Five Epic Disasters (I Survived True Stories #1)

The harrowing experiences of the young survivors of five notable disasters are recounted. Each chapter concludes with a case file featuring fascinating facts, primary source documents, and notes by the author that should inspire further research. Author’s Notes, Bibliography.

"I Survived" True Stories tells five different true stories of children surviving dangerous situations. The five stories include The Children's Blizzard in 1888 with other information about similar blizzards, the sinking of the Titanic, the Japanese Tsunami in 2011, and the Henryville Tornado along with other information about similar tornado disasters, and a very unique disaster involving a molasses spill in Boston in 1919. Each story is told from the perspective of children that were involved in the disasters. This book helps students learn about the natural disasters of tornadoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis and helps them think about how people at risk for these events can be prepared. The stories set in the 1800s and early 1900s can be used to help students compare the present to the past. This book motivates students to seek out other "I Survived" stories that interest them too! ( )

I thought the book, I Survived: Five Epic Disasters was interesting. I usually do not enjoy non-fiction books, but this one actually interested me. The book focused on five specific disasters: The Titanic, the Japanese Tsunami, the Henryville Tornado, the Great Boston Molasses Flood, and the Children’s Blizzard. The main idea of this book was to provide factual information based off of specific disasters such as, the Titanic. I liked this book because of the extra textual features. For example, at the end of each chapter are “files” from the event, which tells you more interesting facts and ways to continue your research. Another reason I liked this book was because each disaster was written in story form. For example, each chapter was told through someone’s personal experience; it was not just a series of facts thrown onto a page. ( )

It lacks the emotional investment of Tarshis's other stories, but overall the information was presented in an interesting way. Not bad, but not great either. ( )

Nice bits of history, and I learned new things (molasses flood - really?). It made me want to read more, and there's a nice bibliography to help with that. ( )