Quake!: Disaster in San Francisco, 1906

by Gail Langer Karwoski, Robert Papp (Illustrator)

A boy and his dog navigate dangerous rubble, prejudices, and survival in this riveting fictional account of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.It's before daybreak in San Francisco on April 18, 1906. Mourning the loss of his mother, thirteen-year-old Jacob Kaufman slips out of the cramped boarding house where he lives with his immigrant father and little sister Rosie. Why couldn't Papa just let him keep the stray dog—the one thing that has made him happy in months? But he forgets all his frustrations when the ground beneath his feet begins to rumble.Buildings collapse, and the street splits wide open as Jacob runs for safety from a devastating earthquake. With just his dog, he embarks on a perilous search for shelter, food and water, and missing loved ones while grappling with his Jewish traditions and fighting prejudices against a new Chinese friend.In Gail Langer Karwoski's stirring fictional account of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, young readers will relive the drama of the actual event and its devastating aftermath. An author's note carefully separates fact from fiction, giving young readers a glimpse into one of the worst earthquakes in modern history.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Cultural, Young Adult, Childrens, Historical

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Gail Langer Karwoski writes historical novels and nonfiction for kids in grades 3-9, as well as “green” picture books. Curiosity inspires her choice of topics and research helps her books grow. Her titles have won lots of awards and are enjoyed in classrooms and libraries around the country.

Recently, she has added books for grownups to her bibliography. She wrote a memoir for two remarkable gay friends, who succeeded, against the odds, in getting married in 1971, decades before gay marriage was legal in the U.S. It’s called The Wedding Heard ‘Round the World; America’s First Gay Marriage.

She is now at work on a cozy mystery series that features a group of funny and energetic older women who paint watercolors. Book One of the Watercolor Mysteries is A Brush With Murder. Book two is Skeleton in the Art Closet. Reading them is like going on an adventure with delightful, quirky friends.

When she isn’t clicking away on her keyboard, you can find this former teacher visiting schools and libraries. Gail’s lively programs inspire kids to read, discover, and write. She often talks with book clubs and about her lighthearted mysteries. She lives near Athens, Georgia, with her university-professor husband and extroverted cat. Gail has 2 grownup daughters and the cutest grandchildren on Planet Earth.

Reviews

[Beth Cato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I've been reading a lot of grown-up books on the 1906 earthquake over this past year, I decided to pick up this middle grade book on the subject so that my son could learn my about it. I read it first. Karwoski uses the backdrop of the earthquake to educate readers about the historical event and more--the protagonist, Jacob, is Jewish and mourning the loss of his mother a few months before, and wrestles with guilt over eating non-kosher food after the quake; he saves a Chinese boy and learns about the terrible ways that other people treat the Chinese; and the solution to the story isn't all neat and tidy, as he's left wondering in limbo for an extended period of time as he worries about if his family survived.

I had two quibbles with the story. The first is that the dog he brings home the night before is the most active character in the whole book; the mutt should have been named Plot Point. He's the one who saves Jacob from being buried in the quake, he's the one who saves San, he reunites the family. The dog initiates every major event. The other issue is the sanitized way that looting was handled. In two cases, business owners encouraged people to loot their stores because the army was going to dynamite them, anyway. I'm sure there were some cases like that, but really? I think it would have been okay for Jacob to salvage some food under the circumstances, "permission" or not.

In all, though, a good action-filled historical fiction book for kids, and one I'll pass along to my son.

[Sharon]

DNF - page 52 (27%)

I enjoy a good piece of middle grade adventure fiction now and again. It's often refreshing to read a straightforward, plot driven novel about a couple of kids and whatever earth-shattering event is happening to them.
But I stopped reading this one because I realized I didn't care. Jacob didn't engage me, Itzak was a demanding father figure, and Sophie was excruciatingly annoying. Overall, it felt quite lackluster and unengaging. And, honestly, I'm super disappointed. I picked this up specifically because it's a Jewish book about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake - in other words, my family.
In 1906, my paternal grandmother's family was living in San Francisco, running a rag business. During the earthquake, they somehow managed to get their upright piano out of the house and wheel it into Golden Gate Park. The piano was actually at my great-uncle's house until he passed away about 10 years ago. (Fun fact: We don't know if it's actually my family specifically or not, but in Earthquake in the Early Morning from the Magic Tree House series, there's a direct reference to the kids seeing a couple do that with their piano.)

[Kayla Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very sad book. Had trouble finishing it because it is so sad.

[Caitlin Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

We read this as a family before bed. My kids really enjoyed it. I used to read it as a read aloud with my fourth graders. There’s so much in it about history, prejudice, kindness, family dynamic, etc.

[Heidy Villalvazo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this book to a person that isn't so sentimental because there is a lot of sad stuff that happened. The book quake was about a boy that got a dog from the streets without telling his dad so he got mad and made him take the dog out to the streets again in the morning but then when he went to take him out and walked for a little there was an earthquake. The earthquake was a massive one and it destroyed many buildings. So once it was over the boy went back to his apartment but it was destroyed and he called and called for his sister and dad but the policeman said there was no one left. He said that a lot of people were going to the union square. So he started walking there with the dog. On the way over there he saw cracked cement, a lot of houses that collapsed and a bunch of other destruction. When he arrived at a house he heard a voice. So he told the officer but he said there was no one in any building. So he went in himself. Trapped in a room was a little boy, his family had left him behind when they went on the train. So they went on the adventure together to hopefully find their family. Once they arrived at union square there was people barbecuing in celebration of the earthquake being over and finding their family. So they were sure to find their family there and they started asking for them and showed them pictures but nobody had seen them except for one person and and she told them were she last saw them they said thank you and started looking around there. Once he found his family he got to keep the dog and named him Quake.

[Tarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't really remember ever studying about the San Francisco earthquake before. Reading this fictional account brought me great insight of what this historical event of 1906 was all about. Not only did the earthquake bring great harm to the city, but it was also the fires that did horrible damage.

This book "Quake" is a fictional story, but even I learned a lot from reading it. Jacob Kaufman is the main character, and he is a Jewish boy. The earthquake separates him from his family and tears up life as he knew it. He meets a Chinese boy who is also separated from his family. These young boys run into many people who don't like Jacob's new friend San Wei Chang, and I think this book is good at showing what the prejudice against the Chinese must have like at that time. Wherever Jacob & San go, they also have a special furry friend that stays with them through thick and thin. Through all the chapters, the author did a wonderful job at painting out everything for you to see. The scenes of hundreds and thousands of newly homeless people seemed so thoroughly described.

Together these boys are in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. They are surrounded by a devastated San Francisco, and they might never see their families again.

This is a grand story of a boy, his friend, and a dog... it's about separated families, missing homes, and broken lives.

[Flo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of a boy and his dog on a quest to find his father and sister after an earthquake destroys his home. He saves a Chinese boy and finds that some people are treated like less then others because of their ethnicity and that there are people that look past that and help them on their journey. I chose this book because it contains a part of American history and because the main character is a boy that students can connect with. The genre is historical fiction and this is a chapter book. The grade level I would use it with is 4-7 grade, I would use it as a Whole class read book and have the students write a summary when the story is over. I could also use it to have the students research more about the actual events that happened in San Francisco in 1906 when the Great Earthquake and Fire devastated our nation.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay story, with an accurate portrayal of the ethnic discrimination of the times. (Particularly against the Chinese.) A decent children's book, but not that fulfilling for adults who like to read children's books. It seemed like there was a lot of telling rather than showing, particularly in terms of trying to portray the setting and the Jewishness of the main character and his family.

[Emily Farquhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. This book keeps readers on the edge of their seat with facts intertwined with an intriging fiction tale.

6 Traits: ideas, voice, word choice, conventions
F&P: O
AR: 3.4

[Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

shaggy meets scoob one evening and brings him home, dad says, 'no way.' shaggy aspires to return scoob when the world as they know it collapses around them. scoob takes over leading shaggy through all the dangers and ethnic encounters along the way as they aspire to locate pops and sister. may represent what actually happened.

[Celina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read book for work. Great story!!

[00MILES 00SCHOLAND · Rating 5 out of 5]

the plot, i love it that's my favorite thing in this book, i mean a lost 13 year old boy lost in the earthquake with a Chinese boy and a dog named after the disaster!

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about the San Francisco Earthquake, and centers on the life of young Jacob Kaufman. It starts out with life being quite normal and Jacob meeting relatives, doing his job, and his homelife. He befriends a dog and takes it home, the next morning having to go an on errand to leave the dog outside or with someone else when the quake hits.

The quake itself covers maybe a page of material; the rest of the book deals with Jacob trying to find his mother and younger sister, and making friends with a boy from Chinatown. The book describes the fires, how the town looked, and the various camps set up to house refugees. It also deals with the prejudice against Chinese that was present among many people of the time.

The book is okay, but I have read better on the subject. Putting the anti-Chinese theme in the book is interesting, but not terribly essential to the main subject of the book itself which was the earthquake.

[Doneka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was in fifth grade for a project. Its a really good book -and it has some pictures for those people who need them to read them (star ur dad XD)- and I encourage everyone to read it. The story is beautiful and the characters are great. I cant really remember what happens at the end so im gonna have to read it again, but its an amazing book and i think i cried. anyway... READ!

[Sarah Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read “Quake” as a read-aloud to my class. It is the tale of a boy’s search for his family after the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The main character is Jewish and befriends a young Chinese boy along the way. This made for some good discussions about diversity, bullying and discrimination. There's also some great information with photos about the "real" earthquake at the end. And, of course, there’s a dog. Who doesn’t love a good dog story? My students enjoyed it.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent historical fiction book for ages 8-12 about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Fast moving, a good story for reluctant readers. Main character a boy (and his dog). It depicts discrimination during that time with the Chinese. I especially liked the "Author's Note" in the back matter of the book that showed actual pictures of the earthquake's aftermath.

[Jill · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess if you are in 4th grade this book may be a little interesting, but I'm still wondering where all the "hard facts" are that the author said she researched...a little too much of the fiction..not enough of the historical for me.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is historical fiction because it did happen but it has made up characters. I would reccomend this book to kids that like earth quakes. I have schema with this book because one day I went to my friends house and it was a mess like in the book when the earth quake happend.

[Jasmine]

quake was a book this i was resonsible for reading in science but i accidently ready the wrong quake which is this one . but overall i loved the book. i thought it would be one boring book. but its slow yoou really have to get good into it for the goood parts to come

[Annabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than Song of Sampo Lake, but still horrible . . .

[Emma Sabbaghzadeh · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was actuaaly ok

[Austinratliff · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was interesting because it focused on an unusual topic, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. its also a good book because it shows a boys fight for survival, while trying to find his family

[Lizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

i enjoyed this book. it had some facts mixed in with great fiction. it was a cool book

[Lorraine Der · Rating 4 out of 5]

Library Catalog

[Rosaleen Leclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This boo was great because it was based on a real story

[Caleb H · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a great historical fiction book

[East Library UWCSEA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Middle-school historical fiction about the earthquake in San Francisco in 1906.