Shipwrecked!: Diving for Hidden Time Capsules on the Ocean Floor

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.

Immersive reading. 

"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. (Oct.)

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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. 

In individual chapters, the National Book Award-winning author focuses on seven shipwrecks with perhaps lesser-known recognition but notable historical significance...Most important, however, are the connections made to humans' impact on history, fromtrade routes to technological advances to the horrors of slavery. Photos from the expeditionscenes 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. —Booklist 

A survey of the tools, techniques, and select triumphs of underwater archeology...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. Immersive reading. —Kirkus Reviews