Books for Independent Reading
VERY EASY
- Fire at the Triangle Factory
- by Holly Littlefield
(Social Studies)
Carolrhoda 1996 (48p)
Minnie and Tessa, two fourteen-year-old friends who work six days a week at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, manage to survive the disastrous fire that killed over a hundred workers.
- On Board the Titanic: An I Was There Book
- by Shelly Tanaka
(Social Studies)
Hyperion 1996 (48p)
The sinking of the Titanic is seen from the perspectives of passenger Jack Thayer and wireless operator Harold Bride, who, with other survivors, spend a cold night struggling to keep their lifeboat afloat.
- Wildfires
- by Seymour Simon
(science)
Morrow 1996 (32p)
The author discusses the causes of wildfires and the crucial role they play in the renewal of nature.
- Dust for Dinner
- by Ann Turner
(Social Studies)
Harper 1995 (64p)
Disaster strikes in the form of a dust storm that forces Jake and his family to flee Oklahoma for California during the Depression.
EASY
Birdie's Lighthouse- by Deborah Hopkinson
Atheneum 1997 (32p)
When her father suddenly falls ill, young Birdie is the only one who can tend the lighthouse in the midst of a violent storm.
- Rocking and Rolling
- by Philip Steele
Candlewick 1997 (24p)
Dramatic illustrations help explain what volcanologists and other scientists know about volcanoes, tsunamis, geysers, glaciers, and erosion.
- Storm Chaser
- by Keith Elliot Greenberg
Blackbirch 1997 (32p)
NOAA pilot Brian Taggart flies into the eye of a hurricane to study it and report its progress.
- Flood
- by Mary Calhoun
(Social Studies)
Morrow 1997 (40p)
Sarajean and her family are forced to flee their home during the devastating Midwest floods of 1993.
- The Snow Walker
- by Margaret K. Wetterer
(Social Studies)
Carolrhoda 1996 (48p)
During the East Coast Blizzard of 1888, twelve-year-old Milton Daub braves the weather to take food and medicine to people in his Bronx neighborhood.
- Shock Waves Through Los Angeles: The Northridge Earthquake
- by Carole G. Vogel
(Social Studies)
Little 1996 (32p)
The causes of the January 17, 1994, earthquake in Los Angeles, the devastation it caused, and the heroic rescue efforts by many are recounted here.
- Volcanoes and Earthquakes
- by Juli Barbat
(Science)
Ladybird 1996 (38p)
Colorful illustrations, diagrams, and an eight-page foldout showing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius make this a fascinating and informative book.
- Hurricanes! Earth's Mightiest Storms
- by Patricia Lauber
(Science)
Scholastic 1996 (64p)
Along with basic information on how hurricanes develop, the author includes photos and text that show the destruction of some of the deadliest hurricanes, including Hurricanes Andrew, Camille, Hazel, and Iniki.
- The Great Midwest Flood
- by Carole G. Vogel
(Social Studies)
Little 1995 (32p)
Chronicled here, along with the damage done by the overflowing Mississippi and Missouri Rivers during the summer of 1993, is the resiliency of the people affected by this catastrophe.
- The Triangle Factory Fire
- by Victoria Sherrow
(Social Studies)
Millbrook 1995 (64p)
The catastrophic fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York in 1911 that killed over a hundred people, mostly young women, led to strict safety reforms
AVERAGE
- Inside the Titanic: A Giant Cutaway Book
- by Ken Marschall
Little 1997 (32p)
Highly detailed cutaway illustrations add realism and excitement to this story of several children who sailed aboard the ill-fated ship.
- The Buried City of Pompeii: What It Was Like When Vesuvius Exploded
- by Shelley Tanaka
Hyperion 1997 (48p)
Through the experiences of Eros, a steward on a large estate, the author relates what happened when Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79.
- Flood: Wrestling with the Mississippi
- by Patricia Lauber
(Social Studies)
National Geographic 1996 (64p)
Lauber presents a comprehensive look at the Mississippi River and its impact on those who live near it, including those who endured the floods of 1927 and 1993.
- Fire in the Sky
- by Candace F. Ransom
(Social Studies)
Carolrhoda 1997 (72p)
A young boy eager to see theHindenburg arrive in Lakehurst, New Jersey, on May 5, 1937, sees the dirigible crash in flames and faces grave danger when he tries to help survivors.
- The Great Fire
- by Jim Murphy
(Social Studies)
Scholastic 1995 (144p)
A gripping account of the Chicago fire of 1871 including firsthand descriptions from people who survived it.
- Volcanoes and Earthquakes
- edited by Eldridge M. Moores
(Science)
The Nature Company/Time-Life 1995 (64p)
A colorful exploration of the forces within the earth that cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, with their resulting tsunamis, tidal waves, hotspots, lava flows , and craters.
- Earthquake Terror
- by Peg Kehret
Cobblehill 1996 (144p)
A young boy must try to save himself and his disabled sister first from an earthquake and then from the flood it causes.
- Titanic Crossing
- by Barbara Williams
Dial 1995 (160p)
A passenger on the Titanic, thirteen-year-old Albert wonders if he can save his sister's life --and his own.
CHALLENGING
- Quake!
- by Joe Cottonwood
Scholastic 1995 (112p)
While her parents are at a World Series game, Franny, her brother , and a cousin, are enjoying a lazy day, when suddenly their serenity is interrupted as an earthquake hits Loma Prieta/ San Francisco
Now Out of Print
- Volcanoes
- by Jenny Wood
- The Great Flood Mystery
- by Jane Curry
- Tidal Waves and Flooding
- by Jane Walker
- The Story of the Chicago Fire
- by R. Conrad Stein
- Icebergs
- by Jenny Wood
- Tidal Waves and Flooding
- by Jane Walker
- The Story of the Triangle Factory Fire
- by Zachary Kent
- Predicting Violent Storms
- by Sally Lee
- Predicting Earthquakes
- by Gregory Vogt
Now Available in Paperback
- Earthquake at Dawn
- by Kristina Gregory
Harcourt/Gulliver
- Emergency!
- by Gail Gibbons
Holiday
- Grace
- by Jill Paton Walsh
Farrar
- I Am Lavina Cummings
- by Susan Lowell
Milkweed