I Survived True Stories #3: Tornado Terror

I Survived True Stories

by Lauren Tarshis

The Tri-State Tornado of 1925 was the deadliest tornado strike in American history, tearing through three states and killing 700 people. Almost a century later, the Joplin Tornado was a mile-wide monster that nearly destroyed the heart of a vibrant city. The author of the "New York Times" best-selling "I Survived" series now brings you the vivid and true stories of two young people who survived these terrifying twisters, along with fascinating facts about tornadoes and profiles of the well-respected scientists and storm chasers who study them.--

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Childrens, Middle Grade, Juvenile, Science, Chapter Books

Paperback

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 non-fiction look at two infamous tornadoes is a fabulous companion read for I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011. Included are true survival stories for the Tri-State Torado of 1925 and the Joplin Tornado of 2011. There are also photos helping us acclimate back to 1925 and photos showing the destruction of both events, maps, and additional tornado facts. It is tornado season if you live in the Midwest like I do. Help your family to be better prepared by picking up this I Survived True Stories edition.

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

157 pages. What a well-written and documented book! This one tells about two of the deadliest tornadoes in USA history - 1925 in Tri-states (Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana) and 2011 Joplin, MO. There are lots of facts, figures and photos to support the telling of these terrifying events. Grades 4 and up will enjoy this one -EVEN ADULTS! Amazing! Highly recommended. BRAVO!

[susan soh · Rating 3 out of 5]

read with nanny kid, this is his review (it is a 155 page chapter book and i read it all out loud this counts):

"i think it's really good... i liked that the people that were mentioned in the book survived." nothing else.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this third book in the I Survived True Stories series, the author highlights two of the worst tornadoes to ever hit the United States. One took place in 1925, long before tornado watches, warnings and sirens existed, the other took place in 2011 in Joplin. Reading about what it was like to be hit by a tornado without the warning systems we have today was a bit scary. The sheer power of a tornado is always stunning and the photographs show that powerfully. On the other hand, Joplin residents ignored the first sirens because it had been forty years since they had actually been hit by a tornado. Luckily for them, a storm chaser notified local authorities that he'd actually seen a tornado and the sirens were sounded again which got through to some people.

This book is particularly powerful because it shows in both text and word the damage that tornadoes can do. The additional information about the ranking of tornadoes, the challenges of forecasting tornadoes, and statistics regarding deaths all contribute to making this a fascinating book to read. The stories in this book provide the reader with a inside look at what it's like to live through one and not just information about them.

[Nicole Sterling · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love all the I Survived! books in this series, but this is the third in a sub-series of real life stories about actual people who survived, which is always interesting. This one was closer to home than some of the others, because it was about tornadoes (we live in tornado Alley), and one of the two stories was about the Joplin tornado of 2011. My husband was actually sent up there by his employer for a few days afterwards to help, because a branch of the business was up there and had been destroyed. My husband did tour the facility, which was a complete loss, by most of the time he spent his days organizing supplies, doing security for a pop-up medical facility, handing out food and clothing and offering support. My son was too young to remember this, so my husband told him about it tonight and showed him the pictures he took while he was there. My son was both in awe and disbelief by seeing the devastation.
I would definitely recommend this book, and all the books in the I Survived! series. They're great, and they're a good way to introduce kids to some history that reads like a fictional story.

[Coleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This non-fiction book about Tornadoes geared towards older students was particularly timely with the national news almost daily having Alerts! Breaking NEWS on tornadoes across the United States. The book involves an interesting true story of one family, but notes also the 'worst' tornadoes that our country and others have experienced. There are lots of pictures, photos, newspaper articles, and first hand accounts,as well as explanations of how tornadoes form, develop and travel.

While most people understand Hurricanes and Blizzards, it seems that Tornadoes are much less likely to be appreciated for the dangers that they present. Hopefully, this book explains to many students facts about them so they can be survived.

[Nicole Longendyke · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Awards: None
2. Level: 3rd-5th grade
3. Summary: "I Survived" reveals true stories about surviving a tornado. It not only tells a story of a tornado survivor, but also the tragedies and struggles along the way.
4. Review: "I survived: Tornado Terror" is a great book for students. It engages them in a story, but includes histories of past tornado's in photographs taken by survivors.
5. Lessons: This book can be used for research projects. It would also be a great supplement in a history lesson. There are a variety of reading comprehension questions on Teachers Pay Teachers that are great for this book. One question I would add, "What would you do, say, or think if you were actually caught in a tornado?"

[Tracy The Great · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this book

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up from a free library or something similar thinking that my niece would enjoy this book but then found out she had already read it. And so it has been sitting on my shelves just basically collecting dust since then until now.

Since of its basic title at a quick glance, I expected Tornado Terror to be about multiple tornadic episodes but instead the book only focuses on a few stories based on two storms - one from 1925 (Tri-State) and the other from 2011 (Joplin). Each section focuses on one child survivor as well as his family mostly with some additional details added as a collective so you get the collective story around the event as well as the personalized one.

At the same time the reader is presented at the end of each section some more information such as a facts page on the tornado, whether it provides information on what life was like in that particular time frame, famous people, technological advances, and so much. The reader can skip this part if they would like but it was at least informative and a bit enjoyable at least to me.

The writing meanwhile is well written and simple to understand that it will make for a quick read. Some quote inserts are added that were taken from the text that can be ignored while the author also uses onomatopoeia that is rather emphasized to add a bit of drama to the reading more than what the actual event also brought on its own.

The reader will also find that the book is liberally illustrated with black-and-white photographs as well as maps to help them get an idea of what life was life as well as the damages. Each photo or map comes included with captions to help provide the reader with more information that isn't duplicated in the text.

All in all it was an interesting read and one that does provide children with an idea of the dangers that may be faced with the power of tornadoes. It would make for a nice little additional read if your family or school is into natural disaster preparation given to your own local weather's aptitude for these weather events thus allowing you a chance to discuss what may occur if one should end up in your own backyard.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's easy to see why these I Survived titles are so popular with intermediate and middle grade readers. Not only are they well researched and well written, but they rely on the perspectives of youngsters who lived through the disasters. As tornadoes seem to be occurring more frequently in this country, this particular title focusing on two extremely destructive tornadoes in the central part of the United States may enjoy renewed popularity. The deadly Tri-State Tornado of 1925, which cut a swathe of destruction through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, and the Joplin Tornado of 2011, are front and center in this informative account of the moments before, during, and after the destruction. The true stories are accompanied by several black-and-white photographs, maps, personal accounts, and even tidbits about living in the 1920s as well as how weather forecasting has changed over the years. Although the author situates her readers right in the midst of the destruction, she also is careful to acknowledge the resilience and perseverance with which survivors rebuilt their homes, their communities, and their lives. This title with its description of the author's research journey is a solid choice for classroom and school libraries. Once youngsters start reading one of these books, they won't be able to resist reaching for another one or looking for more on the topic of this particularly startling natural disaster.

[Emma Cappetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book would be good because I read a true stories I survived about animals and I really liked it, but this one. It kind of was not as interesting as the last one and I felt like they tried to make it about the kids stories but at the same time it didn’t focus to much on them. For example, on the first kids story, I felt that they started with the kid and his family, talked about him for maybe a page and then spent about 7 pages talking about the tornado and that’s fine but I think that is pushing it saying it’s all about their story. I also felt like in the first one they didn’t know the story so well and they added so many facts about the tornado into the story and not after. I also felt like we were told the same things about 3 time and then there were no deep details.

[Keith Kauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Survived Tornado Terror is a great older child to young adult book. In keeping with the trend of other I survived books the book explores two real tornados and provides the story of people experiencing the event. The two tornados the book investigates are the Tri-State Tornado of 1925 the deadliest tornado in US history and the Joplin Tornado of 2011. This book is written well and the stories are compelling. The characters are a little shallow but the descriptions of the events are interesting enough to make up for it.

This book is a great learning tool, it gives a basic description of how each tornado forms and real life and vivid connections to tornados as an event. I think this book would be a useful compliment to a weather unit. I wish I knew about it when I was teaching weather because it has a lot of opportunities for class discussions about tornados, weather and how things are different today compared to 100 years ago.

[Donna Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book meant for junior readers. I loved all the old pictures and the statistics shown in unique ways (bubbles listing the basic facts about the tornadoes).
There were 2 tornadoes described, one that occurred in 1925 and one in 2011. Both were listed as EF5s which is the strongest a storm is rated. The rating system is described along with its author, whose last name was Fujita.
Some of the stories are amazing! I can't imagine what living with the risk of a tornado descending on your home was like back in the days when there was no early warning system.
Would highly recommend this book for young readers!

[Mike Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Educational

This is a well written book about two iconic tornadoes in U.S. history, The Tri States and Joplin tornadoes.

The book is written for scholastic purposes for younger readers, but for adults who desire an excellent summary of these storms instead of plodding through the larger books then this is a great option.

A well written and thoughtfully planned book that used excellent sources and witnesses including storm chaser and weather historian Jeff Piotrowsky and his wife. Very excellent work.

[Ami Blackwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this book just lying around on a bookshelf at my mom’s. Being from Texas, I am well aware of the dangers of tornadoes. Reading firsthand historical accounts from 1925 and recent accounts from 2011 was terrifying. This may be a kid’s book fair purchase but it’s well written and I found I was reading out loud the facts and descriptions to my family. Very useful information on what to do in case of a tornado is presented as are pictures to show the devastation in the towns profiled.

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love that Tarshis writes nonfiction as well as historical fiction. A book like this would be a great example for how research projects could become a job. I want Tarshis to come to one of our career fairs one year and explain to the students how what they are learning is what she does for a living.

[Darian Natividad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the book captured the true destruction of a Tornado and showed how deadly they really are I never heard of the Tri-State Tornado until I read the book so it's interesting how one single Tornado in 3 and a half hours managed to destroy 7 towns and 2 cities

[Presten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a good book if your wanting a book that can be read quickly. It has 2 stories from real tornado events. They are very well written and they make it seem like you are there with the characters while they go through their struggles.

[Richard Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son and I learned a lot. He usually likes reading the graphic novel I Survived books, but we read this one together. I would have liked more parallels between the two true accounts featured here, but other than that, it was good.

[Danielle Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always loved tornado books, so this nonfiction collection by Lauren Tarshis, the author of the I Survived series, was right up my alley.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy these true tales, but I wish this one had more than two stories.

[Terry Filkohazi · Rating 4 out of 5]

So informative and great b&w photos!!

[Hodges Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, lots of detail.

[Zarien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to relate with the story and it’s characters

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting now I need to help write a book report.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 5 year old son wanted this at the library and really enjoyed it. He loves tornadoes and storm books and liked learning about these historic tornadoes. Good for young age low reading levels

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great if you like storms. It tells stories about dads who go down in mines to keep safe during a tornado.

[PottWab Regional Library]

SM

[Belinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't know what I expected, found it boring

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 12 year old son is fascinated by tornadoes. I read this after he did so I could talk to him about the subject. Lots of interesting facts and pictures.