Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of “The Children's Ship"

A true story of the German attack on the British passenger liner, the SS City of Benares, “Torpedoed” is an engaging account of the sinking of this historic ship during World War II. Also called “the Children’s Ship,” this liner was transporting many children attempting to escape war, making the journey from Britain to Canada. The book’s many details, as well as supplemental historical, primary-source documents and photographs enable readers to visualize the text and engage with the narrative in more depth. Suitable for students in Grade 6–12, this resource may be used to teach about the historic event and to explore and analyze the included documents for meaning, bias, and/or reliability. Students could also make judgements about acceptable wartime actions and study the structure of a creative non-fiction novel, thinking about and responding to the story critically, creatively, and reflectively.