(4) YA Just before graduation, Ellie's small Ohio hometown is decimated by tornadoes; Ellie's the only survivor of her close-knit friend group. Soon, Ellie realizes she can see and speak to the ghosts of her friends; she helps some move on, but others struggle. The heavy, pervasive grief makes for slow, sometimes tedious reading. An author's note reveals the intriguing, true-life inspiration for this supernatural tale.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(2) 4-6 When a tornado destroys twelve-year-old Ivy's rural Georgia home, her distress is compounded by the loss of her notebook full of drawings of herself holding hands with another girl. Then someone begins returning the drawings to her locker with notes. This sensitive portrayal of Ivy's first crush and internal conflict around coming out believably melds with concerns about her large family and her place in it.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(3) 1-3 Hilde Cracks the Case series. Illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff. Nine-year-old "serious reporter" Hilde continues "hunting down the news" in her neighborhood. In these capers, Hilde reports on strange damage from a tornado and investigates a supposed UFO landing. Aspiring reporters will enjoy learning journalistic nuts and bolts from this affable kid-newshound. Pen-and-ink illustrations closely follow the texts, increasing accessibility. "Questions and Activities" are appended. Review covers these Hilde Cracks the Case titles: Tornado Hits and UFO Spotted.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) 4-6 Maddie's been waiting forever for her end-of-the-year sixth-grade dance. But the night doesn't go as planned: the boy she likes asks another girl to dance, and then Maddie's Massachusetts town is hit by a tornado. An eventful summer ensues for Maddie, with crushes, changing friendships, and more serious subjects of disaster and loss all handled sensitively and realistically.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) 4-6 Edge Books: Investigating Natural Disasters series. These volumes provide superficial coverage of the basic terminology associated with the underlying science of two types of natural disasters: earthquakes (plate tectonics) and tornadoes (thunderstorms). Major historical events, scientific tools, and practical safety tips are included, along with dramatic photographs and diagrams. Fact sidebars and captions offer additional related information. Common Core–related questions are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Edge Books: Investigating Natural Disasters titles: Investigating Earthquakes and Investigating Tornadoes.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 X-Books: Weather series. These somewhat scattershot but browsable volumes combine history and meteorology with maps, statistics, and embellished photographs. Each book contains a countdown of the "Top Five Xtreme" examples of the weather phenomenon (or meteorological tool in Forecasting), with explanations of the science behind them. Cluttered layouts and occasional difficult-to-read spiral and vertical text detract from the information-packed presentations. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these X-Books: Weather titles: Clouds, Forecasting, Hurricanes, Snow, Thunderstorms, and Tornadoes.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark. New father Toto tells his puppies the Wizard of Oz story from his perspective. Familiar scenes from the classic tale remain, interspersed with Toto's amusing asides. Clark's double-page, single-page, and vignette illustrations bring the humor and wonder of Oz to life. The attractive volume should please both fans of the movie and Baum devotees.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(3) 4-6 A well-written text clearly explains the formation of tornadoes and scientists' efforts to predict their paths. Though the dark color photographs of tornadoes are ominous, Simon puts the likelihood of their occurrence in any given location into perspective. Other color illustrations include satellite images and weather maps. This updated edition adds more recent examples and images. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 I Survived: True Stories series. Two of the deadliest tornadoes in American history are portrayed through the eyes of real survivors of each event--the 1925 Tri-State Tornado, which passed through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana; and the 2011 Joplin Tornado in Missouri. Archival photographs, historical data, and scientific information are combined with real-life experience to enhance the immediacy and danger. Bib.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) K-3 Blazers: World's Worst Natural Disasters series. Each volume provides the dates, locations, intensity, and number of fatalities of eleven deadly natural disasters, backgrounded by full-spread photographs of the destruction. The result is more titillating than informative. Try Seymour Simon's books on the topic as alternatives--they may not be quite as current, but they are richer in content. Safety tips appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Blazers: World's Worst Natural Disasters titles: The World's Worst Earthquakes and The World's Worst Tornadoes.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(1) K-3 On May 4, 2007, a tornado leveled Greensburg, Kansas. The citizens who stayed decided to rebuild a community as environmentally sound as possible. Drummond creates a first-person narrator from a composite of experiences "meant to reflect [those] of many town residents." Concise informational sidebars explain the processes. Watercolor illustrations--a vibrant blend of vignettes, full-page art, and double-page spreads--reflect the town's can-do attitude.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2016

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Jacques. In this "Emperor's New Clothes" adaptation with tornado facts forced in, weasel Travis the Tornado Tamer offers to protect an all-animal town by creating a magical cover that only the smart and special can see. After a tornado hits, the trickster moves on (as "an Earthquake Ender"). Slick illustrations include animals humorously wearing old-timey costumes. Tornado information and activities appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Bel the Weather Girl series. Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. "Weather isn't so scary once you understand it," says Bel. In these books, she and her cousin, Dylan, experience various weather events, and Bel explains each occurrence to allay fears. Information is presented clearly, but the texts are stilted; additional facts appear in sidebars. The family dog and anthropomorphic weather elements in the cartoonlike illustrations add humor. An activity/experiment is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Bel the Weather Girl titles: A Party for Clouds, A Snowstorm Shows Off, Raindrops on a Roller Coaster, Spinning Wind and Water, The Sky Stirs Up Trouble, and Weather Clues in the Sky.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(3) 4-6 Natural Disaster True Survival Stories series. In a series about real-life disaster survival, these volumes focus on weather-related events in the U.S. In each book, a brief introduction describes the disaster and four or five chapters detail real individuals' involvement. Gripping, you-are-there narratives are supplemented with primary source quotations (footnoted and sourced); photos and other graphics (maps, graphs, diagrams, etc.) provide additional insight. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Natural Disaster True Survival Stories titles: California Wildfires, Hurricane Katrina, and Joplin Tornado.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) K-3 This or That? Weather series. Full-page photos and clear scientific explanations illustrate the differences between similar weather phenomena. For example, a blizzard is distinguished from a winter storm by its high winds; although both are composed of water droplets, a cloud forms in the air and fog forms near the ground. A summary of similarities and differences and a practical hands-on experiment are provided at the end of each book. Glos. Review covers the following This or That? Weather titles: Cloud or Fog?, Tidal Wave or Tsunami?, Winter Storm or Blizzard?, Hail or Freezing Rain?, Hurricane or Waterspout?, and Tornado or Dust Devil?

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Natural Disasters series. This series provides a clear, introductory description of each disaster, its causes, and its effect on communities. The books also include examples of historic disasters; basic details of how scientists predict, measure, and issue warnings (or in the case of Wildfire!, how firefighters control fires); and tips on staying safe. Stock photos, captions, and question-and-answer footers will help engage reluctant readers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Natural Disasters titles: Blizzard!, Earthquake!, Flood!, Hurricane!, Tornado!, and Wildfire!

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) 4-6 Survive! series. Illustrated by Kirbi Fagan. Each formulaic standalone story finds children navigating seemingly impossible disaster situations: for example, twins Andy and Tony mistake the eye of a tornado for its aftermath and a dormant volcano erupts during Cam's family's Hawaiian vacation. Rapid pacing, vividly rendered scenes, and clever protagonists make for heart-stopping adventures. Serviceable black-and-white illustrations break up the short texts. Back matter includes related survival tips. Glos. Review covers the following Survive! titles: Blizzard, Lost, Tornado, and Volcano.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(3) K-3 Weather series. The processes that produce common weather phenomena and the resulting cloud types, precipitation, wind, and storms are explained for young readers. Large, crisp photographs dominate the layouts and vary in purpose: some provide excellent detail on weather phenomena, while others are more decorative. Although the sentence structure is basic, some of the concepts are not. Glos., ind. Review covers these Weather titles: Clouds, Rain, Snow, Thunder and Lightning, Tornadoes, and Wind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(2) 4-6 Sisters Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern (One Crazy Summer; P. S. Be Eleven) visit their grandmother and great-grandmother in Alabama. When a tornado strikes, twelve-year-old Delphine sees how her scattered family comes together to hold one another up. This concluding installment has the feeling of a saga, related effectively from Delphine's first-person point of view--and with help from some feisty elders.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2015

(4) 4-6 Code Red series. This book opens with an account of the devastating effects of the 2013 Oklahoma tornado on an elementary school (potentially unsettling for student readers). The brief, accessible text is supported by a few eyewitness testimonies and lots of captioned color photos. Appended bullet-point profiles of four people who "showed great courage and compassion" seem like filler. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee