Shipwrecks

Shipwrecks is an informational report.  The text describes how failures of a vessel, mistakes, and bad weather can account for shipwrecks.  Readers learn about discoveries of long ago shipwrecks, from a 2000-year-old wreck to famous wrecks such as the Titanic.  The style is informative and conversational.

The book has a table of contents and is divided into five sections, an introduction and four sections supporting the main idea.  The text is composed of a variety of sentence types.  Captioned and labelled photographs and illustrations support the text and add meaning.  Definitions of specialized vocabulary appear in boxes on the page where the word is used.  An index is provided.  The book concludes with a two-page spread that provides the characteristics of a report, including a topic, headings, supporting information, and visuals.

Some words such as capsize, reef, rigging, channel, and beeswax may require clarification.  The adjectives bad, modern, violent, and icy are used.  The pronouns it, they, its, her, and there are used.  The suffixes -est, -ly, and -ous appear.

This title is from the Sails Literacy series. Hook readers and ignite their curiosity - over 700 levelled texts with bright, colourful, sophisticated designs.