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Earthquake Terror
When Jonathan and his family go camping on Magpie Island, they look forward to a fun, relaxing weekend. But their fun quickly vanishes when Jonathan, his sister, Abby, and their dog, Moose, find themselves in the middle of a natural disaster. A devastating earthquake has hit, destroying their camper, knocking out the only bridge to the mainland, and leaving Jonathan, Abby, and their dog with no food, water, or shelter. Alone in the woods, can Jonathan manage to keep calm and save Abby and Moose—and stay alive himself?
132 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
104 people are currently reading
991 people want to read
About the author
Peg Kehret
74 books637 followersPeg Kehret writes middle grade fiction and nonfiction. She's won dozens of state children's choice awards, where kids vote for their favorite book.
When she was twelve, Peg was paralyzed with polio. Most of her protagonists are the age she was then.
A volunteer with animal rescue groups, three of Peg's books are co-authored by Pete the Cat."
When she was twelve, Peg was paralyzed with polio. Most of her protagonists are the age she was then.
A volunteer with animal rescue groups, three of Peg's books are co-authored by Pete the Cat."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
November 29, 2012
I thought this was a great book on what to do in a disaster. I really connected and felt for the main character Jonathan because of the stress he was under and how well he dealt with it. Jonathan and his family are camping on an island and his mother gets hurt. His dad takes his mom to the hospital leaving he, his sister abby who uses a walker, and the dog alone. An earthquake his and the camper is crushed and Abby's walker breaks. Jonathan fights to keep he, his sister, and his dog alive. I have never felt so relieved to see them all survive. I felt so emotionally intertwined in this book. This book would be a good introduction into a science unit on earthquakes.
March 25, 2015
it was a really good book
November 21, 2025
I enjoyed this book but I did find the premise a bit incredulous.
First off, what parents just leave their two kids alone in a trailer in the woods? I mean, even if you weren't worried about murderers and rapists, it's not like anything else could go wrong leaving a 12 (?) year old alone with a 6 year old that can only move with a walker. Right? Perfectly safe and normal.
The younger sister had been in an accident and now has to use a walker. Great representation for children in similar situations. It also added some more tension to the story. (Review: Aug 2019)
3/4 BOB 2019
Review #2 - November 2025
My niece is reading these for the Battle of the Books so I'm reading some as well so I can discuss with her.
This book was still enjoyable, even if I was still stymied by parents leaving their kids alone in the woods. Haha! It moves quickly and has lots of action and adventure.
Mom breaks her ankle and they need to rush her to the hospital, but because Abby uses a walker they can't move quickly. So Dad takes Mom and leaves the kids to make it back to the trailer alone. Of course, it's at that moment the earthquake hits, the trailer is buried under a tree, the bridge gives out, and the whole island floods. Talk about your bad luck.
For those that might be worried, there are happy endings all around. Also, the dog was kind of amazing in the end.
First off, what parents just leave their two kids alone in a trailer in the woods? I mean, even if you weren't worried about murderers and rapists, it's not like anything else could go wrong leaving a 12 (?) year old alone with a 6 year old that can only move with a walker. Right? Perfectly safe and normal.
The younger sister had been in an accident and now has to use a walker. Great representation for children in similar situations. It also added some more tension to the story. (Review: Aug 2019)
3/4 BOB 2019
Review #2 - November 2025
My niece is reading these for the Battle of the Books so I'm reading some as well so I can discuss with her.
This book was still enjoyable, even if I was still stymied by parents leaving their kids alone in the woods. Haha! It moves quickly and has lots of action and adventure.
Mom breaks her ankle and they need to rush her to the hospital, but because Abby uses a walker they can't move quickly. So Dad takes Mom and leaves the kids to make it back to the trailer alone. Of course, it's at that moment the earthquake hits, the trailer is buried under a tree, the bridge gives out, and the whole island floods. Talk about your bad luck.
For those that might be worried, there are happy endings all around. Also, the dog was kind of amazing in the end.
March 24, 2009
Jonathan and his younger sister Abby, who uses a walker because her legs are weak, are left alone on an island while camping because their parents have to rush to the hospital after their mother breaks her ankle. When an earthquake suddenly hits, Jonathan and Abby have to fight for survival.
Earthquake Terror is very exciting, suspenseful, and adventurous. Most of the book takes place from Jonathan's point of view, and shows his concern and frustration with his sister and her disability. A smaller section of the book is from Abby's perspective and reveals her feelings about her disability.
Earthquake Terror is very exciting, suspenseful, and adventurous. Most of the book takes place from Jonathan's point of view, and shows his concern and frustration with his sister and her disability. A smaller section of the book is from Abby's perspective and reveals her feelings about her disability.
July 18, 2011
A family is camping on Magpie island. The mother breaks her ankle and the father takes her to the hospital. The two kinsd are supposed to stay in the camper and wait. Only an earthquake hits the island and washes out the bridge and a twelve year old boy much keep himself and his 6 year old disabled sister alive until they can be rescued. Fast pace and strong writing as to thoughts and feelings kept me turning pages. Excellent.
June 7, 2009
I love this book so much! It is kind of scary when you wonder what will happen to the kids, and if they will get rescued...
December 18, 2014
Earthquake Terror
by: Peg Kehret
book review
by: Tamiah J.
If you love adventurous books and books full of determination you should read EARTHQUAKE TERROR by Peg Kehret. You should read this book because you’ll feel sympathy for the characters. First, Mrs. Palmer breaks her ankle leaving the kids alone on Magpie Island. Next an earthquake occurred and the characters need to get off of the Magpie Island because when the earthquake happened it created a tree dam that caused the island to flood.
This book is so exciting because there are lots of adventure and unpredictable events. Nature is more powerful than men because men built a bridge and nature broke it. Also, big things fall because of the earthquake causing lots of destruction.
You should read this book because you will feel sympathy for the characters because of the earthquake. Ages 9 through 11 should read this book. I give this book five stars. Hope you like it if you read it.
by: Peg Kehret
book review
by: Tamiah J.
If you love adventurous books and books full of determination you should read EARTHQUAKE TERROR by Peg Kehret. You should read this book because you’ll feel sympathy for the characters. First, Mrs. Palmer breaks her ankle leaving the kids alone on Magpie Island. Next an earthquake occurred and the characters need to get off of the Magpie Island because when the earthquake happened it created a tree dam that caused the island to flood.
This book is so exciting because there are lots of adventure and unpredictable events. Nature is more powerful than men because men built a bridge and nature broke it. Also, big things fall because of the earthquake causing lots of destruction.
You should read this book because you will feel sympathy for the characters because of the earthquake. Ages 9 through 11 should read this book. I give this book five stars. Hope you like it if you read it.
August 28, 2009
When Jonathan Palmer and his family went on a camping trip to Magpie Island, they didn't expect to have the adventure of their lives. Mrs. Palmer injured her ankle, so Mr. Palmer had to take her to the hospital, leaving Jonathan and his dog Moose to babysit for his physically handicapped sister.
About an hour after his parents left, Jonathan noticed how quiet the island had become. No magpies cawed, no leaves rustled overhead. Suddenly Moose barked his warning bark, and Jonathan heard a deep rumbling like thunder in the distance. When the earthquake struck, Jonathan and his sister were thrown off their feet. The downed trees were hard to deal with, but then the river began to rise, flooding the island.
Not classic literature, but an exciting adventure for ages 8-11.
About an hour after his parents left, Jonathan noticed how quiet the island had become. No magpies cawed, no leaves rustled overhead. Suddenly Moose barked his warning bark, and Jonathan heard a deep rumbling like thunder in the distance. When the earthquake struck, Jonathan and his sister were thrown off their feet. The downed trees were hard to deal with, but then the river began to rise, flooding the island.
Not classic literature, but an exciting adventure for ages 8-11.
October 24, 2010
I was a little skeptical about this, but had it recommended by another teacher. My students LOVED it. The pacing was perfect and almost every chapter leaves you desperately needing to know what happens next (and in a chapter-a-day format, anticipating the next day's read). The characters and their interactions were insightfully written, making fantastic material for class discussion about their feelings and motivations, how things look different from the perspective of different people, etc. A number of the reluctant readers in my class marched straight to the school library for more Peg Kehret books. In short: a resounding success of a read aloud.
November 2, 2019
A family is separated by a major earthquake while camping on a isolated island. Fast paced...
November 7, 2022
4.5. I really enjoyed this kids book. It was fast paced and kept us wanting to not put it down. Def recommend to anyone that does read aloud books with their kids
November 10, 2019
A book for son’s school.
December 28, 2021
This was a great short story about the perseverance of people under the worst circumstances. It's a great testament to the will to survive and bonds we form with each other and our pets. Great story.
December 7, 2014
When Jonathan and his family go camping, they expect to have fun. But their fun quickly vanishes when an earthquake hits. The characters are Jonathan, Abby, Mr. and Mrs. Palmer, Moose, and the research team. The characteristics of Jonathan are that he's mature. Abby is half-paralyzed. Mr. and Mrs. Palmer are complicated and Moose is a loyal dog.
The story happens on the island, Kendra, underwater, river, Beaverville, and the Helicopter.The theme of the novel is that nature is stronger than man. Nature can demolish states, cities, and countries.
The events of the story are that Mrs. Palmer broke her ankle so Mr. Palmer rushed her to the hospital. Then the earthquake hit. The bridge collapsed, Abby got hysterical, and boom!!! The walker was broken. Jonathan helped Abby up. Hours later, Beaverville caught on fire. At the end of all of that, 3 words stood out, "They found her." I felt so relieved and comfort. Abby was safe, and it made the class (including me) feel relief. I thought that she was going to get left. Then Mr. Palmer called and said, "They found her."
The book was good. The characters and the mood of the book changed. I would rate this book 5 stars because Earthquake Terror had suspenseful details. We didn't know what will happen next. Another reason is that the book had multi-feelings. The book made you feel calm, eerie, unnatural, and relief. In the beginning Jonathan said, "The campground was deserted, no one was there. It was like a ghost-town." The last reason this is a five star book is that the characters were changing. So you wouldn't know what they would think, say, and do. That's why I think Earthquake Terror is a 5 star book. I recommend this book for people who like suspense.
The story happens on the island, Kendra, underwater, river, Beaverville, and the Helicopter.The theme of the novel is that nature is stronger than man. Nature can demolish states, cities, and countries.
The events of the story are that Mrs. Palmer broke her ankle so Mr. Palmer rushed her to the hospital. Then the earthquake hit. The bridge collapsed, Abby got hysterical, and boom!!! The walker was broken. Jonathan helped Abby up. Hours later, Beaverville caught on fire. At the end of all of that, 3 words stood out, "They found her." I felt so relieved and comfort. Abby was safe, and it made the class (including me) feel relief. I thought that she was going to get left. Then Mr. Palmer called and said, "They found her."
The book was good. The characters and the mood of the book changed. I would rate this book 5 stars because Earthquake Terror had suspenseful details. We didn't know what will happen next. Another reason is that the book had multi-feelings. The book made you feel calm, eerie, unnatural, and relief. In the beginning Jonathan said, "The campground was deserted, no one was there. It was like a ghost-town." The last reason this is a five star book is that the characters were changing. So you wouldn't know what they would think, say, and do. That's why I think Earthquake Terror is a 5 star book. I recommend this book for people who like suspense.
November 11, 2012
Earthquake Terror
By peg Kehret
Fiction
132 pages
Earthquake terror is about how Jonathan and his family go on a camping trip on an island. While they're there Jonathans mom brakes her ankle so his dad has to take his mom to the hopital off the island. Jonathan stays with his sister while his dad takes his mom to the hospital. But while their parents are gone and earthquake hits and there is no way for jonathan and his siseter Abby to get off the island. Jonathan has to help keep his siter alive and he has to keep himself alive too.
I think it would be the scariest thing in the world to be trapped on an island with no food or water and no way to get off the island and you have to take care of your little sister. I would be really hard to stay alive and stay safe on and island with no one to help you. I feel really bad for Jonathan because what if no one found them on the island and no one ever came for help. Sense Jonathans little sister Abby is paralyzed and she has to have a walker to walk around it is proably hard for Jonathan to help her get around sense theres alot of fallen trees and theres no paths anymore after the earthquake. I recomend this book to anyone who likes short adventure stories. this book was really good and I would definetly read it again.
By peg Kehret
Fiction
132 pages
Earthquake terror is about how Jonathan and his family go on a camping trip on an island. While they're there Jonathans mom brakes her ankle so his dad has to take his mom to the hopital off the island. Jonathan stays with his sister while his dad takes his mom to the hospital. But while their parents are gone and earthquake hits and there is no way for jonathan and his siseter Abby to get off the island. Jonathan has to help keep his siter alive and he has to keep himself alive too.
I think it would be the scariest thing in the world to be trapped on an island with no food or water and no way to get off the island and you have to take care of your little sister. I would be really hard to stay alive and stay safe on and island with no one to help you. I feel really bad for Jonathan because what if no one found them on the island and no one ever came for help. Sense Jonathans little sister Abby is paralyzed and she has to have a walker to walk around it is proably hard for Jonathan to help her get around sense theres alot of fallen trees and theres no paths anymore after the earthquake. I recomend this book to anyone who likes short adventure stories. this book was really good and I would definetly read it again.
May 13, 2014
I remember reading the short version of this in my reading book when I was in fifth grade. I wondered what could possibly have happened to Jonathan and Abby after the earthquake hit. So much, in fact, that when the Scholastic Books mini catalog came out and I saw the book available to order, I got it. I was in the only one in my fifth grade class who cared to continue reading. It's been a few years now since I've read it, but this book still remains one of my all-time faves. Ms. Kehret never skips a beat. The story is fast-paced, never boring, with a light-hearted ending as the icing on the cake. I can't wait to read it again for old time's sake.
June 5, 2009
This is an amazing book!
Tells all about two kids who are left alone in the forest camp for what is supposed to be two hours but turns out to be a whole day almost!
They are entirely alone on this island when an hugeearthquake strikes...
The kids are brave and struggle for survival, along with their faithful dog, who risks his life for them.
Tells all about two kids who are left alone in the forest camp for what is supposed to be two hours but turns out to be a whole day almost!
They are entirely alone on this island when an hugeearthquake strikes...
The kids are brave and struggle for survival, along with their faithful dog, who risks his life for them.
January 11, 2011
Jonathan and his disabled sister, Abby are left by themselves on an island after their mother breaks her ankle. The parents leave to go get medical help thinking that they would be back shortly. Unfortunately an earthquake strikes and Jonathan must now save himself and sister. This is a great adventure story with many twists and turns. The book is a quite a page turner.
July 23, 2016
I'm not sure how many kids enjoy this book, but I sure did. I thought both the characters and the plot were realistic. I think Peg Kehret hit on the perfect balance of action and background information so that kids (and adults) will get all the information they need to understand the people and events, but not get bored by a lack of excitement and action.
April 22, 2009
I wasn't sure that I was going to like this book, but I did! Definitely plot driven and fast paced. Just when you think it can't get any worse for siblings Jonathan and Abby, it does! I was in suspense the whole time-- good choice for reluctant readers who like survival stories.
March 2, 2011
The kids and I attended an author event for Peg Kehret, she's from my hometown. Shoe spoke about writing and about her life. We bought this book there and had it signed. We went home and started reading. We enjoyed the story and the insight the characters had.
November 14, 2010
This is a youth book. I read it because my granddaughter, MaKenzie, read it. For my taste a little too much whent wrong to be believeable but I must say it kept me reading to find out how they got out of their very serious perdictament!
June 24, 2011
I liked this book a lot. Again, this book is by one of my favorite authors. I think it shows how children can take care of themselves in the sort of situations that they have to go through. So you should read it because it's pretty good.
October 5, 2011
this is a good book.
A family goes camping on magpie island, when their parents leave. After a day an earthquake occors and his sister fell, she has disabilitys with her legs so she cant get up. They escape, but no one can find them...
Peg Kehret writes some page turning butt kicking books!
A family goes camping on magpie island, when their parents leave. After a day an earthquake occors and his sister fell, she has disabilitys with her legs so she cant get up. They escape, but no one can find them...
Peg Kehret writes some page turning butt kicking books!
February 21, 2023
Great little story. There isn’t much to it but since it is short, it actually works pretty great. It can be finished in a day or two. Nothing exceptional here but it really isn’t lacking anything either.
January 14, 2009
This is an exciting book for students 3-5 grade. Just when you think things can't get worse, they do. Again and again. A page-turner.
January 25, 2009
I read this book to my 3rd grade class. It was suspenseful and full of surprises. My kids were on the edge of their seat the whole time.
March 11, 2009
I like the part when Abby and Jonthen were helping each other when there parents were gone because their mom had a broken leg.
January 9, 2012
I thought it was very diffrent. When I saw the title but it was not just a eartqake so I liked wondering whats going to happen next.The book is earthquake by PEG KEHRET.
January 20, 2012
Jonathan's family is camping on an island, when his mother breaks her ankle, and everything just goes downhill from there
Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews