I Survived True Stories: Five Epic Disasters

Reviewed by: Bernie Alie - Kennebunk Free Library, Kennebunk, ME, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 11, 2015

Review

Fans of Tarshis' fictionalized disaster stories will welcome her foray into nonfiction. We experience the Children's Blizzard of 1888, the sinking of the Titanic, the Boston Molasses Flood of 1919, the 2011 Japanese Tsunami and a 2012 tornado in Henryville Indiana. Each story is centered on a young survivor or survivors, helping readers to imagine themselves in the same shoes. The Henryville tornado story was inspired by fans who experienced it. Photos and additional facts related to each story are included.

In her attempt to simplify the text, some facts are lost. For instance, radioactive particles are said to remain dangerous for "decades," yet the quantity released in Fukishima will ensure dangerous levels for longer than that. A photo of the commemorative sign on p. 80 states that the Boston Molasses Flood reached a height of 40 feet, yet the text says it was 25 feet high (p.73). No explanation is given for the dichotomy.

No footnotes source the thoughts and deeds of survivors, yet a bibliography and additional readings are given for each chapter.

Although there is not enough information for reports, pique an interest in nonfiction with these tales of true survival. Recommend this title to fans of the fictionalized I Survived series and the Magic Tree House nonfiction books.

Overall Book Score: good