survival – One Chapter

I Survived a Japanese Tsunami, 2011(I Survived Graphic Novel #12)

4 stars Children’s Graphic Novel

I liked all the extra information that the author included with this graphic novel, I thought it provided some great insight, and it helped fill in some gaps. This graphic novel was easy to follow, it had great illustrations and it contained an emotional story about a family trying to come to terms with the loss of their husband/father.

Ben and his family have arrived in Shogahoma, Japan to visit family. Ben’s father was from this area, and they are staying with an uncle. It’s hard being here as Ben is constantly reminded of his father.

When an earthquake hits the area, Ben takes covers with his brother. His uncle wants to immediately evacuate and well, since he is from that area, I thought they had better listen to him.

They all pile into the car, but they don’t get very far when water makes driving the car impossible and they all escape, except Ben.

Ben is trapped inside the car. It’s the inner voice of his father that comes calling to Ben and Ben can now escape the car, but he’s faced with more uncertainty as he’s in the middle of a tsunami. Cut off from the rest of his family, Ben must rely on himself more now than ever.

The energy and pacing in this book were good as I felt there weren’t any breaks as Ben was navigating trying to stay alive and trying to find his way back to his family. I was interested in more information about the events, and the author gave some of that in the information, in the notes, in the back of the book. 4 stars

Away by Megan E. Freeman

4 stars YA/Middle School

I knew I had to read Away after reading the book Alone, as I wanted to know more about what happened to the individuals who were gone in Alone. I was ready for answers and more of the emotions and tension that had me speeding through the chapters of Alone.

In Away, this book gave me the answers that I was looking for, as an emergency relocation camp is set up for those who have been evacuated. With no warning or reason, residents in a section of Colorado had been rounded up and relocated to a temporary camp until a hazardous situation can be eliminated. The authorities keep the citizens up to date on the situation but the future of returning home starts to look hopeless. As the days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months, a group of teens at the camp start to question exactly what this “emergency” really is.

The voices of four teens Ashanti, Grandin, Harmony, and Teddy use a variety of methods including prose, diary entries, movie script, letters, poetry and newspaper bulletins to describe the camp and their investigation into the emergency. I enjoyed this variety, and I felt it helped to keep the teens’ voices separate. This was an interesting and entertaining story. This book was more like a mystery than Alone was so unfortunately, I didn’t feel the emotions and tensions that I had felt with Alone. 4 stars

I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005: The Graphic Novel

5 stars Graphic Novel

They were headed out, that was their intention but sometimes things don’t always go as planned. It was a mandatory evacuation, and they were going. If they could make it.

Barry had just finished creating a comic adventure with Jay. This piece was going to win them first prize in a contest, they were sure of that. They had plans to split the cash prize but now with the storm coming, Barry had Akivo, their winning piece, in his possession until he could drop it off in the mail. Most individuals were taking this storm seriously. Jay’s family was headed to Birmingham while Barry’s family would head towards Houston. Their neighbor Abe was told to head out with his grandma to a safe spot but lately, Abe did what he wanted. Since his dad left, Abe had changed. He claimed his new dog Cruz was a killer dog and by the time this storm was over, Barry would know firsthand if Abe was correct about his dog.

Barry’s family headed out along with hundreds and thousands of other individuals. Bumper to bumper traffic on the road and then, Barry’s sister Cleo gets sick and the family heads back home. They’ll ride the storm out at home, they decide. Overnight the storm pounds the house. By morning, the water rushes into their home, flooding everything. The family moves upstairs but so does the water. The family moves into the attic and soon, the water is lapping at their feet. The intensity and urgency can be felt as the family moves quickly and must think on their feet to keep themselves safe.

Holding onto their roof, the family feels somewhat relieved until Barry falls into the swirling water around them. He’s immediately swept away as his family calls for him. Panic and desperation mounds! Barry’s trying to grab onto anything that’s floating nearby but he’s coming up with nothing substantial. As he finds a tree and gets comfortable, he looks around and sees a large building headed towards him! Stay in the tree or jump back into the water? Both options can be deadly but what else can he do?

There are times when the story relaxes a bit, but the intensity of the situation was still there. I liked how the ending centered on the characters and when Barry reflected on himself. The ending answered many of the questions I had as I read this story. The graphics in this story followed the story and the illustrations provided enough detail without overdoing it. It was a great graphic novel. At the back of the book there was more information discussing Hurricane Katrina that should be looked at too. 5 stars