Thunderstorms

A True Book

by Chana Stiefel

Describes how thunderstorms are formed and predicted, and includes information on how these storms affect plants, animals, and humans.

48 pages, Library Binding

First published March 1, 2009

About the author

Chana Stiefel is the author of more than 30 books for children, both fiction and nonfiction. Her recent picture book, THE TOWER OF LIFE: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs (illus. Susan Gal, Scholastic), received many honors including the 2023 Sydney Taylor Book Award, a Robert F. Sibert Honor, the Margaret Wise Brown Prize, the Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature & SCBWI's Inaugural Robert Freedman Nonfiction Award for a Better World. Her next book is LET'S FLY: Barrington Irving's Record-Breaking Flight Around the World (co-written with Barrington Irving, illus. by Shamar Knight-Justice, Dial/PRH, 1-14-25). Other recent nonfiction titles include LET LIBERTY RISE! How America's Schoolchildren Helped Save the Statue of Liberty, illustrated by Chuck Groenink (Scholastic), and ANIMAL ZOMBIES! AND OTHER BLOODSUCKING BEASTS, CREEPY CRITTERS, AND REAL-LIFE MONSTERS (NatGeoKids). Chana's humorous fiction picture books include BRAVO AVOCADO (HarperCollins), MENDEL'S HANUKKAH MESS UP (Kalaniot), DADDY DEPOT (Feiwel & Friends) & MY NAME IS WAKAWAKLOCH (HMH). Chana is represented by agent Miranda Paul at Erin Murphy Literary.

Reviews

[Morgan Qin]

One of a book series (A True Book), this informational text breaks apart the different components of the particular subject, in this case Thunderstorms. I would use this book, as well as other books in the series, to work for small groups to teach the structure of nonfiction text (glossary, index, headers, side notes, etc.) These series allow for various topics to interest students and conveys clear information on each topic.

[Jc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures, great vocabulary, wonderful information.

[Zachary Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had really good facts about how lightning can strike 100 times per second, and I didn't know that. I like books about weather and this one was very informative.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can lightning strike the same place twice? Where does hail come from? How big was the biggest piece of hail found in the United States? Learn the answers to these questions and many more when you read Thunderstorms.

I would recommend this book to second graders and up and to any teacher starting a weather unit.

Stiefel, C. (2009). Thunderstorms. New York: Children’s Press.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great non fiction read to accompany our wild weather unit. Many fun text features. I really enjoyed the connections to tornadoes. Students will find some interesting facts about wild weather in this book.