58 pages • 1 hour read
Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of "The Children's Ship"
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Background
Authorial Context: Deborah Heiligman and Middle-Grade Nonfiction
Deborah Heiligman is a celebrated author of children’s books who is especially known for her nonfiction texts aimed at young readers. She began writing for the Scholastic News magazine after graduating from Brown University and fell in love with writing for children. Heiligman has since published dozens of books for children of all ages. She writes both fiction and nonfiction, from picture books for young children to chapter books for adolescents. Heiligman aims to make history engaging and accessible to young readers by exploring the private lives of some of history’s most enduring figures, including Charles Darwin, Vincent Van Gogh, and Emma Goldman. Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of “The Children’s Ship” is one of Heiligman’s most celebrated works, compiling the stories of numerous survivors from the City of Benares to create an engaging introduction to World War II.
Historical Context: World War II
World War II was a global conflict that took place between 1939 and 1945. It was the largest and deadliest conflict in human history, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 70-85 million people, many of whom were innocent civilians. The war’s causes are manifold and difficult to pin down, but historians agree that World War I, which ended in 1918, had left the world with many unresolved problems.
