Hurricane: My Story of Resilience

by Salvador Gómez-Colón, David Eggers (Editor), Nasrati Zainab (Editor)

Suffering heavy damage in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017, Puerto Rican communities lacked access to clean water and electricity. Salvador Gómez-Colón couldn’t ignore the basic needs of his homeland, and knew that nongovernmental organizations and larger foreign philanthropies could only do so much. With unstoppable energy and a deep knowledge of local culture, Salvador founded Light and Hope for Puerto Rico and raised more than $100,000 to purchase and distribute solar-powered lamps and hand-powered washing machines to households in need.


With a voice that is both accessible and engaging, Salvador recalls living through the catastrophic storm and grappling with the destruction it left behind. Hurricane brings forward a captivating first-person account of strength, resilience, and determination, and heralds the start of a new series of compelling narrative nonfiction by young people, for young people.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Middle Grade, Biography

112 pages, Hardcover

Published October 5, 2021

About the author

Salvador Gómez-Colón is a teenage climate-resilience and youth-empowerment advocate from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In 2017, after Hurricane Maria, he created Light and Hope for Puerto Rico, raising nearly $200,000 to distribute solar-powered lamps and hand-crank washing machines to 3,500 families. Since then, Gómez-Colón has launched other climate-resilience initiatives including responses to Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas and the 2020 Puerto Rico earthquakes.

A member of Marvel’s Hero Project, he’s received the Diana Award for socio-humanitarian work, the President's Environmental Youth Award, and is one of the World Economic Forum’s Ten Teenage Changemakers and TIME’s Most Influential Teens. Gómez-Colón publishes opinion writing and has contributed to Time Magazine, The Independent, and CNN Business, among others.

Reviews

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed from a printed ARC from the publisher.

One of two inaugural titles in the "I, Witness" series from Norton Young Readers, this one details Salvador Gómez-Colón's motivation to help fellow countrymen in Puerto Rico recover after Hurricane Maria in 2017.

Although his family suffered some hardships after Hurricane Maria roared through Puerto Rico, fifteen-year-old Gómez-Colón took it to heart to help those less fortunate. With help and advice from trusted adults, he founded Light and Hope for Puerto Rico, raising more than $175,000 to purchase and distribute solar-powered lamps and hand-powered washing machines to help 3,500 families in 17 villages. He kept his focus on smaller, underprivileged communities in hard-to-reach, isolated locations such as in the mountains. He shares his desire to help others, frustrations along the way, and vision for the future. Backmatter includes several pages of questions with answers in order to continue a discussion about this book, a few suggestions of how young people can get involved with climate change, and a timeline for the book.

Gómez-Colón's voice feels natural and authentic - that of a teenager. His struggles are genuine and desire to help others palpable. He is cognizant of his privilege (he is from an upper class family), yet is ready to jump in and his hands dirty to get the job done. The sense of danger from the storm was present, but Gómez-Colón never seemed to be in great peril himself. His sense of empathy for his fellow man was palpable throughout. His most telling statement was "...a powerful storm does not discriminate, only the response to the storm does." What I felt was missing was more detailed descriptions of what he saw at this time. He mentions things such as blue tarp over roofs, but little about why (roofs blown off? trees blown on them?) or about transportation problems experienced by the locals (were there trees blocking roads?). It may be difficult for young readers to visualize exactly what the devastation looked like. Perhaps a few photographs of Gómez-Colón, the devastation in Puerto Rico, examples of the people and their homes, and the lights and washing machines might help? Also, I suggest adding a bibliography for further reading for young people - climate change and/or hurricanes and Puerto Rico - just a few titles would do.

This would be excellent to include in a unit on Puerto Rican history, climate studies, philanthropy, and "making a difference".

Kudos to Gómez-Colón for his success and wishes for more in the future!

Recommended for grades 5-8.

[Daniele Kasper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riveting true story of survival, resilience, compassion and determination. Salvador's story of Hurricane Maria and the aftermath will capture young minds. Salvador was fifteen years old when Hurricane Maria left widespread devastation across the island of Puerto Rico. Salvador was determined to help the people of his island and launched a massive fundraising campaign online to get solar lights and hand cranked washing machines for families without power. The author brings his experiences to life on the page and shares his journey from just before the hurricane to a year later when power is finally restored to the island and its people. Salvador's genuine drive to help his community serves as a guide to young people on the power they have to make a difference in the world even at a young age. Salvador's story should act as a role model for students who believe in the power of helping others and who can change the world even as a teenager. A must read for all young readers.

[Daniele Kasper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riveting true story of survival, resilience, compassion and determination. Salvador's story of Hurricane Maria and the aftermath will capture young minds. Salvador was fifteen years old when Hurricane Maria left widespread devastation across the island of Puerto Rico. Salvador was determined to help the people of his island and launched a massive fundraising campaign online to get solar lights and hand cranked washing machines for families without power. The author brings his experiences to life on the page and shares his journey from just before the hurricane to a year later when power is finally restored to the island and its people. Salvador's genuine drive to help his community serves as a guide to young people on the power they have to make a difference in the world even at a young age. Salvador's story should act as a role model for students who believe in the power of helping others and who can change the world even as a teenager. A must read for all young readers.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the beginning books in the series "I, Witness". This is Salvador's story of how he wanted to make a difference in his country after Hurricane Maria. Salvador lives in Puerto Rico, which was struck by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Aid was slow in coming to the devastated island.

Salvador saw his friends and neighbors left without homes, electricity and water. He realized that people who were not able to clean their clothes or their selves felt as though they had been abandoned by the world. He felt that people needed hope in their lives and he felt that by bringing them light and clean clothes, they would feel human. His idea was to give people solar lights and hand crank washing machines. To this end he sought help through donations, grants and cloud funding. As a result of his ambition and drive he set up the Light and HOpe Fund for Puerto Rico. In the end, he reached 3500 families in 17 towns. Here is a young man who gave back to his community.

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

short, concise, but certainly quite an astounding recalling of the efforts by this author to make a difference after Hurricane Maria. Meant to be motivation for students and provide them role models from various walks of life, I admit even I learned some things! I'm a little ashamed to say I wasn't even aware that such washing machines were available at the time! Nor did I consider what sort of things just the shift in air pressure could do. While I have heard stories of the devistation, it was impressed that this young man not only had the drive and commitment to take on such a project but to see it through. It's impressive by anyone's standards.

I was also interested to hear the praise he had not only for the example set for him by his mother, but i find myself incredibly humbled in his teacher who despite not living lavishly commits so much of her time to humanitarian efforts abroad even though as this account proves there is certainly need around them as well.

[Readersaurus · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a large font and plenty of white space on the page, this book has a friendly and approachable appearance.

Told in the first person, Hurricane shares the story of how Salvador Gomes-Colon and his family survived Hurricane Maria and then discovered that they were faring better than many of their neighbors and people in nearby communities. A young teen, Salvador wanted to help.

With the support of his mother and others, he launched Light and Hope, a non-profit for purchasing and distributing solar lamps and hand cranked clothes washers.

This is a great story about our responsibility towards one another. It’s an enjoyable and inspiring read for older elementary kids. He makes it clear that he was successful through collaboration with many others and that there is always something we can do to help, wherever we are. I will look for more in the I, Witness series.

[Kim McGee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of a new series for chapter books for older readers. The series is written by real people who took a disaster and did something to help instead of the adventure/disaster books that only focus on the horrific event. This story is narrated by a survivor of Hurricane Maria that devastated Puerto Rico in 2017. Not only do readers experience the terror and lack of relief after it was finished but also get a positive message of hope and community. The author raised a considerable amount of money to purchase and distribute solar powered lamps and hand crank washing machines.
Adventure seekers will enjoy and be left with a positive message of change by a young person. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

[Samantha Scheer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember when Hurricane Maria hit. I was sitting at work, listening to the news with my coworkers, one of who was a descendant of Puerto Rico. Just hearing about it was devastating so I can only imagine what Salvador himself and his family witnessed and experienced.

I loved hearing how he made it his duty to help others and came up with a great invention of two things we take for granted: light and washing machines. He was only 15 when he did this and that is just amazing to me! I loved hearing about his mission and how he was able to help so many people.

This was definitely a powerful, and eye opening read.

[Kasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a powerful read. It was short and very accessible in its language for many reading levels. It was such an eye-opening and interesting reading experience. I loved Salvador's voice and hearing about what he went through, as sad as it was, and how he took this sadness and grief and turned it into something beautiful. He is such an inspiration and really shows how just one person can change the lives of so many others. This would definitely be a book that I would love to include in my classroom and I believe that my students would be better after reading his story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Dali Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impactful!

What a wonderful and impactful account of Hurricane Maria! Young author, Salvador Gómez-Colón, has done a fantastic job of relaying details of the hurricane and its after effects. It was so devastating, and yet, through it all, this young man chose to take on the mission of making sure those most in need would be helped. His journey is truly inspiring and he is definitely a role model for all.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. All comments and opinions are voluntary and completely my own.

[Flesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read book that shares a story of one young man's journey to use his privilege to make the lives of others better after the devastation of hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. This is an easy to read book, quite short, that not only leaves the reader feeling good but shares the power of young people.

[AlamoLiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography of a teenager caught in the deadly path of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico 2017. Written in first person and about 100 pages in length, this story is well paced for reluctant readers, and will carry anyone along as events happen.

[Danae Mckain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short read (listen) from the point of view of a teenager in Puerto Rico during a class 5 hurricane and what he did to help his community afterwards. I’m excited to share with my students and help them get outside our little bubble.

[Towntaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well done, I think the series should be used in high school curriculum! Way more engaging and probably more useful as a teaching tool than textbooks or even a lot of journalism at this point.
https://x.com/towntaker/status/180205...

[KieraK · Rating 4 out of 5]

The actual story is amazing. The format, I feel like could be a little more detailed, but it's great to see resilience and drive in someone so young.

[Carrie Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read for kids.

[Lu Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting to see their survival thru their eyes of hurricane Maria.
Salvador wanted to make an impacted for his community and with this determination he created a non-profile organization!

[Miguel Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was beautiful and I love how he wanted to change the perspective of the community

[Shauna Slaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my informational writing unit for pullout ELA for middle school(7/8). This was a great short read and easy comprehension.

[Drew Austen]

"Everyone had been impacted by Hurricane Maria in some shape or form. Everyone. One of the things that I learned from this experience was that a powerful storm does not discriminate, only the response to the storm does." -Salvator Gomez-Colon

"Hurricane" gives readers a glimpse of the massive destruction Hurricane Maria wreaked upon Puerto Rico, as well as Gomez-Colon's influential response in helping people from various communities gain access to necessities. I think the readability is great for all ages, as the language is clear, concise, and engaging. At the end of the book, there was a timeline outlining all of the events mentioned in the book in the context of some other things happening in the world during this time. I appreciated that because it gives an alternate way to view the series of events.

[Janis Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick good inspiring read! It's really sad when disasters are "forgotten" by the media, but this is what can happen when you decide to do something about it.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Norton Young Readers.
Part of the new "I, Witness" series.
Gomez-Colon takes readers through the days before and the months following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017. He describes his experiences and desire to assist others in worse conditions. Readers learn about his initiative Light and Hope for Puerto Rico as he raised funds to purchase lights and hand washing machines for communities who were without power for extended periods of time. He matter of factly describes the conditions for himself and what he saw for others. The writing style will connect with upper middle school and young adult readers. They will make a connection with these circumstances and the passion Salvador felt to improve living conditions for others. They may not have been through a hurricane but they have faced other crises in life where they reach out to others.
The discussion questions included at the end will lead to further dialogue in small groups. The timeline offers clear information on when these events took place.
Looking forward to more in this series to challenge readers to see how others see the world.

[Dali Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Impactante!
¡Qué maravilloso e impactante relato del huracán María! El joven autor Salvador Gómez-Colón ha hecho un trabajo fantástico al transmitir los detalles del huracán y sus efectos posteriores. Fue tan devastador y, sin embargo, a pesar de todo, este joven decidió asumir la misión de asegurarse de que se ayudara a los más necesitados. Su jornada es realmente inspiradora y él definitivamente es un ejemplo para todos.

Gracias a NetGalley por proporcionarme una copia avanzada de este libro. Todos los comentarios y opiniones son voluntarios y completamente míos.

Impactful!

What a wonderful and impactful account of Hurricane Maria! Young author, Salvador Gómez-Colón, has done a fantastic job of relaying details of the hurricane and its after effects. It was so devastating, and yet, through it all, this young man chose to take on the mission of making sure those most in need would be helped. His journey is truly inspiring and he is definitely a role model for all.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. All comments and opinions are voluntary and completely my own.

[Amanda.zegarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This follows the story of a boy who had just turned 15 years old days before Hurricane Maria hit his apartment building in Puerto Rico. We immediately are shown how drastic the conditions of this hurricane truly were. As soon as the hurricane begins flooding in the apartment is chaotic and dangerous. Shortly after the hurricane begins the family decides to evacuate their apartment and get to the ground level where it will be safer for them. After the storm has passed we are shown how everything in this families apartment had pretty much been destroyed beyond repair, and then we are shown the damage that the hurricane had caused outside their apartment building. I feel as though this is a very important story, and am thrilled that this story is written in middle grade because the younger generation definitely needs this kind of knowledge and content in their literature. This nonfiction tells a raw story about the difficulties of rebuilding after a natural disaster, especially when you are in a territory that is not being given enough aid to deal with the rebuilding of society.

[Sarah]

I don't like to add star ratings to books where I'm not the target audience, since I use those to tell my future self it I should consider re-reading the books.

This was an interesting story about a teenager who decides to use his privilege to help others in time of crisis. A good entry point for kids interested in learning about other people's real life experiences, advocacy, and how they can make an impact.

I received this copy in the mail as an ARC from ALA Midwinter. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review the book.

[JL Salty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for younger readers - 2nd - 5th grade. Salvador's voice comes through clearly, though simplified for younger readers, sometimes a little awkward. But a good glimpse into how kids can get involved and made a difference.
rating: G but possible trigger: hurricane devastation and descriptions of aftermath.