I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (I Survived Series #3)

by Lauren Tarshis, Scott Dawson (Illustrator)

Overview

The horror of Hurricane Katrina is brought vividly to life in this fictional account of a boy, a dog, and the storm of the century.

Barry's family tries to evacuate before Hurricane Katrina hits their home in New Orleans. But when Barry's little sister gets terribly sick, they're forced to stay home and wait out the storm.At first, Katrina doesn't seem to be as bad as predicted. But overnight the levees break, and Barry's world is literally torn apart. He's swept away by the floodwaters, away from his family. Can he survive the storm of the century — alone?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545206969
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	03/01/2011
Series:	I Survived Series
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	6,889
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 12.00(h) x 3.60(d)
Lexile:	590L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Lauren Tarshis's New York Times bestselling I Survived series tells stories of young people and their resilience and strength in the midst of unimaginable disasters and times of turmoil. Lauren has brought her signature warmth and exhaustive research to topics such as the battle of D-Day, the American Revolution, Hurricane Katrina, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and other world events. She lives in Connecticut with her family, and can be found online at laurentarshis.com.

Read an Excerpt

From I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005:

All Barry could see as he clung to the tree was water. The water had washed away his whole neighborhood. He tried hard not to imagine what had happened to his mom and dad and little sister, Cleo.

What if they'd all fallen into the water too? What if...

Barry was shaking now. Then he heard a new sound, a cracking and groaning. He stared in shock at what was floating in the water.

A house.

Moving slowly, turning. Its blown-out windows seemed to stare at Barry. The splintered wood looked like teeth in a wide-open mouth.

And it was coming right at him.

Editorial Reviews

Tarshis (I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912, 2010, etc.) again transforms a historical event into a fast-paced adventure story appropriate for lower elementary students. This tale begins on that fateful day, Monday, August 29, 2005. Eleven-year old Bobby Tucker is hanging on to an oak tree trying to survive the floodwaters in the Lower Ninth Ward. After the dramatic opening scene, readers are taken back one day in time, to August 28. Life in the Lower Ninth is humming along as usual that day—Bobby and his friend Jay excitedly planning to send in an entry to a nationwide Create a Superhero contest—until evacuation orders convince Bobby's family to head of town. Unfortunately, Bobby's little sister gets so ill that the family has to return home and try to ride out the storm. The author's research and respect for the survivors of Katrina make this a realistic and gripping account that steers clear of sensationalism and sentimentality. Following the main text are "After the Storm: Questions about Katrina" and "Facts about Hurricane Katrina," both ideal for setting young readers who have been enthralled by Bobby's story on a path to discovering more about the true story of Katrina and its aftermath. (Historical fiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews

Tarshis (I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912, 2010, etc.) again transforms a historical event into a fast-paced adventure story appropriate for lower elementary students. This tale begins on that fateful day, Monday, August 29, 2005. Eleven-year old Bobby Tucker is hanging on to an oak tree trying to survive the floodwaters in the Lower Ninth Ward. After the dramatic opening scene, readers are taken back one day in time, to August 28. Life in the Lower Ninth is humming along as usual that day—Bobby and his friend Jay excitedly planning to send in an entry to a nationwide Create a Superhero contest—until evacuation orders convince Bobby's family to head of town. Unfortunately, Bobby's little sister gets so ill that the family has to return home and try to ride out the storm. The author's research and respect for the survivors of Katrina make this a realistic and gripping account that steers clear of sensationalism and sentimentality. Following the main text are "After the Storm: Questions about Katrina" and "Facts about Hurricane Katrina," both ideal for setting young readers who have been enthralled by Bobby's story on a path to discovering more about the true story of Katrina and its aftermath. (Historical fiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews - Kikus Reviews