August 1, 2023
Grades 5-8 Noting from the beginning that shipwreck excavations have shifted from "seek and grab" plundering to science-driven explorations, Sandler focuses on the latter and the evolving development of marine archaeology in this absorbing nonfiction narrative. In individual chapters, the National Book Award-winning author focuses on seven shipwrecks with perhaps lesser-known recognition but notable historical significance, including a Bronze Age shipwreck off Turkey's Cape Gelidonya, a fourteenth-century Chinese ship off the coast of South Korea, the slave-trading S�o Jos� Paquete de Africa off of South Africa's Cape Town, and the Civil War submarine H. L. Hunley. In each case, Sandler describes the fascinating discovery of the shipwreck and the emerging science used to identify and recover the sea vessel and its contents. Most important, however, are the connections made to humans' impact on history, from trade routes to technological advances to the horrors of slavery. Photos from the expedition scenes and lengthy sidebars on such topics as the role of women sponge divers on shipwreck discoveries add more insight to this thought-provoking STEM offering.
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September 4, 2023
“Some three million shipwrecks lie on the ocean floor, and along with them, much of human history hides beneath the waves,” writes National Book Award winner Sandler in an immersive narrative nonfiction work that details the history of marine archeology, from the “plunder techniques of the earliest salvagers to... precise and orderly science-driven excavations.” Beginning in 1900 with the “first-ever organized excavation of a shipwreck”—sponge divers’ findings of Greek marble and bronze sculptures off the island Anti-kythera—the work also traces the 1982 raising of Henry VIII’s flagship, the 2011 finding of slave ship São José Paquete de Africa, and the 2022 revelation of the Endurance beneath Antarctic ice. Alongside urgent-sounding text, sidebars introduce topics including haenyeo, human remains, the Middle Passage, and technological inventions that have gradually made wrecks accessible for study and recovery. Filled with photos of artifacts, the excavation process, and vessels recovered, it’s a fascinating read that paints each shipwreck as “a pristine historic time capsule” and marine archaeology as “one of the newest, most dynamic, and most rewarding of all the sciences.” Ages 10–14.
September 15, 2023
A survey of the tools, techniques, and select triumphs of underwater archeology. There are, Sandler writes, about three million shipwrecks on the ocean floor, making it "nothing less than the world's greatest museum." Though getting down there can be hard and dangerous, the rewards can be immense. Along with dramatic descriptions of seven major finds--from the Antikythera Mechanism ("the most extraordinary ancient artifact ever discovered") and the 20,664 porcelain objects (and 28 tons of period coins) recovered from a centuries-old wreck off the South Korean coast to the slave ship S�o Jos� Paquete de Africa, which sank in 1794 along with 212 enslaved people--the author profiles leading figures in the field such as George Bass ("the father of underwater archeology") and author/explorer Clive Cussler. He also adds expansive context with side notes on, for instance, an organization called Diving With a Purpose that specializes in slave-trade archeology and the female Korean free divers called haenyeo. Historical images of ships at sea join photos of artifacts in place or in various stages of preservation to add both drama and visual detail, and along with quick, tantalizing looks at several other significant wrecks, young explorers will find helpful notes and references at the end. Many of the people involved with Diving With a Purpose are Black, the haenyeo are Korean, and Bass, Cussler, and other figures discussed are white. Immersive reading. (source notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 11-13)
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Starred review from October 1, 2023
Gr 5 Up-From bronze statues and an early "computer" found in the Mediterranean Sea to intricate celadon pottery in the Shinan Islands of East Asia, and other significant finds from locations as far-flung as South Africa, South Carolina, and the Arctic Northwest Passage, uncovering wrecked ships has led to major historical revelations. Sandler has chosen specific shipwrecks to illustrate differing circumstances and parts of the world. The dense but intriguing text is broken up by photographs, period paintings, and spotlight boxes that highlight technological information about the ships, the development of tools that enabled their recovery, or unique cultural elements such as the haenyeo: women divers from Korea. As examples of marine archeology, these projects detail inventiveness and scientific knowledge, the historical background, and the diving expertise required to uncover, conserve, and remove artifacts from challenging circumstances for further study. The well-documented text takes information from adult books, some written by the archeologists themselves, and distills it for a younger audience. The ships and voyages had a variety of purposes. One of the most affecting chapters chronicles the fate of enslaved humans aboard the Sao Jose Paquete de Africa, a Portuguese vessel engaged in the slave trade. The Mary Rose and the Hunley were warships. The Erebus and the Terror were on a mission in ice-filled waters searching for the Northwest Passage, and the wrecks were uncovered with significant help from a person knowledgeable about Inuit oral history. VERDICT Full of adventure and numerous explorations of the value of perseverance, this title will capture the attention of readers through a wealth of scientific and historical details.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst
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Starred review from November 1, 2023
Sandler turns his attention to shipwrecks and marine archaeology, selecting seven shipwrecks that collectively present the excitement of solving the mysteries of where each one lies, the latest excavation technologies, and the wealth of historical understanding each wreck yields up. He begins with the discovery of a vessel from ancient times near Crete, which became the first that led to a deliberate excavation after it was located in 1900. From there, he introduces readers to George Bass, who led the first scientific excavation of a shipwreck in 1960 and in the process created the discipline known as marine archaeology. A shipwreck found off the coast of South Africa in the 1980s compels us to "confront and remember the brutal practice of the slave trade." Sandler finds the hook in the story surrounding each wreck, and the stories build upon one another to create a more complete understanding of the field. A final chapter teases nine additional shipwreck stories in brief vignettes. The handsome book design features full-color photographs of recovered artifacts; scientists working to restore ships; sidebars with additional information; and historical paintings, photographs, and maps. Source notes, a select bibliography, and an index are appended. Jonathan Hunt
(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)