I Survived the Galveston Hurricane, 1900 (I Survived #21) (21)

Charlie Miller is eleven. It’s 1900, and he lives with his parents and little sister, Lulu, in Galveston, Texas. It is a big, thriving city on a long, narrow island just off the Texas coast in the Gulf of Mexico. Charlie often entertains Lulu with magic tricks he’s learning. Charlie’s biggest worry is a bully, Gordon Potts. Charlie certainly doesn’t worry about storms, because the local weather expert says hurricanes cannot get to Galveston. No one worries when a big storm starts to brew on September 8, but they are all wrong, and a huge hurricane hits the town, killing thousands. Charlie and his family go to the Potts’ house, a big mansion where many take shelter. But can they survive the storm? And can Charlie survive Gordon Potts?

Lauren Tarshis has written over twenty books in her exciting middle-grade I Survived series. They are all well researched and extremely realistic, although they are fiction. This book is no exception. All the characters are well drawn and engaging. Charlie is a good kid and a fine protagonist for this story. He is someone readers will root for. Middle-grade readers will love this book, even reluctant readers.