I Survived the Wellington Avalanche, 1910

I Survived

by Lauren Tarshis

The Wellington snow slide of 1910 was―and still is―the deadliest avalanche in America’s history. Lauren Tarshis's story of one child surviving the frozen nightmare pounds with page-turning action and heartwarming hope. The snow came down faster than train crews could clear the tracks, piling up in drifts 20 feet high. At the Wellington train depot in the Cascade Mountains, two trains sat stranded, blocked in by snow slides to the east and west. Some passengers braved the storm to hike off the mountain, but many had no choice but to wait out the storm. But the storm didn’t stop. One day passed, then two, three . . . six days. The snow turned to rain. Then, just after midnight on March 1, a lightning storm struck the mountain, sending a ten-foot-high wave of snow barreling down the mountain. The trains tumbled 150 feet. 96 people were dead. The Wellington avalanche forever changed railroad engineering. New York Times bestselling author Lauren Tarshis tells the tale of one girl who survived, emerging from the snow forever changed herself.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Juvenile, Childrens, Adventure, Audiobook

144 pages, Paperback

Published September 6, 2022

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

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had not heard about this avalanche before. I love this series and I always learn something new from these books, especially at the very end of them in the historical notes.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 4 out of 5]

*libby app*

Loved it :)

[Daniel Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most deadly avalanche in US history because it hit 2 trains trapped in heavy snow along a cliff in the Washington Cascades. Most of the passengers and crew died. In 1929, a tunnel was built through the mountain.

[Kati Polodna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I get why kids love these. They’re interesting, they’re full of historical detail but not boring, and the main characters are easy to relate to.

[AMY · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another exciting tale of a kid who survived a real disaster in history. This time a girl named Janie is fleeing from a theft ring leader while stealing jewelry she is supposed to take to another member in a different town. She finds herself on a train headed for disaster in the mountains of Washington State. This book is interesting and keeps the action coming. A reader will be totally engaged in this one. There are several additional articles and information at the end of the story to help readers understand the situation and time period. Highly recommended for Grades 4-5.

[trinity ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i used to be obsessed with this series as a kid but tbh it doesn’t hit the same 😐

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This latest addition to the I Survived series has all the ingredients we know and love: 1) A historic disaster to learn more about. 2) A lovable main character with a problem and an inspiration. 3) Facts and photos from the real-life disaster and times. 4) Notes from the author about her creative process. I am reading through the books in this series in chronological order by date and can see that this 22nd book shows growth in the series quality. Lauren Tarshis knows what works for her audience and is working to provide more excellent content with each new installment. The connection of "The Little Engine That Could" to the story is clever and inspiring. For me, there was also a book connection as both this juvenile fiction title and the literary thriller Paper Targets: Art Can Be Murder that I reviewed two days ago mention the exploitation of Chinese immigrants in our western states for railroad work (in this book) and mining (in the thriller).

[Katie Kaste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jamie is carrying jewels from a robbery onto a train to Seattle. When the adult with her is captured she sees an opportunity to escape. A young man and his grandfather take her into their sleeper car. She is ready to find a new life. 125 people were on the train. Only 23 people survived the avalanche in real life. I enjoyed this quick novel.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivia read and rated it 4.5 stars. We love historical fiction and the I Survived series is great for kids!

[Wendy Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids love these books. I read this one to a 3rd grade class and they loved it too.

[Chloe Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story about learning about a deadly avalanche but also how one can change their life by making one decision

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a "junior" book so it is a very easy read. It is historical fiction. Learned a lot about train travel through the northwest in the early 1900s. The event it true. Most characters are fictional. Worth the read.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author's note bumped this up to 4 stars for me. Thank you, Lauren Tarshish, for making history fun and interesting for kids!

[William Jeanes Memorial Library]

I Survived Book Club: Thursday, April 25th, 2024

[Mataya B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Survived the Wellington Avalanche, 1910 by Lauren Tarshis. I rated this book a 5 out of 5 because it felt like I was there with the characters. This book connects to the theme historical fiction because the characters are not real. Janie is 11 years old and she is working with Malvo's crew and their job is to steal expensive jewelry. Janie stole expensive diamond jewelry from people and she is getting on a train to take the jewelry to Malvo's crew and in return she will get money. Her plan is to get the money and buy a train ticket and run away. A guy named Hammer is watching Janie to make sure that she is not messing around. They just got off the train and are waiting to get on the other but then Hammer gets arrested. Then Janie meets a boy named Fredrick and they find out that they are both going to Seattle so Fredrick's dad named Mr.McBride asks Janie who she is traveling with and Janie says that she is traveling alone. Janie says that she is going to meet her grandma but Mr.McBride doesn't feel that Janie should travel alone so he asks what type of train ticket Janie has. Janie says that she has the cheapest train ticket so Mr.McBride bought the most expensive train ticket so that Janie could travel with them. When they get on the train Mr.McBride wants to show them his favorite part of the train so Mr.McBride takes them to the observation car. There were big chairs along the windows. They found seats beside two other people and Mr.McBride quickly made friends with the other two passengers. One of them was named Mr.Riggins and he had a bald head. The other was named Libby Wade and she had a note book. "If I may ask what are you writing about." Mr.McBride asked. "This train trip." answered Miss.Wade. Mr.McBride, Fredrick and Janie went back to the sleeper car and got into their beds and went to sleep. In the morning Janie woke up and the train was not moving. Mr.McBride,Fredrick,Janie,Mr.Riggins,Miss.wade and Mrs.Letts were wondering where they were. The train conductor, Mr.Pettit had come to explain what had happened. Mr.Pettit said that there was an avalanche but they were in a little railroad town called Cascade and there is a little shack and they call it the beanery. A little girl named Violet comes up to Janie and whispers to Janie and says I am going to build a snowman. Later on Violets mom named Mrs.Kayden starts saying Violet? Violet? Miss.Wade asks what's happening. "My little girl, she is gone." Mrs.Kayden says. Everyone was up and looking for Violet. Then Janie remembers Violet told her that she wanted to build a snowman. Janie yells,"She is outside." The other people say why would she go outside. Janie says that she wanted to build a snowman. So everyone goes outside to look for Violet and Janie looks in a snow bank.Then Janie found Violet in a snow bank and they toke Violet inside. They put Violet by the fire place to warm her up and Janie holds Violet in her arms. Violet falls asleep in Janie's arms and when Violet wakes up she rubs her cheek on Janie's pocket by her chest. Janie has the stolen jewelry in her pocket and Violet scratched her cheek on the jewelry. Violet starts to cry and Miss.Wade comes over and asks what's wrong. Miss.Wade sees the scratch and takes Violet to get it cleaned. Janie goes back to the train to see how Violet got scratched and Janie sees that one of the diamonds poked though her jacket. So Janie puts the diamond jewelry in one of her red socks and raps them up. Then Janie puts the sock in the bottom of her bag. Then Fredrick comes in the train and Janie and Fredrick go to the observation car. Janie and Fredrick start to play checkers and a while later Fredrick is about to win the game. Then Violet comes in and destroys the checker board. Violet says she wants to build a snowman because she never got to. Janie,Fredrick and Violet go outside to build a snowman and then they have to come inside but their snowman doesn't have a scarf. So later on Violet looks in Janie's bag and finds the sock that has the diamond jewelry in it and takes it to put it on the snowman then Janie goes back to the sleeper car. Janie notices that her bag is open so she looks inside to see if her sock with the diamond jewelry in it is still there but it is not there so Janie starts to look for it. Then Janie sees Violet holding her sock so she goes over to Violet and grabs it but Violet wont let go. Then the Jewelry goes all over the ground and Violet's mom takes Violet back to there sleeper car. Janie starts to pick up the jewelry off the ground but notices that one is missing and Janie sees it on Fredrick's foot. Janie tries to get it but Fredrick beats her to it and he asks how does she have all this diamond jewelry. So Janie tells Fredrick the whole story about how she stole the jewelry. The train is in another town now so Janie makes a plan that in the morning she is going to run away and try to make it to the other train station three miles away. Janie goes into the place that they have been get their food and she goes into a dark corner. Janie thinks that Fredrick told his dad Mr.McBride about how she stole the jewelry and Mr.McBride,Fredrick,Violet,Violet's mom Mrs.Kayden and Miss.Wade will be mad and discussed with her. Then Janie hears Mr.McBride,Fredrick and Miss.Wade come into the food place and ask if they have seen Janie they say no. Janie hears Fredrick say "it is all my fault." Miss.Wade says "it is not your fault we will find her." Mr.McBride says "we will find her and I will not rest till I do." Then Janie decides that she need to go after Fredrick so she sprints past the owners and out the door. Janie starts to yell wait then Fredrick hears her and turns around. They run up to each other and hug then they hold hands and try to catch up with Mr.McBride and Miss.Wade then they hear something and realize that there is an avalanche. They start to sprint up to Mr.McBride and Miss.Wade to tell them and then they start to warn the train passengers but it was to late the avalanche was there Janie and Fredrick tried to getaway but the avalanche swallowed them. Janie could not move but then she started to move her finger then two then three then her whole fist so she started to punch the snow then people came and helped her then she woke up in a bed and Fredrick was holding her hand. A couple years later Janie,Fredrick and Mr and Mrs.McBride are on a train to go visit Dash Janie's childhood best friend. I recommend this book to people who like avalanches.

[Caren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read all of them. It might be time to retire the series.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It Was good! It is one of my favorites even though the main character was a thief! But at the end the main character quit being a thief! Over all it was a pretty good book!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I started homeschooling my kids, I have been looking for ways to increase the time we spend on books while also trying to get my 6-year-old son interested in reading. Audiobooks have helped us a lot. We mostly listen to them in the car while we're jetting around running errands. And it helps to cut down screen time and boredom in the car. I'd seen the I Survived series, but this was the first one I got for us to listen to. And it was a good choice.

Lauren Tarshis starts this book at the actual avalanche to build intensity and suspense. And then she backtracks seven days. Our main character is Janie, who is an orphan being used by a crime boss to run stolen goods for him. She doesn't have many choices as she has no other family or means of providing for herself. Her handler gets arrested, and Janie uses this opportunity to try to escape like her friend Bash did a while back.

The other passengers think it is odd for a young girl to be riding the train unaccompanied, and several take Janie under their wing. She befriends a young boy about her age named Frederick. She still has the stolen jewels on her, and she hasn't figured out what to do with them yet.

My kids asked me if Janie was a real person. Because this was my first experience with the series, I didn't think so, but I wasn't sure. Lauren Tarshis does explain what was fact and what was fiction in her author's note at the end of the book, which we listened to as well. I wanted my kids to hear about how much work goes into creating a story like this in hopes that they might learn that things they might think are easy aren't always so.

My son did ask me to find a book with a male main character for our next book, and I think I've found just the one. Even with Janie being a girl, her storyline of jewel thief would appeal to readers of both genders. My children (minus the three-year-old) certainly enjoyed the story. I give I Survived: The Wellington Avalanche, 1910 4 Stars. Have you read (or listened to) this book? If so, what do you think? Let me know!

[Madison]

I Survived the Wellington Avalanche, 1910 by Lauren Tarshis. This book is about a 11 year-old girl, Janie Pryor, who is trying to get to Seattle, Washington so she can get money for the diamonds that she stole. While she is on the train they get stuck at the entrance of the Cascade tunnel in the Cascade Mountains. This book is part of a series but you do not have to read the other books to get more information about the book.
I like this book because it shows you parts of the past but it is not just stuck in the past. It shows you part of the past but it also has some of a modern part of it which makes it a good book. I also like how there is another problem that gets solved that is not the disaster. “If only Mrs.Letts knew the truth: that Janie was a criminal. She worked for the gangster Ray Malvo. Her job was to help get stolen loot out of Spokane” (Tarshis 7). My favorite character is Janie because she shows that even if you think that something is bad you can try to find a way to get out of it. This book is also good at making you want to keep reading which I find to be a good thing. Even if you know what is going to happen, it makes you want to keep turning the page.
One thing that I did not like is how the book moved so quickly. Like how she was in the snow and then it went straight to what it was like after she was in the snow. I do not like how the other problem was about stealing. “Nobody would guess that she had a bundle of stolen diamond jewels inside her coat” (Tarshis 5). One of the things that I did not like was that Janie did not tell anybody about the jewels until they figured it out. She should not have told them right away but she still should have told somebody before they figured it out by themselves. One other thing that I did not like was how short the book was, it should have been longer so it added more detail to it too.
Overall I think that this is a good book. This book appeals to younger readers but it is not bad to read once in a while as you get older. I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5.

[Kaitlyn N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Survived the Wellington Avalanche, 1910 by Lauren Tarshis is about a girl named Janie who is riding a train to Seattle to deliver diamonds to a gang in exchange for money to give to her boss, Malvo. She was supposed to be filled my one of Malvo's goons Hammer, but he was arrested at the train station. While waiting by herself at the train station she met a rich boy named Fredrick and his dad Mr. McBride who bought a ticket for her in their sleeper car. They got an the train and were expected to get to Seattle around lunchtime tomorrow. While on the train they met Mr.Riggens and Miss Wade. When Janie woke up in the morning the train was stopped and the passengers were told that they would have to stay in this small town on the mountain. Everyday they eat at this small diner and one time a little girl named violet went missing. Everyone looked through the snow till Janie found her. Then they were told again they would be moving to another town about three miles away from the town now because the diner was running out of food. Janie and her new friends got on the train and went to the new town that had a bigger restaurant and a hotel. One day the food began running out again they knew they would have to move but they did not know where. Finally Mr.Riggens had had enough and started traveling to the next town over where he would get on a train. When he got there he sent a letter back to the other passengers telling them that they should should not travel there. When they get back to the train Violet asked Janie and Fredrick to make a snowman so they got outside and do so. When they get back to the train Janie finds that the sock she had hidden the jewels in was missing but turns out Violet was running around the train telling everyone that it was her snowman's scarf. When Janie tried taking it back and it broke and the jewels spilled out. When Fredrick saw them he stared in shock. Janie rushed to pick them up and ran out to the hotel restaurant. She hid out there through dinner and the night. But and about 1:00 am she woke up to thunder booming and the sounds of people looking for her. When they left she ran out to find Fredrick. After she found Fred they heard an even bigger boom but it wasn't thunder from that strom it was an avalanche. Janie ended up under a huge pile of snow, parts of the train, and a bit of a tree. After a while Janie began trying to get out by sticking her hand out of the snow and after some digging she felt someone pull her out of the snow. She woke up to people helping her warm up. After the avalanche was over and so was their long train ride Janie found that Malvo had been arrested for his actions and Janie decided to stay with Fredrick and his parents. She then travels to Boston with them to see her old friend who escaped from Malvo. She ends up okay in the end. I rated this book five stars because it was super exciting to read and kept me wanting to read the book.I recommend this book to anyone who likes the I Survived books because this one was one of my favorites to read. This was overall a very good read.

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Survived the Wellington Avalanche is an excellent addition to the New York Times bestselling series. The story revolves around a young girl named Janie, who is not only a criminal but also a mastermind. She is on a mission to steal some precious jewels, and her plan is quite cunning. However, things turn dramatically when she boards the Seattle Express train and meets Frederick and his father.

The author has done an excellent job of building up the suspense and tension in the story. As the train reaches the mountains of Cascadilla, a snowstorm hits the area, blocking the path of the train. The passengers and the mail team are stuck in a hut, waiting for the storm to pass.

The character development of Janie is remarkable. She starts as a criminal with a dubious plan, but as the story progresses, she realizes that there is more to life than just stealing. Her encounter with Frederick and his father makes her realize the value of family and companionship. She learns that it's never too late to change for the better.

The plot of the story is engaging, and the author's writing style is captivating. The way the story unfolds and the characters are developed is commendable. The illustrations add to the overall reading experience, making the book even more enjoyable.

In conclusion, I highly recommend I Survived the Wellington Avalanche. It's a thrilling story that teaches valuable lessons about the importance of family, companionship and the power of redemption. The book is perfect for readers of all ages, especially those who enjoy historical fiction and adventure. It's a must-read!

Don't just take my word for it - check out the book for yourself! Click the link to purchase and see why it's been praised by so many readers.
https://amzn.to/41IpaqR

Check out my full review of this book on my YouTube channel. It's got everything you need to know about this amazing read.
https://youtu.be/aAWeYqIDrJs

[Claire M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I survived the Wellington Avalanche of 1910 by Lauren Tarshis
It is about a girl named janie a horrible thing happened to her grandma and her parents got in a motorcycle accident and now she has to go live with her aunt Barbara now and she works for a guy named Moivo he is a thief and he has kids working for him and janie is one of them.

She just stole some diamonds from a Jewelry store and she got on a train to go see one of Moivo servants and they trade it for money and when they were getting off the train the police caught them and one of Moivos servants his name was Hammer and throw him In jail and there's a kid and a dad named Frederick and Mr. McBride and she was going to Seattle to so she when with them to Seattle they get on the train and the dad got them all first class tickets and then it was getting dark so they went to bed and when they woke up the train was not moving the engineer said there was a pancakes and that's what they can eat for breakfast and then they went and played in the snow and the parents said come back inside and then Fredrick found the jewels she stole and she ran away they were searching for her they found her when lining hit the mountain top and a big snow pile came down faster and faster and janie got sucked in the avalanche and then when the when the avalanche was over janie could not move anything on her body and finally she stuck her hand in the snow and they pulled her out and then she went home with the people that got her first class and that's her new family.

I rate this book a 5 star it shows a lot of betal and I like nonfiction books

I recommend for people who like nonfiction books it shows a lot of detail and it is a really good and interesting book.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: RRRRRRRRooooooar! The earsplitting explosion shook the ground. Eleven year old Janie Pryor swung her head around and stared in horror. The mountain above her seemed to have shattered apart. A massive wave of icy snow was crashing down. An avalanche! For the past six days, Janie had been stuck in this stormy wilderness.

Premise/plot: Janie Pryor is the "I" in Lauren Tarshis' newest I Survived historical novel. The event is an avalanche that led to a disastrous tragedy.

If you've read one I Survived novel, you've got a fairly good idea on what to expect in this latest installment.

My thoughts: I don't always appreciate the drama of the I Survived books, but, this one I must admit had me at the edge of my seat from start to finish. This event, I'm guessing, is NOT well known with the intended audience. (Unlike say the Titanic, Hurricane Katrina, or 9/11.) Perhaps it is not even well known with older readers--adults. If history classes covered events like this one, would history classes be better appreciated???? Perhaps. (But I digress.)

The story is compelling. Not just the natural disaster aspect--which is inevitably intense--but the personal drama as well. I would explain what led Janie to being on the train in the first place, but, I don't want to have spoilers in this review. Usually the secondary side stories are a bit silly, at least in my opinion, but I didn't find that so in this newest book.

Definitely recommend this one.

[BlueBird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janie Pryor is on the Seattle Express train to try and escape from her criminal lifestyle she was force into as a young girl. With stolen priceless jewels hidden within her socks, she tries to keep a low profile on the train as to not draw attention to herself. Yet, as days pass, she comes to open her heart to the people around and even believes that she can have a real family and finally be safe. However, Janie- along with the passengers on the train- will have to find a way to survive when heavy snowfall and soon an avalanche comes hurdling down into the train.
Every single story in the series is both heartbreaking and scary, but I have to say that this one to me seems to be the most downright terrifying disaster. Not only are they trapped in a train car waiting for days for help to arrive, but they are also soon buried under feet of snow due to an avalanche. You need to understand that the rescue team did not have the equipment we have today. Search parties were made to find help miles upon miles far. Not many of them made it back alive. Food was running low, and the cold wind was increasing.
As for why I put this book in my heavy subject shelve would be that this story also deals with the exploitation of children in troubled situations. Due to the fact that her aunt works for the gangster Ray Malvo, Janie had no other choice than to be a part of this awful lifestyle or live on the streets. Thankfully, she was taking in by a nice family in the end of the story.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Janie is an orphan working for a gang of thieves who have placed her on a train north, carrying diamonds that she is supposed to exchange for cash to bring back to the gang leaders. She hater her circumstances and wants a better life, like that of Frederick, a boy on the train who befriends her. What follows, of course, is the avalanche and the days of snow that preceded it, trapping their train near the town of Wellington, en route. But the story is definitely about Janie and what motivates her to survive and change her life in a positive way. I like that the series doesn't shy away from the facts of these historical truths; people died in train accidents and avalanches, people died and were injured laying tracks and blasting tunnels, and many of these laborers were immigrants from places like Italy, China, and Ireland who were treated badly by the wealthy robber barons who ran the railroads. The author does an excellent job of sharing the facts, and in this particular volume, there are a lot of contemporary photographs showing the trains, the snowstorms, the laborers who constructed the railway, and even the town of Wellington. A great book for young fans of historical fiction and adventure.

[Danielle Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret that I absolutely adore the I Survived books. I didn't know until recently that there was a new book in the series, but once I saw it, I knew I wanted to read it.

Honestly I think this one is my new favorite in the series. Prior to this book, I had not heard of the Wellington Avalanche, and living in Texas my whole life, my knowledge of avalanches is extremely limited. So while I am not the typical demographic for this book, I still very much enjoyed it.

Lauren Tarshis does such an incredible job with these books. Not only are they educational, they are entertaining as well. In every book of the series, the 1st chapter puts you right into the disaster featured, then pulls back in chapter 2 to the beginning of the story. I typically don't like this style, but I think Tarshis has the perfect balance of capturing readers attention without giving too much away.

She is also fantastic with creating and developing her characters. The story is short, but she gives them depth without feeling rushed. I believe Tarshis also does a good job at creating characters from different backgrounds, while still maintaining a level of historical accuracy.

[Miles Durham · Rating 5 out of 5]

the snow falls on to the train everyone is stuck in the train until the snow plowers clear all the snow underneath she still has the diamonds in her pocket and needs to get to Seattle before her boss finds her and kills her.

Janie Pryor is a girl who used to be in a gang and doesn't want to be in any more. She is about 11 years old and is from Spokane Washington

Janie doesn't want to be in the gang anymore and her partner gets arrested on her way to Seattle so she has to make it there give the diamonds to the guy she's meeting with get the money and go

the problem with er plan is that an avalanche hits the train she's on and stops her to get to Seattle and it has to move fast or else her boss is going to get her.

i think what she's getting at is be what you want to be no matter what because she doesn't want to be in this gang and her boss won't let her so she has to try and get away before her boss gets her

and now she had to hide the diamonds in her bag and the snow plowers have to hurry up and clear the snow or else.

[Leath Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Survived The Wellington Avalanche, 1910 by Lauren Tarshis is about a girl named Janie who was to take stolen jewelry to a gangster named Ray Malvo in Seattle, Washington, from Spokane. While she was waiting in the Great Northern Railway station for the train, she met a boy named Frederick and his father, Mr. McBride and they decided that Janie should ride with them in the sleeper cars instead of the couch. On the train she met Violet and became friends.
After the train was moving awhile they became stuck on the tracks because of a blizzard in the mountain, at Cascade. Violet and Janie built a snowman and was looking for something to use for a scarf. They had gone to the beanery to warm up and when they got back to the train, Violet found a sock that Janie had put the jewelry in and it got dumped out on the floor of the train. She got them all picked up but one and that was how the others found out what she was doing. Then there was an avalanche and she was buried under the snow. When they got out of the snow and back to the train, it started moving again. She told Mr. McBride about the man at the station, who gave her the jewelry and that she was to meet Malvo at Seattle. After they got to Seattle and the police took care of the matter, Janie thought she was going to jail, but in the end she got to live with Mr. McBride and Frederick.
The book shows the strength that Janie had to ride alone to Seattle and that she could depend on others to help her get out of a bad situation.
I would give this book 4 stars because it was an interesting book. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes to read suspense stories.

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great installment of the I Survived series. The story follows an orphan, Janie, who is forced to work for gangsters for money. Her latest job is to transport stolen diamonds from one train station to another. Things get tricky when a blizzard strikes the train while it’s in the Cascade mountains and the train is trapped. Eventually there is a horrible and deadly avalanche that hits the train and the small town where the train was presently posted. What will happen to Janie now?

While I had heard about avalanches hitting trains in that area before, I had never explicitly heard of the Wellington Avalanche of 1910. This book is a wonderful resource of information not just of that particular event, but of similar events and the reasoning behind them. Highly recommend to readers of the series and to anyone interested in that part of history.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good story about a disaster I had never heard of before. The main character is once again an orphan and this time she is forced into a life of stealing for a gangster-type who preys off the need for orphan children to keep themselves alive and then threatens them so thoroughly that they never think they can get out. I do think that concept could be a bit much for the target audience of this book so I would allow my own kids to read it at a slightly older age. The author also says (in the notes at the back of the book) that this is not a natural disaster because the railroad companies built railroads in a place that avalanches sometimes happened. With that logic, was the Joplin Tornado not a natural disaster because people decided to build a town where tornados sometimes happen? I do believe that both are instances of natural disasters.