Bad Weather Kids Part 1

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Kids face dangers all the time. This month I will be featuring books about weather and the children who have survived to tell us about it. Children's True Stories is a series of books that educate kids on extreme climate issue around the globe. Join me on this spectacular journey of survival.





Surviving Tornadoes
Elizabeth Raum

As a resident of the Midwest I am very familiar with tornadoes. I have survived some very scary moments and have witnessed first hand the devastation a tornado can cause. I have seen whole communities left with barely anything standing. When tornadoes land you can hear a rumbling and roaring sound which is reminiscent of a train. It's not a sound you want to hear.

A tornado is a column of air that rotates at a very high speed. Generally they begin when severe weather is present. Warm air mixes with cooler air and that's when a tornado is born. About 1,300 tornadoes strike the United States each year. That is about three-fourths of all the tornadoes worldwide. Only about 1 in 100 Americans will ever see a tornado in person.

Fargo, North Dakota in 1957, seven-year-old Doug Dokken was playing in his backyard with his brother. Doug described the tornado as being a giant upside down birthday cake with greenish black frosting. Doug's family was lucky. The tornado missed their house. United Kingdom, 2005, fourteen-year-old Natasha West and her family survived a tornado that ripped apart their home. Broken glass and pieces of the floor flew around them.

Raum has done an excellent job of teaching young readers what happens before, during and after a devastating tornado. Actual photos show homes ripped to pieces, cars piled up and tornadoes in action. Entire communities pull together to start the clean up. The back of the book has maps, a glossary and many resources to help young readers, teachers and parents learn more about tornadoes and how to keep safe.


Surviving Hurricanes
Elizabeth Raum

Hurricanes are large and very complex tropical storms. They are so complicated a wind scale has been created to measure the intensity of their wind speed. This scale is call the Saffire-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. It is based on wind speed, which is measured in kilometers or miles per hour. Hurricane speeds can reach up to 120 miles per hour. The huge floods that can accompany hurricanes are strong enough to force houses from their foundations.

Galveston, Texas, in 1900 Sarah Littlejohn was only eight years old when she experienced a hurricane. She heard screams in the night and her home filled with water. Sarah and her family stayed upstairs in the bathroom to stay dry. Before the night was over thousands of homes were destroyed. Sarah's home was not. In 1974, Dawin, Austrailia is where Antony Haywood met Cyclone Tracy, a Category 5 hurricane. After taking refuge under their bed, Antony and his family survived. Their home was nothing more than a pile of bricks.

Hurricane Katrina is one that devastated New Orleans in 2005. Chris Nungesser  His family evacuated to New Iberia. Roads were jammed with traffic. All Chris could do is watch the reports on television. Homes were filled with water and many lives were lost. Chris was not able to go home for many months. Seawalls and building stronger homes can help to withstand hurricane winds.

Raum has done an excellent job of teaching young readers what happens before, during and after a devastating hurricanes. Actual photos show homes ripped to pieces, cars piled up and hurricanes in action. Entire communities pull together to start the clean up. The back of the book has maps, a glossary and many resources to help young readers, teachers and parents learn more about hurricanes and how to keep safe.



Comments

  1. Anonymous7:50 PM

    What a great post! My interest is totally piqued now. The focus on the stories of real children makes it so much more appealing. I had an aunt and uncle in Galveston during the hurricane --the pictures and description of the devastation there was astounding.

    Erin
    www.erinbradypike.com

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  2. Oh wow I have 2 kids and my 11 year old would love these books as she shares my passion for reading i shared this on twitter here is the link https://twitter.com/#!/aprilalvey/status/187019500196069376 i am a follower and i will be voting for you on april 10th as well. my email is butterfli262002@yahoo.com thanks for this chance to win.

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  3. Thanks everyone for stopping by. April you are the winner!

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