When the Sky Breaks: Hurricanes, Tornadoes, and the Worst Weather in the World

by Simon Winchester

Overview

New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester looks at which way the wind blows in this exciting book about giant storms.

Simon Winchester is an avid weather watcher. He’s scanned the skies in Oklahoma, waiting for the ominous “finger” of a tornado to touch the Earth. He’s hunkered down in Hong Kong when typhoon warning signals went up. He’s visited the world’s hottest and wettest places, reported on fierce whirlpools, and sailed around South Africa looking for freak winds and waves.

He knows about the worst weather in the world.

A master nonfiction storyteller, Winchester looks at how, when, where, and why hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, and tornadoes start brewing, how they build, and what happens when these giant storms hit. His lively narrative also includes an historical look at how we learned about weather systems and where we’re headed because of climate change. Stunning photographs illustrate the power of these giant storms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780451476357
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	01/31/2017
Series:	Smithsonian
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	10.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	1180L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Simon Winchester is the author of Viking’s When the Earth Shakes: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis, a 2016 NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book. He is the New York Times bestselling author of adult nonfiction, including Pacific; Atlantic; The Men Who United the States; and The Professor and the Madman. Winchester was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to journalism and literature. Read more about him at simonwinchester.com

Hometown:

New York; Massachusetts; Scotland

Date of Birth:

September 28, 1944

Place of Birth:

London, England

Education:

M.A., St. Catherine¿s College, Oxford, 1966

Website:

http://www.simonwinchester.com

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One The Biggest, Baddest Weather
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "When the Sky Breaks"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Simon Winchester.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Young Readers Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

★ "Each section is introduced with a stunning photographic spread, and the text is broken up with clearly captioned photographs . . . Stormy weather elegantly explained." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Praise for When the Earth Shakes:

★ “Powerful writing. . . The visuals, too, are strong. Spectacular photographs are included. . . A must-buy for libraries serving middle school, this title works both as a basic overview of earth science and as a fine example of how to incorporate personal narrative into nonfiction.” —School Library Journal, starred review 

Praise for Simon Winchester:

“Simon Winchester never disappoints . . . Inspiring and engaging.” —Tom Brokaw on The Men Who United the States

"Elegant and scrupulous." —New York Times Book Review on The Professor and the Madman

"Winchester once again demonstrates a keen knack for balancing rich and often rigorous historical detail with dramatic tension and storytelling." —Publishers Weekly, starred review of Krakatoa

"Winchester brings a knowledge as vast and deep as his subject to this history of the Atlantic Ocean." —Entertainment Weekly on Atlantic

"As with every book he's written and narrated, Winchester makes abstruse subjects available and fascinating for every reader and listener." —Publishers Weekly, starred review on The Man Who Loved China

From the Publisher

★ 2017-05-31
Hurricanes, typhoons, and tornadoes bring disaster around the world. In a companion to When the Earth Shakes (2016), journalist-turned-author Winchester explains these destructive weather events in pleasingly polished prose. A short introduction documents his increasing personal fascination with weather phenomena. "The Biggest, Baddest Weather," the first and longest chapter, describes ocean-fueled superstorms using examples both familiar and unfamiliar to his American readers and weaving in explanations of formation, behavior, and prediction. He demonstrates that the effects of hurricanelike storms can be measured through human lives lost, property destroyed, economic cost, and, physically, through wind speed and minimum air pressures. He shows his readers how El Niño­­ and the Southern Ocillation affect the weather all over the world. In "America's National Storm" he turns his attention to tornadoes, demonstrating the geographical reasons for their prevalence in the central part of this country and describing ways some Native American peoples historically dealt with these events. In conclusion, he discusses climate changes and posits his hope that the Pacific Ocean can help ameliorate the worst effects of global warming. Each section is introduced with a stunning photographic spread, and the text is broken up with clearly captioned photographs. The language may challenge some of his intended readers, but his subject is so compelling and the packaging so engaging, his audience will surely persevere. Stormy weather elegantly explained. (recommended reading, acknowledgements, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews