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I Survived Graphix #12
I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011 (I Survived Graphic Novel #12)
A beautifully rendered graphic novel adaptation of Lauren Tarshis's bestselling I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011, with text adapted by Georgia Ball and art by Chris Chalk.The disaster felt around the world...It's hard enough that Ben is visiting his dad's hometown in Japan only four months after his death. But one morning, Ben's grief turns to fear when a massive earthquake rocks the quiet coastal village where he's staying. His family narrowly escapes a collapsing house, only to find that the ocean is rising up. Ben and his family are swept away -- and pulled apart -- by a devastating tsunami.Now Ben is alone, stranded in an unfamiliar country thousands of miles from home. Can Ben find enough courage and strength to survive one of the most epic disasters of all time?Lauren Tarshis's New York Times bestselling I Survived series is brought to life like never before in this graphic novel edition. Perfect for readers who prefer the graphic novel format, or for existing fans of the I Survived chapter book series, these graphic novels combine historical facts with high-action storytelling that's sure to keep any reader turning the pages. Includes a nonfiction section at the back with facts and photos about the real-life event.
164 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 5, 2025
293 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Tarshis
134 books1,108 followersLauren Tarshis often wonders how she came to spend most of her waking moments thinking about disasters, as the author of the children's historical fiction series "I Survived." Each book takes readers into the heart of history's most thrilling and terrifying events, including the sinking of the Titanic, the Shark Attacks of 1916, Hurricane Katrina, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the San Francisco earthquake, 9/11, and the Battle of Gettysburg. Writing these books often makes her feel very nervous, as though at any moment a volcano could erupt right outside her window. Then again, she has learned a thing or two about avoiding being eaten by a shark.
Lauren is also the author of the the award-winning Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and its sequel, Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love.
For more information, go to her website: www.LaurenTarshis.com
And check out the I Survived Website: www.Scholastic.com/ISurvived
Lauren is also the author of the the award-winning Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and its sequel, Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love.
For more information, go to her website: www.LaurenTarshis.com
And check out the I Survived Website: www.Scholastic.com/ISurvived
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
November 28, 2025
Just ok overall. Engaging and informative, but not as memorable as the others in the series that I've read. There were some emotional scenes but none that really made an impact.
September 2, 2025
I find these I Survived graphic novels to be very educational!
I will say this one may have been a bit more traumatic than most, including a claustrophobic vehicle entrapment. 😶
This book accurately portrays what an earthquake and tsunami are like and in the back there are several pages of important information about this particular event in history.
I will say this one may have been a bit more traumatic than most, including a claustrophobic vehicle entrapment. 😶
This book accurately portrays what an earthquake and tsunami are like and in the back there are several pages of important information about this particular event in history.
September 20, 2025
Heart-pounding and tragic.
December 30, 2025
This book was well illustrated and really interesting.
I loved that the fathers lessons (he had died recently) were found for his children throughout the book. They faced an earthquake and a tsunami but they stayed calm and made it through, all because of the lessons he taught them about resilience and survival.
The story was so impressive and also really such an informative book for kids and adults alike who face scary circumstances.
Praying for Japan and all the people who face natural disasters often.
I loved that the fathers lessons (he had died recently) were found for his children throughout the book. They faced an earthquake and a tsunami but they stayed calm and made it through, all because of the lessons he taught them about resilience and survival.
The story was so impressive and also really such an informative book for kids and adults alike who face scary circumstances.
Praying for Japan and all the people who face natural disasters often.
September 17, 2025
I just really liked it
November 7, 2025
Graphic novel version of the popular I Survived story on the 2011 Japanese Tsunami.
July 12, 2025
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
Ben, Harry, and their mother visit Shogahoma, Japan after the death of Harry's father in a car accident. He had been in the military, and survived all manner of horrific experiences, so Ben is taking his death especially hard. He's glad to be staying with his father's uncle, but finds that being in Japan makes him think of his father frequently, where at home he had been more successful in not thinking about him. When an earthquake occurs, Ben's fast thinking keeps him and Harry safe under a bed, but the tremor is so extreme that his uncle wants to evacuate immediately. The family piles quickly into their car, but do not get very far before it is swept away by water. The others are pulled through open doors, but Ben is trapped. Thinking about his father's advice, he assesses the situation and manages to kick out the windshield to escape. He is swept along with debris, but comes across his uncle's cat, Nya. When Ben realizes that the water is beginning to recede, he fears the water will drag him out to the ocean, so he manages to jump onto a tree with Nya, and to hold on. Devastation is widespread, but Ben manages to get to a local school, where he encounters Dr. Sato, whom his brother had visited when he had a mishap. Even though Ben doesn't speak Japanese, he is put in charge of watching some of the younger children who have come to the school without their parents. Eventually, the rest of his family shows up. The uncle's house is badly damaged, but he wants to stay in Shogahama. Ben returns home, and is able to deal better with the death of his father, since his memory was helpful to him when he was trying to survive.
It's hard to imagine just how a tsunami works, and this graphic novel representation makes things a little clearer. While the devastation is clearly shown, and there is an inkling that Ben saw a lot of things he would like to forget, there isn't much gore on page. This is good if you want younger readers to enjoy this. The pictures also show how different Japanese houses are, which is not something I picked up from reading the novel version.
The end notes add a lot of information about tsunamis, as well as the Fukushima nuclear disaster that was caused by the tsunami.
The story is well developed, and Ben's grappling with his father's sudden death does work well, since he thinks about some of the difficult situations his father talked about while he was in the military. Ben manages to put these lessons to good use, and also feels that his father will always be with him in spirit.
There aren't a lot of books about tsunamis, but I've read enough to know that if I am ever near the sea and there's an earthquake, I am heading for higher ground as soon as possible. Pair this with Philbrick's Wild Wave, especially if there is a reader who isn't quite understanding how the children in that fantastic adventure book get moved so far inland.
Ben, Harry, and their mother visit Shogahoma, Japan after the death of Harry's father in a car accident. He had been in the military, and survived all manner of horrific experiences, so Ben is taking his death especially hard. He's glad to be staying with his father's uncle, but finds that being in Japan makes him think of his father frequently, where at home he had been more successful in not thinking about him. When an earthquake occurs, Ben's fast thinking keeps him and Harry safe under a bed, but the tremor is so extreme that his uncle wants to evacuate immediately. The family piles quickly into their car, but do not get very far before it is swept away by water. The others are pulled through open doors, but Ben is trapped. Thinking about his father's advice, he assesses the situation and manages to kick out the windshield to escape. He is swept along with debris, but comes across his uncle's cat, Nya. When Ben realizes that the water is beginning to recede, he fears the water will drag him out to the ocean, so he manages to jump onto a tree with Nya, and to hold on. Devastation is widespread, but Ben manages to get to a local school, where he encounters Dr. Sato, whom his brother had visited when he had a mishap. Even though Ben doesn't speak Japanese, he is put in charge of watching some of the younger children who have come to the school without their parents. Eventually, the rest of his family shows up. The uncle's house is badly damaged, but he wants to stay in Shogahama. Ben returns home, and is able to deal better with the death of his father, since his memory was helpful to him when he was trying to survive.
It's hard to imagine just how a tsunami works, and this graphic novel representation makes things a little clearer. While the devastation is clearly shown, and there is an inkling that Ben saw a lot of things he would like to forget, there isn't much gore on page. This is good if you want younger readers to enjoy this. The pictures also show how different Japanese houses are, which is not something I picked up from reading the novel version.
The end notes add a lot of information about tsunamis, as well as the Fukushima nuclear disaster that was caused by the tsunami.
The story is well developed, and Ben's grappling with his father's sudden death does work well, since he thinks about some of the difficult situations his father talked about while he was in the military. Ben manages to put these lessons to good use, and also feels that his father will always be with him in spirit.
There aren't a lot of books about tsunamis, but I've read enough to know that if I am ever near the sea and there's an earthquake, I am heading for higher ground as soon as possible. Pair this with Philbrick's Wild Wave, especially if there is a reader who isn't quite understanding how the children in that fantastic adventure book get moved so far inland.
January 11, 2026
A graphic novel adaptation of Tarshis’ tale about Ben’s experience surviving the 2011 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Shogahama, Japan. Ben and his family are visiting his uncle in his father’s hometown. It was a trip his father planned but didn’t live to make after a car crash. Ben, his mom, and his little brother have made the trip anyway. But will this further take members of his family away from Ben?
Clearly Tarshis hasn’t watched the Mythbusters episode about escaping a sinking car. Ben could’ve opened the car door as soon as he was fully submerged but the way he gets out works too (just probably harder and therefore a bit less likely). I was actually quite surprised at the survival rate in this I Survived. It’s higher than normal for named characters, but that’s probably good, considering Ben’s family has already lost their father. I’ve read a couple other books set during this event, and I like how reading the multiple perspectives gives a fuller view of the whole event. I recommend reading the Girls Survive graphic novel set during this event too because it focuses on a completely different circumstance, and I recommend reading the nonfiction book Meltdown by Langeland that focuses on the nuclear reactor incident following the tsunami.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: It is clear that many, many people didn’t survive the earthquake or tsunami but no deaths are shown on page. Ben’s father’s car crash isn’t shown on page either. Ben’s father being shot down in Afghanistan while in the military is shown and him parachuting to safety and surviving in a cave until rescue. Ben’s family is swept up in a flood in their car.
Ethnic diversity: Ben and his family are Japanese American. Others are Japanese.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified.
Other: Grief. The need for hope and bravery in tough circumstances is a big theme which Ben needs as he is tempted to give up many times.
Clearly Tarshis hasn’t watched the Mythbusters episode about escaping a sinking car. Ben could’ve opened the car door as soon as he was fully submerged but the way he gets out works too (just probably harder and therefore a bit less likely). I was actually quite surprised at the survival rate in this I Survived. It’s higher than normal for named characters, but that’s probably good, considering Ben’s family has already lost their father. I’ve read a couple other books set during this event, and I like how reading the multiple perspectives gives a fuller view of the whole event. I recommend reading the Girls Survive graphic novel set during this event too because it focuses on a completely different circumstance, and I recommend reading the nonfiction book Meltdown by Langeland that focuses on the nuclear reactor incident following the tsunami.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: It is clear that many, many people didn’t survive the earthquake or tsunami but no deaths are shown on page. Ben’s father’s car crash isn’t shown on page either. Ben’s father being shot down in Afghanistan while in the military is shown and him parachuting to safety and surviving in a cave until rescue. Ben’s family is swept up in a flood in their car.
Ethnic diversity: Ben and his family are Japanese American. Others are Japanese.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified.
Other: Grief. The need for hope and bravery in tough circumstances is a big theme which Ben needs as he is tempted to give up many times.
January 11, 2026
I liked all the extra information that the author included with this graphic novel, I thought it provided some great insight, and it helped fill in some gaps. This graphic novel was easy to follow, it had great illustrations and it contained an emotional story about a family trying to come to terms with the loss of their husband/father.
Ben and his family have arrived in Shogahoma, Japan to visit family. Ben’s father was from this area, and they are staying with an uncle. It’s hard being here as Ben is constantly reminded of his father. When an earthquake hits the area, Ben takes covers with his brother. His uncle wants to immediately evacuate and well, since he is from that area, I thought they had better listen to him. They all pile into the car, but they don’t get very far when water makes driving the car impossible and they all escape, except Ben. Ben is trapped inside the car. It’s the inner voice of his father that comes calling to Ben and Ben can now escape the car, but he’s faced with more uncertainty as he’s in the middle of a tsunami. Cut off from the rest of his family, Ben must rely on himself more now than ever.
The energy and pacing in this book were good as I felt there weren’t any breaks as Ben was navigating trying to stay alive and trying to find his way back to his family. I was interested in more information about the events, and the author gave some of that in the information, in the notes, in the back of the book. 4 stars
Ben and his family have arrived in Shogahoma, Japan to visit family. Ben’s father was from this area, and they are staying with an uncle. It’s hard being here as Ben is constantly reminded of his father. When an earthquake hits the area, Ben takes covers with his brother. His uncle wants to immediately evacuate and well, since he is from that area, I thought they had better listen to him. They all pile into the car, but they don’t get very far when water makes driving the car impossible and they all escape, except Ben. Ben is trapped inside the car. It’s the inner voice of his father that comes calling to Ben and Ben can now escape the car, but he’s faced with more uncertainty as he’s in the middle of a tsunami. Cut off from the rest of his family, Ben must rely on himself more now than ever.
The energy and pacing in this book were good as I felt there weren’t any breaks as Ben was navigating trying to stay alive and trying to find his way back to his family. I was interested in more information about the events, and the author gave some of that in the information, in the notes, in the back of the book. 4 stars
December 29, 2025
Such brave, amazing people who go through life or death situations like this. I can't imagine how I would react if I were in an earthquake, a tsunami, and a nuclear power plant explosion, all in a 4 day period. The earthquake and tsunami happen within 30 minutes of each other; the power plant explosion happened around 3 days later. One moment I think people are so bad and then I read books like this and are amazed how people can survive and come together. I loved the story and the illustrations are top notch.
December 2, 2025
This graphic novel adaptation of the I Survived book packs an emotional punch. Ben has lost his father in a tragic accident. Now, visiting his uncle in Shogahama, Japan, he is placed right in the path of the deadly 3/11 Earthquake and Tsunami. It is very frightening and intense! My 2nd and 3rd grade readers are always eager to read the I Survived series, but I caution them that they are quite intense. And a graphic novel increases that I think!
February 3, 2026
It's only been a matter of months since Ben's dad died in a car accident. Before his passing, they were all supposed to go to Shogahama to visit Ben's uncle and Dad's home where he grew up. To Ben's dismay, his mom, little brother, and him are still going. Ben doesn't want to stay long because everything there reminds him of his dad. When the biggest earthquake to hit Japan strikes, so does a tsunami. Now Ben is fighting for his life.
September 14, 2025
One of my more favorite books from the graphic novel series. The art style was pleasant to look at. I also really liked that there was a cat in the book who became more of a companion to the main character.
December 22, 2025
It was ok. My favorite was when Harry fell out of the cherry blossom tree I mean it wasn’t funny or anything but the part about him finally agreeing to get stitches because he wanted a scar like darth Vader was really cute🥹🥹🥹🥹overall I enjoyed this book and recommend it for people who like water🤪
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2026
I liked this one. It’s not as emotionally nuanced as the original, but it does a great job with flash back and silent panels to show the kid’s emotional journey, and the tsunami pictures are exciting and vivid.
September 11, 2025
This book has so much emotion sadness,happiness,and bravery I would reccomend
September 15, 2025
In general, I prefer the actual chapter books in the I Survived series, but this one is good as a graphic as well. Shows how one kid can survive against a tsunami.
October 11, 2025
Inspiring story of a boy who survived the tsunami by resembling his dad’s advice and resiliency.
October 14, 2025
Art style once again is beautiful
October 30, 2025
2011 Japanese Tsunami
A compelling recount of survival in the midst of an earth quake, tsunami and Fukushima’s Nuclear Explosion was amazing and extraordinary!
A compelling recount of survival in the midst of an earth quake, tsunami and Fukushima’s Nuclear Explosion was amazing and extraordinary!
November 1, 2025
Family story set in major historical disaster.
These stories, with family focus in the midst of disasters, always make me cry, because THIS family makes it through the disaster.
These stories, with family focus in the midst of disasters, always make me cry, because THIS family makes it through the disaster.
November 3, 2025
Very good graphic novel.
November 19, 2025
One of my favs from the series. I def recommend
December 6, 2025
Eh, I like the art but the story itself in this one is not good.
December 13, 2025
proofread for the library. great book!
December 24, 2025
(Actual rating: 3.5 stars)
One of several graphic novels I read in December to help meet my yearly page goal.
One of several graphic novels I read in December to help meet my yearly page goal.
December 30, 2025
I for one could totally use more gaman in my life.
January 6, 2026
⭐️3.5
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews