...Extensive source notes, which account for every quote, as well as a bibliography, round out this informative, engrossing title." — Booklist


"Capsized! is an excellent book for historical research and highly recommended for both middle and high school libraries." — KidsReads

Author Biography

Patricia Sutton is a former elementary/middle school teacher who coauthored districtwide curriculum for Illinois’s largest school district and was a Golden Apple Award finalist for teacher excellence in the Chicago area. She is a member of SCBWI and lives in Madison, Wisconsin.