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mini_margaritta's review against another edition
4.0
I read this with my 7 year old and we loved it. It was a great introduction to historical fiction. The writer did a good job with teaching about some of the facts with out the sad gory details. You would get little hints of what was happening when it talked about "hearing screaming" or glimpses of things, but that helped show the reality of the situation.
My son loved reading about the main character and his life. Although some of it was a stretch it had to be in order for it to have a happy ending. I was able to have a discussion with my son on how would he have handled some situations. He was intrigued by the facts and wanted a little more history behind the actual event. We are looking forward to reading more of these together.
My son loved reading about the main character and his life. Although some of it was a stretch it had to be in order for it to have a happy ending. I was able to have a discussion with my son on how would he have handled some situations. He was intrigued by the facts and wanted a little more history behind the actual event. We are looking forward to reading more of these together.
kiralovesreading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
itaby's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
paigemorfitt's review against another edition
This book was an interesting take on Katrina. I read it a few days (and a few books ago) and can't remember my first thoughts, but I think it's a good book for kids/teens who are not taught what happened. It's also a good book for them to start off at. Though remembering now, I think there was a loss of opportunity regarding the aftermath of Katrina and how after people were rescued from flood waters there was a lot more to deal with.
hermionegranger780's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This book is really short and I know it’s way too easy for me however I want to learn about some of the different disasters of the world and I started with Hurricane Katrina. This book jumps right in. And is action packed for 2/3 of the story. The sad thing is that this book may be fiction but what really happened is anything but fictional. So reading this is hard in a different kind of way. What’s nice is at the end of the book the author gives her view on the disaster and real facts. Even though this is a very sad disaster I still give it a 5 star review.
kidlitlove's review against another edition
4.0
I read this to my students as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma were battling our shores. It gave a good overview of the issues the people of New Orleans had to deal with.
bookishrealm's review against another edition
4.0
For some reason I have this idea in my head that I need to work through popular children book series. This series in particular circulates very well at libraries and is almost impossible to keep on the shelf. With fictional characters woven into actual historical catastrophes, Tarshis creates books that are both fun and accessible to a younger audience.
I Survived Hurricane Katrina is a close look at the events the preceded and proceeded the hurricane in 2005. I still remember all of the new reports that came in after the hurricane passed over New Orleans. There are still images that I can't get out of my head. Tarshis takes the events of this catastrophe and creates a fictional story that follows Barry and his family as they try to evacuate. Unfortunately, they are unable to make it out in time and Barry is ultimately separately from his family forced to survive the storm by himself.
What I loved most about this story was Tarshis' ability to utilize writing to re-create what others may have experienced during the hurricane. It's clear that she spent a lot of time researching and thinking about how to effectively create a narrative that was both accessible and easy to follow for children, but doesn't stray far from the facts of the actual events. The pure terror that is captured in Barry's character was especially hard to read as a parent, but I'm sure is true to what a lot of families experienced that day. The story also has these amazing illustrations that help paint a clearer picture of the events for younger readers. Tarshis also includes author notes with questions that are still asked today. Why did it take so long for the government to respond? And if they knew the storm was going to be bad, why didn't they take the necessary precautions to make sure the people of New Orleans were provided with safety? I have my own personal thoughts about the answers to these questions, but I'm glad that Tarshis was even willing to put them out there. One of the final things that stood out to me was Tarshis acknowledging that it was impossible for her to feel comfortable including a happy ending to this story after all of her research. It is clear that this is a story/event that impacted her greatly.
Overall, this was a great pick from the series. I'm excited to dive into the rest of the books and learn more about these disasters that have happened all over the world. This would be a great series to check for kids that around 3rd-4th grade especially if they love history.
I Survived Hurricane Katrina is a close look at the events the preceded and proceeded the hurricane in 2005. I still remember all of the new reports that came in after the hurricane passed over New Orleans. There are still images that I can't get out of my head. Tarshis takes the events of this catastrophe and creates a fictional story that follows Barry and his family as they try to evacuate. Unfortunately, they are unable to make it out in time and Barry is ultimately separately from his family forced to survive the storm by himself.
What I loved most about this story was Tarshis' ability to utilize writing to re-create what others may have experienced during the hurricane. It's clear that she spent a lot of time researching and thinking about how to effectively create a narrative that was both accessible and easy to follow for children, but doesn't stray far from the facts of the actual events. The pure terror that is captured in Barry's character was especially hard to read as a parent, but I'm sure is true to what a lot of families experienced that day. The story also has these amazing illustrations that help paint a clearer picture of the events for younger readers. Tarshis also includes author notes with questions that are still asked today. Why did it take so long for the government to respond? And if they knew the storm was going to be bad, why didn't they take the necessary precautions to make sure the people of New Orleans were provided with safety? I have my own personal thoughts about the answers to these questions, but I'm glad that Tarshis was even willing to put them out there. One of the final things that stood out to me was Tarshis acknowledging that it was impossible for her to feel comfortable including a happy ending to this story after all of her research. It is clear that this is a story/event that impacted her greatly.
Overall, this was a great pick from the series. I'm excited to dive into the rest of the books and learn more about these disasters that have happened all over the world. This would be a great series to check for kids that around 3rd-4th grade especially if they love history.
zapkode's review against another edition
5.0
{My thoughts} – Barry and his family are part of the many that ended up being trapped in New Orleans when hurricane Katrina had hit. They had tried to evacuate the city but the roads were nearly impassable and then his sister ended up getting really sick in the car. Their parents decided it would be best to go back to their house and hope that his sister would feel better and they’d be able to leave later.
That night the storm hit. It got so bad that the lever broke and the town started to quickly flood. Barry had fallen asleep on the couch and something had woke him. He screamed and his dad helped him to the stairs. Eventually the end up in their attic and his dad has to bust through the roof with an axe.
Once they are up their something happens and Barry ends up in the water. A majority of the book covers the time he spends separated from his family. The fact that he and his family aren’t together makes things really hard on him, but he finds reasons and ways to stay strong.
This book is a really nice addition to the series. As an individual that has been effected by the flooding although not nearly as serious as what had happened in New Orleans, I can understand how Barry felt. I can understand and visualize the aftermath of the storm described within the pages of this book.
I look forward to reading more books in this series in the near future.
That night the storm hit. It got so bad that the lever broke and the town started to quickly flood. Barry had fallen asleep on the couch and something had woke him. He screamed and his dad helped him to the stairs. Eventually the end up in their attic and his dad has to bust through the roof with an axe.
Once they are up their something happens and Barry ends up in the water. A majority of the book covers the time he spends separated from his family. The fact that he and his family aren’t together makes things really hard on him, but he finds reasons and ways to stay strong.
This book is a really nice addition to the series. As an individual that has been effected by the flooding although not nearly as serious as what had happened in New Orleans, I can understand how Barry felt. I can understand and visualize the aftermath of the storm described within the pages of this book.
I look forward to reading more books in this series in the near future.