On the shelf: The Watch that Ends the Night

By Courtney Warren

School has officially started, which means less time to read more books…or does it? I’ve started a free reading time in my classroom and let my students choose my most recent read, which was The Watch that Ends the Night by Allan Wolf. This is a book that has been sitting on my shelf for quite some time now. I even had a copy for my classroom at Canton Academy, but yet it collected dust. Finally, one of my students picked it up off of the shelf and left it on my desk, which prompted me to read it during our daily free read time. 

I am so glad I did. 

This book tells the story of the Titanic through poems. However, these aren’t just regular poems–it’s the voices of those on the ship. From the first class passengers to the undertaker who pulled bodies from the water to the rats and finally the iceburg itself, the Titanic is documented from the time it leaves port to its very last moments above sea. 

According to the publisher, “Millionaire John Jacob Astor hopes to bring home his pregnant teen bride with a minimum of media scandal. A beautiful Lebanese refugee, on her way to family in Florida, discovers the first stirrings of love. And an ancient iceberg glides south, anticipating its fateful encounter. The voices in this remarkable re-creation of the Titanic disaster span classes and stations, from Margaret (“the unsinkable Molly”) Brown to the captain who went down with his ship; from the lookout and wireless men to a young boy in search of dragons and a gambler in search of marks. Slipping in telegraphs, undertaker’s reports, and other records, poet Allan Wolf offers a breathtaking, intimate glimpse at the lives behind the tragedy, told with clear-eyed compassion and astounding emotional power.”

The author adds in morse code, biographies for those he writes about, and even Titanic miscellany. 

I told my students about what I was reading each day, and, the second I was done, the book was checked out of my classroom library. WHICH IS THE BEST THING EVER. 

If you like history, are fascinated with the story of the Titanic, and enjoy a fresh new way of storytelling, this is the book for you.