Grades 3 and Up
The ‘I Survived’ Series is a brilliant way of showing
readers that kids like them lived and survived through these disasters. This
series is a work of historical fiction; all the characters come from the
author’s imagination but the main events, places and feelings of terror are
real. The thing I love most about these books is the facts about the disasters:
Examples shown below.
The Sinking of The Titanic, 1912 (I
Survived, #1)
George Calder and his little sister, Phoebe, are
sailing with their aunt on the Titanic,
the greatest ship ever built. He can’t resist exploring every inch of the
incredible boat, even if it keeps getting him into trouble. Then the impossible
happens – the Titanic hits an iceberg
and George is stranded on the sinking ship.
While reading this book I was in pain every time the
characters talked about how unsinkable the Titanic was. The only good thing to
come out of this horrible disaster was that laws were changed to require all
ships to carry enough lifeboats for every passenger and crew members.
Interesting Fact: The Titanic was located in 1985 by a
team lead by U.S. scientist Robert Ballard. He didn’t take anything from the
wreck because he believed the Titanic should rest in peace as a memorial to
those who died. I agree with him. Why tempt fate?
The Shark Attacks of 1916 (I Survived,
#2)
Chet is finally feeling at home in Elm Hills, New
Jersey. He has a job with his Uncle Jerry at the local diner, three friends,
and the perfect summertime destination; cool, refreshing Matawan Creek. But his
summer is interrupted by shocking news; a great white shark has been attacking
swimmers along the Jersey shore, not far from Elm Hills. When Chet sees
something in the creek, he’s sure it’s his imagination until he comes
face-to-face with a bloodthirsty shark!
I like this one especially because this is an event I
had never heard of until now. I feel like this event was what the movie ‘Jaws’,
‘Sharknado’ and pretty much every shark movie were based off of.
Interesting Fact: Every year, humans kill nearly 100
million sharks, mainly for their fins, which are a prized ingredient for shark
fin soup. The way I see it, sharks have more of a reason to fear us.
Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (I Survived, #3)
Barry’s family tires to evacuate before Hurricane
Katrina hits their home in New Orleans, but when his little sister gets
terribly sick, they’re forced to stay home and wait out the storm. At first,
Katrina doesn’t seem to be as severe a storm as forecasters predicted. But
overnight the levees break and Barry’s world is literally torn apart.
Nobody believed that the storm was going to be that
bad. There were a lot of false alarms over the years, predictions that never
came true. But then the worse finally happened and it was too late for everyone
to get out.
Interesting Fact: Americans donated more than $1
million to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 (I
Survived, #4)
Ever since Danny’s mom moved him to Hawaii, away from
the dangerous streets of New York City, Danny has been planning to go back. On
the morning he plans to stow away on the next ship out of Pearl Harbor, the
skies fill with fighter planes. Bombs pound the harbor. Bullets rain down on
the beaches. Danny is a tough city kid but for the first time he is truly
afraid.
These books are pretty scary to begin with but this one
was really scary. I felt more for the characters in this story than the others;
you can almost feel the fear coming off the page. Danny is only thinking about
himself in the beginning but when the planes come he immediately changes his
attitude and does everything he can to help. The most ironic thing is Danny’s
mother moved them to Hawaii was because she thought New York was too dangerous.
Boy was she wrong.
Interesting Fact: President Roosevelt said that
December 7th, 1941 would “live in infamy,” meaning it would always
be a day that great evil was committed.
The San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 (I
Survived, #5)
Leo loves being a newsboy in San Francisco – he needs
the money, but the job also gives him the freedom to explore the amazing city.
But early one spring morning, Leo’s world is shaken – literally – and he finds
himself stranded in the middle of San Francisco as it crumbles and burns to the
ground.
The main character in this story was a lot smarter than
the boys in other books (Book #1’s main character for example). He used the
stories his dad told him to help guide him out of trouble.
Interesting Fact: There were no instruments to measure
earthquakes back in 1906 but experts estimate that the San Francisco earthquake
would have measured a 7.9 on the moment magnitude scale (MMS).
The Attacks of September 11th,
2001 (I Survived, #6)
The only thing Lucas loves more than football is his
dad’s friend Benny, a firefighter and the man who taught Lucas how to play. So
when Lucas’s parents decide football is too dangerous and he needs to quit,
Lucas has to talk to Benny. Lucas
takes the train to the city instead of the bus to school, but just as he
arrives at the firehouse, everything changes…and nothing will ever be the same
again.
I was in kindergarten when this happened and my mom
worked for the airlines so my parents never told me what happened that day so I
wouldn’t be scared to fly. I didn’t find out about that day until I was much
older. Let’s just say I didn’t really pay much attention to the world around me
as a child.
Interesting Fact: On September 11 at 9:42 a.m. the
Untied States airspace was shut down. No planes were allowed to take off and
all aircrafts in flight were ordered to land at the nearest airport.
The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 (I
Survived, #7)
Thomas and his little sister, Birdie, have fled the
farm where they were born and raised as slave. They soon cross paths with
Corporal Henry Green, a Union soldier, who them back to his regiment. Suddenly
it fells like they’ve found a new home and they don’t have to find their way
north alone – they’re marching with the army. But then the men are called to
battle in Pennsylvania. Thomas has made it so far but does he have what it
takes to survive Gettysburg?
This was such a sad time. Before Abraham Lincoln, no
president had the courage to stand up and say that slavery was wrong. The
North’s reason for fighting was honorable: they wanted to free the slaves. But
the South really didn’t think it was wrong and refused to change their ways.
Some people thought the war would be over in a week but it went on for 4 years
and way too many people lost their lives.
Interesting Fact: The Battle of Gettysburg was not the
end of the war as some may think but it was the turning point for the North.
Tune in next week for ‘I Survived’ Series, Books 8 – 14
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