Escape From the Great Earthquake

Ranger in Time #6

by Kate Messner, Kelley McMorris (Contributor)

Ranger, the time-traveling golden retriever with search-and-rescue training, helps two new friends survive the Great San Francisco Earthquake! Ranger travels to San Francisco and meets Lily Chen. She was sent from China to America to work as a young servant, but she dreams of studying to be a doctor. When the Great Earthquake hits, Ranger arrives in time to rescue Lily from falling beams in the mission house where she lives. Together they flee to safety, stopping to help another girl, May Wong, save her little brother from the family's collapsed market. Lily and May try to make their way through the ruined city with Ranger at their side. But can they escape crumbling buildings and raging fires, all while facing anti-Chinese discrimination?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Time Travel, Middle Grade, Childrens, Chapter Books, Fantasy

160 pages, Library Binding

First published June 27, 2017

About the author

Kate Messner is an award-winning author, TED 2012 speaker, and former middle school English teacher. Her books for kids include THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z.,SUGAR AND ICE, and EYE OF THE STORM (Walker/Bloomsbury Dec. 2010) the MARTY MCGUIRE series (Scholastic), SEA MONSTER'S FIRST DAY, and OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW (Chronicle, Books). Kate also wrote SPITFIRE and CHAMPLAIN AND THE SILENT ONE, both Lake Champlain historical novels published by North Country Books.

Kate lives with her family on Lake Champlain, where she loves to read, write, hike, swing on birch trees, and eat chocolate. She also hangs out in various places online.
Visit Kate's website: http://www.katemessner.com

Find Kate on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/KateMessner

...or follow her on Twitter - @katemessner

Reviews

[Scottsdale Public Library]

Kid 2: But... is there a dog in it?
Me: Yes, the dog's name is "Ranger" and he travels through time.
Kid 2: Does the dog have something horrible happen to it? Now that I am in 4th grade I don't trust dog books.
Me: Looks like there are 12 in the series... I think we're good?
Kid 2: I'm not reading book 12.

He started with book 6, and they are now making their way through the kids at school too. He has loaned out several. They have cool stuff about history that has led to some deeper conversations, more reading, and learning about those events. He checked out a couple books on earthquakes and even picked it as a topic for a report at school. (AR is 4.3) Readers may also enjoy I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis or Time Warp Trio series by John Scieszka. - Alexis S.

[Cheryl]

Yay for Little Free Libraries! I never would have discovered this valuable series if not for the random discovery of this book in one of them.

A dog who is a hero, who travels through time to help people survive events in history, via whom the reader learns some history, framed by a modern setting which complements the primary story (in this case, both feature refugees who need blankets, clothes, etc. to help them make their new start), with excellent author's notes.

I would highly recommend this to any children I know, especially those hooked on Magic Tree House but starting to outgrow them. I might even read another in the series myself.

[Phoebs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great filler in book until I started another book 😊

[Erin Violi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a time traveling dog who saves people. In this book, Ranger travels back to San Fransisco in 1906 when the historic earthquake hit. Ranger is responsible for saving Lily Chen from a crumbled mission house. While Ranger and Lily are avoiding falling buildings, they end up saving another young girl and her family. The book discusses the challenges Chinese refugees faced during the early 19th century.

Questions:
1. Why were American citizens discriminating against Chinese refugees?
2. Define the term "refugee" and make connections between the Chinese refugees of 1906 and the refugees of today.
3. If you could go back in time to any period, what would it be and why? What would you do?
4. Think of a situation that occurred in the book and tell what you would have done
5. What was the theme of the book?

Messner, K., & McMorris, K. (2017). Escape From the Great Earthquake. New York: Scholastic Press.

[Ellye baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this book a 5 star review because its about a dog named ranger and hes helping this girl named Lily and her friend named May with Mays brother because there was a huge Earthquake and Mays brother got stuck under a shelf in a store, and Mays brother is going to go to a hospital and May followed Her brother so then Lily and Ranger got lost so Lily and May went to go look for May and her brother and then Lily found May but Mays brother named Lee had to go on a boat so he can go to a hospital but Ranger couldn't go so then Lily had to leave Ranger and Lily's friend saw Ranger and to Ranger home after May and Lily left.

[Emily Traasdahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good book.

[Camryn James · Rating 3 out of 5]

i thought the book was ok, its not my favorite. it made me a little sad.

[Taylynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always count a book I read once even if it for class.

[zapkode · Rating 5 out of 5]

{My thoughts} – Ranger is sent off on an all new adventure. This time however, he struggles with figuring out his purpose. He isn’t sure why he’s sent where he is sent. He’s not sure what he’s suppose to do to help, and then just as the confusion settles everything makes sense.

Lily is a sweet girl that lives in a group home. She doesn’t have a really family and doesn’t feel like she belongs. May is a smart girl that goes to school, helps her parents and seems to have an overall happy life.

Lily runs back in her group home to save a fish when the ground starts to shake. Ranger sees her and goes after her. He helps to get her out of the building and they run into May. May is trying to find someone to help her. Her little brother got trapped in their families store when the roof collapsed.

Ranger goes a long with and helps find her brother. Together the girls get him out and to safety. Once they are safely out of the store they seek medical help for May’s brother.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It helps to show children how difficult it might be to navigate a town/city ravaged by an earthquake and its fires. It helps to show that even though you might not think you will see someone you love and care about again, that’s it’s okay to hope for such an outcome.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series soon.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is lots of action and adventure for Ranger in this latest volume in the Ranger in Time series. As Ranger's family is preparing to donate used clothing to refugee families being helped by their church, the search-and-rescue dog is called into action. He finds himself in San Francisco after the great earthquake of 1906. After he rescues Lily, a Chinese immigrant, from a toppling building, he accompanies her on a mission to help her friend, May, and her family. The narrative gives readers a look at the way Chinese immigrants were treated in the early twentieth century through the lens of the great earthquake. The narrative also obliquely ties the experiences of the earthquake refugees with modern day refugees from foreign countries. The author provides background information at the end of the book for readers who might want to find out more. This series is popular among middle grade readers and a good one to have in a classroom library, especially as it inspires further research.

[Kaleria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting and had a fast, compelling tempo. Having a main character that does not speak was interesting and you definitely connected to the golden retriever. However, the book lacked historical context for those who were not already aware of the 1906 Earthquake. It was easy to forget that this took place over 100 years ago. Aside from describing horse drawn carriages, the historical setting wasn't clear.

I was also disappointed that the inequitable treatment of Chinese people felt like a footnote in the story. There was one moment they were denied a carriage ride, and one where they were sent to a separate hospital area but... for students who aren't very aware of the US's history of racism and racist policies like the Chinese Exclusion act, those moments may very well slip past them.

The end of the book dives into the history in a separate section, but I just would've preferred those facts to have been better included and emphasized in the text itself.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great storytelling is definitely something Kate Messner knows a lot about! I have learned this by enjoying so many of the wonderful ones she has written for a variety of ages. One thing I particularly like about the Ranger in Time series is the variety of ways the books can be used. Historical fiction is not typically written for earlier readers who are interested but these are great books that can get kids started on that journey. For older kids, this can be a quick read to give them great background about a subject, like the great earthquake, and make it personal through the storyline before they learn more about the event and other aspects they need to study. Even though Ranger "travels in time" the experiences are very realistic because of the great research so it is not a "fantasy" book. I love recommending these books to kids of all ages for a variety of purposes or just an enjoying read.

[Kacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free pack of these along with purchase from my Scholastic order, and wanted to read it before distributing. I intended to read the first chapter and then set it aside, and I ended up reading it all in one quick sitting.

Ranger is a time-traveling rescue dog. (!) He has a family in the present, and sometimes he's zapped away to help with a rescue mission. In this case, he was off to California to assist following the San Francisco earthquake of the early 1900s. He helped a Chinese immigrant and some of her friends to safety.

Targeted for the 2nd-4th grade range, readers will keep the pages turning to find out what will happen next. The historical details are fascinating, and readers won't want to miss the author's note at the end for further information on her research process and other facts about the story.

[Maria Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read aloud for those kids that still want you to read to them but are past picture books. I enjoyed this book particularly because of the author's notes that described the Great San Francisco Earthquake. I didn't realize that the fires were so bad afterwards because the quake had destroyed the waterlines. What I like is that these are high-interest but always have a happy ending because they are geared for kids. They have great cliff-hanger chapter endings that leave the kids asking for 1 more chapter!

[Jessie Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Read it to my 8 year old and it had us both hooked. Deals with themes of discrimination and some sad situations involving kids but nothing too disturbing. My little guy is very sensitive and he was okay. Definitely recommend.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathan and I are still loving this series. The author's historical note at the end, esp. about the info about how she did her research, were particularly interesting for this Ranger adventure. Admittedly, that's always my favorite part of every book.

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't think of a single thing wrong with this! Five stars!

Of course, the premise is a little silly: a dog (Ranger) randomly ends up travelling through time in order to rescue an initially undisclosed number of people,* only after which he is able to return to his home time, where his family is completely oblivious to his antics.

*In this case, I believe he has to also rescue the family who ends up adopting Lily, the first girl he rescues, in order to ensure her future safety.

OTHER than the time travel, the story is a more or less realistic depiction of how things happened during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, including accurate accounts of things like people rescuing canaries when a pet store owner who had recently received a large shipment of them wanted to give them away rather than let them all die in the fires (as explained in the lengthy Author's Note). Sadly, this includes the intense racism that Chinese people faced at the time, that they even had to worry about their immigration papers above their own lives.

Absolutely recommended as a younger reader's overview of the history of early 1900s San Francisco, besides being a cute story about a supreme good boy!

[Brittney Brianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for younger readers!

Think I Survived meets Magic Treehouse, but with a rescue dog as a main character.

It had an enjoyable plot. It showed the harsh realities of the Great Earthquake, but also showed hope through it all.
I appreciated how the story revealed and handled the racial discrimination of that time period. It added historical dimension and sympathy to the story and wasn’t added just for the sake of being there.
The book mentioned church and a mission home (the mission home wasn’t presented in a very positive light, which, after reading the author’s note, I see that is historically accurate).
Clean. Had some intensity (fires, people trapped in collapsed buildings, injuries, etc.), but nothing beyond what this level of readers could handle.
The illustrations are great!

I do wish, for learning purposes, the author made the time period a little more clear. I only knew what year the Great Earthquake (and this story) took place from the author’s note. It would’ve been nice to know earlier. 😆

Interesting story, I plan to make this book available in my classroom.

Audience: 2nd-4th grade
Reading level: 4th grade

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

well this is i ironic. i started the book during lunch, finished it about 4.30. Only had one problem w/the book, p2 mentions "trembles" that shake pictures off the walls. trembles don't knock pictures off the walls, pictures off walls are the beginnings of serious to Californians. And just to make the point there was a 4.0 quake locally that shook the porch pretty good, but only one neighbor came out to see if anyone felt it. Even the four year old across the street didn't cry. But the female main character soon realizes its the Great Quake. (at the time of the 4.0, later downgraded to 3.9, i was reading a local history about the previous Great Quake in the 1850s/60s)
The photos, the short essay on Donalinda Camereon showing her to be, maybe not a saint, but still a hero, the bibliography all make this a terrific book for elementary students, the story told partly from Ranger's point of view w/out making him a disney cartoon all make this a six star book.

[Ms. Quinn's Class · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Quinn's class really liked learning about this historical earthquake in San Francisco through Ranger's adventures. We thought the idea of Ranger's being able to travel through time using his Medical Kit was a very cool idea. We also liked that although Ranger could not become a rescue dog in his time, he was still able to help save Lilly, Lee and May by going back in time. Ranger is a kind and helpful character and we really liked him. We look forward to reading more Ranger in Time books to learn about other historical events.

[Dustin Dye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to my third-grader over the break. (She gave it five stars.) I appreciate the amount of research Kate Messner did in creating a realistic backdrop for her story set during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The detail about the canaries added exceptional color. I found the character Lily likeable, and when she and Ranger had to inevitably part, it was bittersweet. Good chapter book for beginning readers.

[Traci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ranger is a time-traveling golden retriever with search-and-rescue training. In this adventure, he goes to SF and meets Lily Chen. Ranger helps Lily flee the house she live in. They help another girl, May Wong, and her family. Kids will like this. It is a more adventurous Magic Tree House alternative. There are 12+ books in the series. This is at the 4th grade reading level but will have broad appeal.

[Sarah Keller]

I'm reading this with students right now, and they like it a lot. While some of the concepts are foreign to them, they love Ranger and are engaged by our two main characters and the earthquake. I think that this is a great way to introduce a piece of history that's not often gone over with students and a type of discrimination that students weren't even aware of before.

[Paulette · Rating 3 out of 5]

A time travelling rescue dog is pulled back in history to lend a hand to children in need. Ranger is summoned back to San Francisco to help an orphan and her friend as they deal with the aftereffects of the Great Earthquake of 1906. A great blend of characters and historical events. Recommended to me by my granddaughter and now I recommend it to you!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ranger is sent to San Francisco to help a Chinese girl from Chinatown during an earthquake. They face many obstacles along the way but, in the end Ranger is successful in his mission.

My family enjoyed learning the history of the earthquake, Chinatown, and the Chinese people during that time period.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

These stories are a blend or The Magic Tree House Series and The I Survived books. My 5th graders and I enjoyed Ranger and the way he took care of the children in this story. It was a very quick read for us.

[Susana DLT · Rating 4 out of 5]

My students loved this book! A lot of action and amazing descriptions of the characters and background. I really appreciated the topic of immigration and anti-immigration sentiments in America was infused into this book. I want to read other Ranger in Time books!

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one has good messages and a historically accurate, engaging story, but I didn't find the human character particularly memorable. Overall, this didn't stand out in comparison to other books I've read about the same event.

[Jaklin Lindberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an excellent book to get kids in the younger grades or newly emergent adult readers into reading and going on an adventure, and Ranger is just along for the ride to help when things get stuck. Even though this is #6 in the series, I'm glad these can be read as stand-alone.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great addition to a series that my students love. I especially enjoy the author's notes at the end of each one, because she shares her research process with readers.