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Heat Wave

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A terrible Heat Wave descends upon a farm, turning the corn to popcorn and almost cooking the cows, but the girl of the family saves the day

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

8 people are currently reading
141 people want to read

About the author

Helen Ketteman

43 books77 followers
author and mother of two grown sons. Texas, where she lived for 9 years, is one of her favorite places and several of her books are set there. She, her husband, and their two cats currently live in Sanibel Island, Florida--where plenty of armadillos live, too.

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Community Reviews

5 stars
24 (32%)
4 stars
20 (27%)
3 stars
22 (30%)
2 stars
3 (4%)
1 star
4 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Diana.
1,475 reviews7 followers
March 19, 2018
Ha! This was a fantastic tall tale! Okay, okay. So the final joke was eye-roll inducing. But it was still funny. And I laughed out loud at a few of the heat-related jokes. Living in a hot area, this one really resonated with me. I get a smile on my face just thinking about it!
Profile Image for Yusra Alwan.
1 review
May 7, 2020
Excellent Story, Students love reading this story over and over again , they also love the illustrations.
I love teaching this story and watch the children's reactions.
Profile Image for Diane.
7,289 reviews
August 26, 2018
It’s the worst heat wave Kansas has ever seen. “The mercury blasted out of the porch thermometer like a rocket. Ma’s flowers pulled themselves up by their roots and crawled under the porch looking for shade.” And that’s only the beginning. Just how is this young girl going to save the day? Thankfully, she has some pretty good ideas up her sleeve.

Hysterical illustrations.
Profile Image for Alicia.
615 reviews
August 9, 2009
Good grief. Children enjoy silly books, and I usually do, as well, but Heat Wave is a bit over the top. The voice is wonderful - spot on Midwesterner's farmer narration - but the action is packed with every silly heat/food joke you can imagine. This must have been written with the the intention of supporting the accompanying illustration (which I found mildly grotesque and disconcerting - too much eye-popping and open-mouthed shock for me). And be prepared for a big ol' roll of the eyes at the finish.
3,334 reviews37 followers
August 25, 2016
I love tall tales! Illustrations are very funny! Well-written, humorous. Strong female character comes to the rescue during a heat wave on her family farm.
This book is sure to get the kids laughing, adults, too!
Profile Image for Jessie Wilkens.
472 reviews1 follower
April 23, 2010
Normally I would not add a children's book (normally I wouldn't read a children's book) but this was super cute and I want to remember it. I loved the illustrations and the writing.
Profile Image for Lance.
84 reviews
March 6, 2012
i read this school and its good but......................
Profile Image for Vivian Clarke.
78 reviews24 followers
April 21, 2013
Being from southern Indiana a lot of kids could relate to a heat wave. Maybe not as crazy as the heat wave in this story but still.
Profile Image for Kelsey.
963 reviews
September 14, 2014
Stayed awesomely weird throughout. I don't get tired of the corn popping into popcorn trope.
1 review
Currently reading
April 2, 2015
I don't know what to think because I haven't read the book yet I'm getting there bit so far I been getting used to this website.O:-)
Profile Image for Renise Black.
15 reviews
September 3, 2015
A highly imaginative story with a fun surprise ending! The illustrations were spot on, rich in color, very emotional and expressive. The expressions on the animal's faces were hilarious.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

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