Disaster Survivors

[Starred review]. The books in this series present information about catastrophic natural disasters by discussing the causes, characteristics, the science, and progress in predicting them, integrated with global survivors’ firsthand accounts that bring the individuals’ experiences to life. The books are well organized and each two page spread introduces a topic associated with the natural disaster. There are usually two short paragraphs of text presented in a fairly large font. Captivating photos and illustrations and sidebars present interesting facts or brief anecdotes. Page-length displays of the most famous examples, safety tip checklists, and glossaries, as well as one-page presentations with short bibliographies, Read More sections, and links to web information at the publisher’s site are included. These books should be purchased for all school and public libraries as they give a new perspective on the topic. Highly Recommended.

Each volume relates the events of a specific natural disaster. Two-page sections describe what happened or what caused the event as well as the personal stories of those who lived through it; the journalistic style heightens tension… Tips are provided on what to do during and after each type of disaster. Maps and photographs supplement the texts.

Each volume relates the events of a specific natural disaster. Two-page sections describe what happened or what caused the event as well as the personal stories of those who lived through it; the journalistic style heightens tension… Tips are provided on what to do during and after each type of disaster. Maps and photographs supplement the texts.

Students with a penchant for the extreme will relish the dangerous situations described in these fact-filled works, whose first-person accounts add nail-biting immediacy. The books describe some of the same threats as those covered in ABDO’s “Weather Watchers,” but here the pitch of the content and the appetite of the audience are a perfect match. While focusing on one survivor’s experiences before, during, and after events such as Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and Chicago’s deadly 1995 heat wave, the books also relate the history of the event and similar disasters, and scientific cause and effect. While the authors don’t gloss over human suffering, including the poverty that exacerbated tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina, they refrain from political commentary. Large, clear color photographs and effective scientific diagrams add to the successful presentations.