ARONIN, Miriam . Slammed by a Tsunami diag. maps. ISBN 9781936087488 . LC 2009034574. DELALLO, Laura Hammered by a Heat Wave! charts. maps. ISBN 9781936087518 . LC 2009043180. MARKOVICS, Joyce Blitzed by a Blizzard! diag. maps. ISBN 9781936087549 . LC 2009036960. PERSON, Stephen Devastated by a Volcano! diags. maps. ISBN 9781936087501 . LC 2009032630. PERSON, Stephen . Struck by Lightning! diag. map. ISBN 9781936087471 . LC 2009031207. REINGOLD, Adam Leveled by an Earthquake! diags. maps. ISBN 9781936087532 . LC 2009036961. RUDOLPH, Jessica Erased by a Tornado! chart. diags. maps. ISBN 9781936087525 . LC 2009034363. ea vol: 32p. (Disaster Survivors Series). photos. reprods. bibliog. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Bearport 2010. PLB $25.27. Gr 4-6 Students with a penchant for the extreme will relish the dangerous situations described in these fact-filled works, whose first-person accounts add nail-biting immediacy. The books describe some of the same threats as those covered in ABDOs Weather Watchers, but here the pitch of the content and the appetite of the audience are a perfect match. While focusing on one survivors experiences before, during, and after events such as Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and Chicagos deadly 1995 heat wave, the books also relate the history of the event and similar disasters, and scientific cause and effect. While the authors dont gloss over human suffering, including the poverty that exacerbated tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina, they refrain from political commentary. Large, clear color photographs and effective scientific diagrams add to the successful presentations.

Each volume relates the events of a specific natural disaster. Two-page sections describe what happened or what caused the event as well as the personal stories of those who lived through it; the journalistic style heightens tension, but the text is limited in details. Tips are provided on what to do during and after each type of disaster. Maps and photographs supplement the texts. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind.