I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011

I Survived

by Lauren Tarshis, Scott Dawson (Illustrator)

A destructive force is about to hit the city of Joplin...

Eleven-year-old Dexter has always wanted to see a tornado. So when he gets the incredible opportunity to go storm chasing with the famous Dr. Norman Rays, he has to say yes! Dr. Rays is the host of Tornado Mysteries, the show that Dex and his older brother, Jeremy, watched every night until Jeremy joined the U.S. Navy SEALs and left Joplin. Dex certainly knows how deadly tornadoes can be, but this one isn't heading toward Joplin, and wouldn't it be great to have a brave and exciting story of his own to tell Jeremy when he comes home? But when the tornado shifts direction, Dexter's bravery is about to get seriously tested...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Chapter Books, Realistic Fiction, Adventure

112 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2015

About the author

Lauren 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

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of the I Survived series so far. Since I live in Missouri and grew up in Iowa, the tornado season is filled with watches and occasionally warnings about tornados. After the Joplin Tornado, we definitely took note. I remember sitting in the basement of our school library not long after this tragic day. We had heard the sirens and we knew they meant business. Although I don't live near Joplin, my husband and I were in the area the following year and the devastation was still very evident. Our school also sent a group to help with cleanup. Having Lauren Tarshis write a book about the experience means so much to those in Joplin and the rest of the state, too. I listened to this on audio and got to hear Lauren read all the end notes after the story. In addition to the tornado story, there is information about being a Navy Seal as the main character's brother has recently gone through that training. It was a wonderful addition to the plot. As I was finishing the audiobook, a physical copy came across my desk at the library. Enjoyed the opportunity to view the illustrations, adding to the richness of the narrative.

[Hanna *Middle School Librarian* · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a former Joplin resident and someone who lost their apartment in the tornado, I can say that this book is accurate yet still appropriate for the younger crowd. Tarshis clearly did her research and doesn't sensationalize just for more readers, but paints this vividly and honestly, being respectful towards the many that lost homes and lives.
As a librarian, I am confident that the second I put this on the shelf, there will be a hold list immediately.

[Naofumi Iwatani (from The Rising of The Shield Hero) ☯ (ヅ) ꧁꧂✨ ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ ✿◕ ‿ ◕✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really easy read, only took me like an hour to read.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011 (I Survived, #12) by Lauren Tarshis follows Dexter as he joins a professional stormchaser to chase after a tornado that had changed direction and intensified into one of the most destructive storms on record that destroyed a large portion of Joplin, Missouri.

Eleven-year-old Dexter has always wanted to see a tornado. So when he gets the incredible opportunity to go storm chasing with the famous Dr. Norman Rays, he has to say yes! Dr. Rays is the host of Tornado Mysteries, the show that Dex and his older brother, Jeremy, watched every night until Jeremy joined the U.S. Navy SEALs and left Joplin. Dex certainly knows how deadly tornadoes can be, but this one isn't heading toward Joplin, and wouldn't it be great to have a brave and exciting story of his own to tell Jeremy when he comes home? But when the tornado shifts direction, Dexter's bravery is about to get seriously tested...

[Carie · Rating 2 out of 5]

These books are clearly written for about 3rd-4th graders. The writing is choppy and simple (even cheesy). Living only 1 hr from Joplin, the topic holds interest for our students. But I was really bothered by this line on page 5: "Poor Zeke was probably the ugliest dog in southeastern Missouri." Hmmm...last time I checked, Joplin was it southwestern Missouri. Bad editing.

[Mid-Continent Public Library]

This is my favorite of the I Survived series so far. Since I live in Missouri and grew up in Iowa, the tornado season is filled with watches and occasionally warnings about tornados. After the Joplin Tornado, we definitely took note. I remember sitting in the basement of our school library not long after this tragic day. We had heard the sirens and we knew they meant business. Although I don't live near Joplin, my husband and I were in the area the following year and the devastation was still very evident. Our school also sent a group to help with cleanup. Having Lauren Tarshis write a book about the experience means so much to those in Joplin and the rest of the state, too. I listened to this on audio and got to hear Lauren read all the end notes after the story. In addition to the tornado story, there is information about being a Navy Seal as the main character's brother has recently gone through that training. It was a wonderful addition to the plot. As I was finishing the audiobook, a physical copy came across my desk at the library. Enjoyed the opportunity to view the illustrations, adding to the richness of the narrative. *Review by Darla from Red Bridge*

[Christi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the epub to my 10 year old as she sat in the ER. It was informative enough and moved quickly enough to keep her mind occupied and pass the time more quickly as we awaited test results. I think my favorite thing about the book was that it provided a springboard for discussion on the science and terminology of tornadoes and real world events--including some discussion of the Parkersburg tornado. This will always be a relative topic for our family as said tornado demolished our friends' home, killed their neighbor and which, in its weakened state hit the house we were in when she was almost 3. I loved that the author didn't skirt issues and that she presented it from the view of a child who realized that the amazing force of nature was maybe something he didn't want to see up close after all. Tornadoes are horrific and create serious drama for children and adults alike, including in the aftermath. I was thankful the author included that subject as well. Don't think poorly of the 4 star rating. That's a very good rating in my book. I am very stingy with my 5 stars. :)

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I was going to read a couple chapters and then go to bed...oops, nope! I couldn't put it down!

I had never read one of the books in this series so I thought I would read this one about Joplin because I was living in MO when this happened and remember that day it happened. Even though I lived about 3 1/2 hours away we were still affected by the storm. So crazy to think about now.

Fast and engaging chapters with lots of cliffhangers!

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narration: 3.5 stars 🌟
Story/characters: 4 stars

*Overdrive app *

[Lauren Kester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Response
I read the book I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011 by Lauren Tarshis. This was a good book because it had a historical event. I liked this book because it was a quick read. The author did well on describing the events in the book.

Plot
Dexter was an eleven year old boy. He lived with his parents. His brother, Jeremy, was a U.S. Navy SEAL. Dex had an interest in storm chasing. Dex met Dr. Norman Ray, a storm chaser. Dr. Ray asked Dex if he wanted to go storm chasing with him. Dex’s parents were hesitant at first, but they let him go. Dr. Ray said the storm was not that bad. Dex and Dr. Ray got stuck in the middle of a severe tornado. Before the storm started, Dex picked up a ball of hail. It started to rain and get really windy. The two got stuck in the middle of the tornado. The van was damaged, and Dr. Ray developed a severe injury. After the tornado passed, Dex helped Dr. Ray. He had a bad cut on his leg. Dr. Ray’s coworkers found them, and took Dr. Ray to the hospital. Dex walked around his neighborhood, and saw that his whole town was destroyed. At the end of the book, Dex found his family. He gave Dr. Ray the ball of hail as a reminder of the tornado that destroyed Joplin.

Characterization
Dexter was really close to his pet dog and brother. I could tell he had a close relationship with his older brother. He was really interested with weather. Dex was the kind of boy that always made sure his friends were okay. He was kind of shy in the beginning of the book. After the tornado happened, he started to open up more and talk with his friends. Dex was always talking about Jeremy. In the beginning he was afraid for Jeremy but, being in the storm made him realize Jeremy could go through anything.
Jeremy was Dex’s older brother. He was a Navy SEAL. In the beginning of the book, he was tough and did not show emotions. At the end of the book, Jeremy showed his emotions after Dex was in the tornado. Jeremy and Dex were very close.

Setting
This book took place in Joplin, Missouri. The year was 2011. This was important to the story because that is when the tornado actually happened. Readers could relate to some of the problems that the characters went through. The people that lived in Joplin helped others out after the tornado happened.

Recommendation
I would recommend this book to both boys and girls in middle school. This was a short book that had a historical event. This book did not have any bad language or extreme violence. Middle schoolers might also enjoy this book because it had some action.

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response:
I really liked this book. This book talked about what actually happened on the day the tornado hit Joplin but at the same time the character was fake and the story was fake. The book gives a lot of details of what happened.
Plot Summary:
It started when Dex was riding his bike around town and bought some lemonade from his neighbors house. His brother was a SEAL in the military and he was supposed to send a letter back to Dex by now but he hasn't yet. Dex was worrying so much about his brother that he wasn't watching where he was going and his dog hit him off his bike in front of a car. The guy that was in the car was Dr. Gage. He is a tornado watcher on TV. He invited Dex to come with him tomorrow to chase this supercell that was heading toward a town by them. The next day the parents went to a graduation and Dex went with Dr. Gage to chase this storm. They traveled to the town and waited for the storm.When they saw it coming there way they got out in a field to shoot weather balls in the sky. When they were doing it it started to hail and they ran back to the car but Dex got hit with one and got knocked out for a little bit. Dr. Gage pulled him back in the car. Dr. Gage said it was to dangerous and they started heading back to Joplin.When they were on there way back the storm changed direction and started heading to Joplin.Dr. Gage called 911 to sound the tornado alarms. A tornado formed and was heading there way. The tornado was about a mile wide. They had to get in the ditch with there car but there car got smashed with debris when it hit. When it passed Dex found out that Dr. Gage was not moving so he started to fix his leg that got hit with debris. Two other people came and took Dr. Gage to the Hospital. Now Dex had to find his family. He went to his house and it was destroyed but he found his family and his dog.After the tornado hit they had to start rebuilding.Later that week Dex's brother that was a SEAL mailed a letter back so Dex knew he was still alive. After that they started to rebuild.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to kids to adults. This is a good short book if you want to know what happened and have a story with it. It talked all about what happened there.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truthfully, I was fully prepared to hate this book. In the first few pages when the author referred to Joplin as being in SouthEAST Missouri (I have a DRC, I hope it is corrected in the print) I felt vindicated but I think I'm going to cut this book some slack. Here's why.

Dexter is an 11-year-old resident of Joplin, MO (been there, done that) who is fascinated with tornadoes and misses his brother who is a Navy SEAL. On the Sunday of high school graduation, his parents, who are teachers, must attend but they allow Dexter to go storm chasing with an old friend of theirs-a scientist from Oklahoma. What starts as an educational fun day learning about clouds, storms and tornadoes turns into a nightmare when they realize that a rain-wrapped F5 tornado is about to hit Joplin.

I'm not going to lie, this hit me in the feels pretty hard. The author hit moments that I remember distinctly-when the usually super dramatic weathermen went silent because the radar was nothing but pink and that meant massive amounts of debris was in the air. Watching your elementary school best friend's dad on national t.v. standing outside one of the few houses still standing in the neighborhood you grew up in. Trying to track down people you love hoping they are ok.

It was hard but Tarshis did her research. She provided tons of sources to read more about the tornado, pulled in real storm chasers and even talked about why she wrote about this event. She's been to Joplin as an author and has talked with teachers and students alike. Tread carefully (Joe, I'm looking at you) but I imagine a lot of kids will find comfort in reading about their experience.

[Cedrik Vb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I SURVIVED The Joplin Tornado 2011


I survived the Joplin Tornado of 2011 is a story about a 11 year old boy named Dexter who wants to see a Tornado because before his brother Jeremy, went to join the navy SEALs , they used to watch Dr. Norman Gages show Tornado mysteries,

One day, while Dexter, was riding his bike with Zekie, called ”The ugliest dog in Missouri”, trailing. Dexter was thinking about Jeremy when he missed the stop sign and a car almost hit him but Zekie knocked Dexter down just in time and started barking. Dexter realized that Dr. Gage was in the car that almost killed him Dexter then found out that Dr. Gage and Dexter’s father had gone to college together and soon made plans to go storm chasing together.
The next day, they go to Kansas and follow the tornado pick up a hailstone as a souvenir and realize that the tornado is going back to Dexter's beloved city… JOPLIN, They get the sirens going and then they study it and during the study, Dr. Gage falls out of the truck and injures himself, so Dexter helps him.

This book is a really great book and it is totally okay for a report about it because this “historical” fiction book is 50% historical and 50% fiction ,a little of both is a really good book to use for school.

[Annalise Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011 is about a boy named Dexter and how he managed to survive a tornado that killed 158 and injured more than one thousand. The day of the tornado he was helping a stormchaser when they realized the blob they saw on the radar wasn’t just a small thunderstorm it would be a tornado that would rip through the town of Joplin and destroy many businesses and homes.

I thought this was a very good book. The characters were realistic. I liked how you could read the emotions and fear of a kid in this disaster. I am going to give this book four stars because I enjoyed it but it's not my style, I don’t like books where people are struggling to stay alive. I would recommend this to anyone who likes realistic fiction

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of Dexter's survival of the Joplin tornado. Living in Missouri the Joplin tornado is something I am pretty familiar with. I remember seeing pictures of the destruction on the news. These stories are written so that kids can understand these terrible events as they experience them through the eyes of someone their own age. Are they the best written books? Not really, but kids love them. They are fast-paced and full of action. I actually enjoyed this story a bit more than I did the others I have read.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book! I read this over my spring break. Books like this are my favorite type of books! I really like reading about natural disasters or biographies on people, and this book really had me interested & hooked. Everything from the Cover to the text was spot on and really had me. I love movies chasing tornadoes and this book also had a section of that. Author did a great job of making a 74-page book a large book of information, very well done!!

[Blake B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is about a young boy who watches a TV show of a storm chaser and almost gets run over by the same guy and the guy that almost ran over him invited him to chase a very large tornado hitting Joplin. he faced hard challenges when dealing inside the Tornado like keeping cover while spinning in circles etc.
I think the book was very intense and is a big nail biter. it also was like a cliffhanger in a way at the end of some chapters.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series of stories and actual historic facts combined.

[Edison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book because it had alot of action. I think my friends should read this book because I think they may find it interesting. I learned if there ever is a tornado I know what to do.

[Sarah Monzon · Rating 4 out of 5]

7year old thought this one was a little scary.

[Maura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed a quick reading of this book in the popular I Survived series with my 9 year old son, who devoured most of the others in the series 2 years ago. Since the Joplin Tornado occurred just a few years before this book was published, it was interesting to read an I Survived that wasn't technically historical fiction.

Like all others in the series, I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011 was packed with both action and well-researched details that made both my son and me curious to research more about tornadoes. I had never heard of rain-wrapped tornadoes and had never encountered several interesting tidbits about tornadoes, such as ear-popping as a sign that a tornado is very near. Growing up in Connecticut myself, I had always had the general belief that if a person could get to a storm cellar, they'd be safe from a tornado. The fact that so many Joplin residents died in their basements was a detail I hadn't known. (And my son asked the logical question of why homebuilders aren't required to build reinforced tornado shelters in cellars in areas that are tornado-prone.)

This is certainly not great literature, but it is highly engaging reading for elementary readers, especially reluctant readers. I love Tarshis' books for the conversations they start with my son and for the curiosity to learn more that they always spark. Highly recommended for all elementary libraries.

[Cadee · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The part I liked is that they both survived. Dex and Dr. Gage got hurt but were okay even though it was so scary in the EF-5 tornato. Dr. Gage was badly hurt with a big blotch of blood on him and that was really scary to me. He fainted. I like that series. It teaches me good lessons." -Cadee, age 8

[Chloe]

It was a great book and kept me on the edge of my seat.

[Drew Vandervest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response: I enjoyed reading this book because it talked about the damages that a tornado can do. I also liked the main character Dex because he was humble and nice. I like I Survived books because it talks about disasters and the damage it did. I like the main character Dex because he was brave enough first aid Dr. Gage after the tornado hit and that saved his life. Dex’s parents made a bad decision for letting their twelve year old son go storm chasing. I feel bad for Dex’s family because there house and cars got destroyed from the tornado.


Plot: The book is about the Joplin tornado in 2011. The book's main character is Dex. The book takes place in Joplin,Missouri which is a tornado state. The book starts off about the main character Dex and he bumps into a weather reporter which is Dr. Gage. Dr. Gage took Dex along to hunt a Tornado. A tornado ends up happening and it's a big one a EF-5. The aftermath of the tornado destroyed a whole city and killed 158 people and wounded over 1,100 people.


Recommended: I recommend this book for 10-18 year olds because it's something easy to read and it still gives out a good story. I recommend this book to teens that like history because this book gives out facts and events that happened. I believe the I Survived series are one of the best book series out because every book has a different main character so a lot of people can relate to their books.


Character analysis: Dex is the main character, he is humble and nice. Dex is twelve and lives in Joplin,Missouri with his mom and dad. Dex looks up to his brother Jeremy, because he's in the Navy Seals. Dr. Gage is another main character, who is a weather reporter from Missouri who has his own TV show. Dr. Gage takes Dex along to chase a tornado, and the Tornado got hold of Dr. Gages car with Him and Dex in it but only Dr. Gage got hurt with bad cut on his leg. Dex calls 9/11 and first aids Dr. Gages wounds. If Dex wasn’t there Dr. Gage could of died.

[Danielle Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok this is now officially my favorite in the I Survived series. I was a little hesitant to listen to it because it was so recent, but it's an incredibly important book to read, especially if you live in "Tornado Alley". Lauren Tarshis is an amazing story teller, bringing fictional characters to life in the setting of true, catastrophic events. I've luckily never experienced being in a tornado *knocks on wood*, but her descriptions are vivid and accurate. Like her other books, at the end she provides a factual timeline of the event, and provides additional information about the disaster featured in the book. Tarshis perfectly balances entertainment with education in her middle grade novels, and are enjoyable for children and adults.

[Osorio Salvador · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book is very interesting. Its fun and it's a page turner. The author goes into a lot of detail in the story, and it's cool because he explains everything. Like, the beginning is very interesting because it's about a boy who know his neighbors, and his brother is in the army. Isn't that something you would like to read??? I recommend this book to anyone who is into natural disaster type of things, and twisty things...see what I did there?

[Pam Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to the I Survived series. As usual Tarshis provides information at the back to provide the non-fiction aspect of the story as well as extensive sources that show her research. While this could be a little scary for children who live in tornado states, it also provides good information about surviving tornadoes and understanding how they are sometimes undetected.

[Sean Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the best part of this book is when they get into the problem of the story. In this case it's the Joplin Tornado. I think out of all of the I Survived books I think this one had the most damage in it. I like this books because they go back in History and and then the author writes about that tragedy. I'll give this book 5 stars

[Hunter Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very interesting to read because I can connect to this book. I have always wondered what would happen if I saw a tornado and thought it would be cool to storm chase as Dexter did in this book. But no realizing what could happen I find it to something that would not be fun. What I thought of this story it was average. I didn't enjoy it that much but I could connect to it.

[Hillari Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read an I Survived book before (can you believe it?!). It is the tale end of the year, and my students needed something within historical fiction that was FAST. This ended up being it.

What a really great story for younger grades. If all I Survive books are like this, I can see why they are popular. I definitely enjoyed it for what it was.