No Moon is a story about Louisa, a nursemaid who finds herself in charge of two young children while their family sails on the Titanic. Threading factual information about the early twentieth century within a personal narrative format, Watts gives a general overview of what life was like in the early twentieth century within a story that tells of the tragedy of the Titanic. In some ways, I was disappointed by this book, but I can see how that might be useful for introducing children to the subject of the Titanic and the early 1900s.

The Good Things:

This is a great book for children who are reluctant or beginning readers. The story is simple, easy to follow, short, and moves along quickly. It provides a nice contrast between the people of the working-class and upper-class in England during the early twentieth century, and even hints at the burgeoning of the women's rights movement. I could see elementary school teachers reading this aloud in their class to complement a history unit for this time period. It brings up a lot of things to reflect and learn about, such as women's rights, marriage practices, work practices, family dynamics, etc., which makes it a great starter for a unit.

The Bad Things:

As an adult reader, I was a little disappointed in story's lack of complexity. I think that the emotional response of the Titanic's sinking could have been explored further. Instead, the characters said something along the lines of, "Oh, this is so terrible!" And then the story moved on. On a related note, the characters also seemed over-simplified, and I would have liked to see more growth or change within the side characters.

Overall, I think this is a great introduction to the story of the Titanic and it introduces topics that children could research and explore on their own. It'd be a good pleasure read for kids interested in the subject, but I could definitely see elementary school teachers using this in their classroom as an introduction to early twentieth century England and the Titanic.

*I was provided a free copy of this book from the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.* ( )

Excellent historical fiction with the Titanic central to the story but it's especially notable for vividly depicting the rigid class divisions of the time. ( )

Most of us know the story of the Titanic. Few have told the story, like Irene Watts in No Moon, from the perspective of a fourteen-year-old nursemaid, Louisa. The book is written for ages 10 and up and is a great opportunity for the younger generation to read about what happened that fateful night. Louisa's story not only relates historical facts, it also teaches children about courage, self-reliance and rising above one's circumstances. ( )

No Moon is 14-year-old nurserymaid Louisa's story. Louisa feels lucky to land the job and enjoys taking care of the family's two little girls, but has to work hard to please tyrannical Nanny MackIntosh. She's looking forward to a respite when the family plans a cruise to New York with Nanny and the girls, until Nanny breaks her leg. But Louisa has been afraid of the sea since her little brother drowned at the seaside when she was small. Recommended for "Upstairs, Downstairs", "Downton Abbey" and "Titanic" fans. ( )

I thought that I had a lot of knowledge about the Titanic but this book tells the story from a different perspective from anything else I have read. The main character, Louisa, is a young girl of 14 and this is a story about her life with her family before she boards the ship. The reader gets to know her and her family and the struggles they go through to survive life. Louisa was not supposed to go on this ocean trip but circumstances change at the last minute and she has to go as the nanny for the family she is working for.

Even though this is touted as a book about the Titanic, it is a back story to the main story of this young girl in England at the time of the sailing. I really enjoyed this book! ( )