Five Epic Disasters (I Survived True Stories #1)

by Lauren Tarshis (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
The "New York Times"-bestselling I Survived series expands to include this thrilling nonfiction exploration of five true stories of survival from some of history's greatest disasters, from the 1912 sinking of the "Titanic" to the 2011 Japanese tsunami.
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School Library Journal

Gr 2-5--Tarshis retells the stories of five natural disasters, including the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, the Children's Blizzard of 1888, and the Henryville Tornado in 2012, from the third-person perspective of a young person who survived each of the events. The narratives are factual yet still lively and suspenseful enough to hook readers. Students will also devour the author's "files," a brief conclusion to each tale that includes maps, fact boxes, survival tips, and her inspiration for each story. For instance, Tarshis relates how she first learned about Walter Allen nearly freezing to death in a prairie blizzard from reading David Laskin's The Children's Blizzard (HarperCollins, 2004). Black-and-white illustrations and photos are numerous and appealing, such as a child holding baseball-sized hail in Henryville and a woman in a long gown working out in the Titanic's fitness room. Students wishing to read lengthier treatments of the disasters will find suggestions at the book's end. Ideal for a high-interest pick or a read-aloud for older students.--Vicki Reutter, State University of New York at Cortland

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for I Survived True Stories: Five Epic Disasters

"The narratives are factual yet still lively and suspenseful enough to hook readers. Ideal for a high-interest pick or a read-aloud for older students." — School Library Journal

Praise for I Survived True Stories: Tornado Terror!

"This high-interest addition to an already beloved series is a no-brainer for elementary school libraries." — School Library Journal
Lauren Tarshis
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.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780545782241
Lexile Measure
930
Guided Reading Level
S
Publisher
Scholastic Inc.
Publication date
September 30, 2014
Series
I Survived True Stories
BISAC categories
JNF038000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | People & Places | General
JNF025140 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | Modern
JNF025250 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | United States/21st Century
Library of Congress categories
Survival
Natural disasters
Disasters

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