Night of the Twisters
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Product Description
When a tornado watch is issued one Tuesday evening in June, twelve-year-old Dan Hatch and his best friend, Arthur, don't think much of it. After all, tornado warnings are a way of life during the summer in Grand Island, Nebraska. But soon enough, the wind begins to howl, and the lights and telephone stop working. Then the emergency siren starts to wail. Dan, his baby brother, and Arthur have only seconds to get to the basement before the monstrous twister is on top of them. Little do they know that even if they do survive the storm, their ordeal will have only just begun. . . .
Spotlight Customer Reviews:
Summary:
Real life survival
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Comment:
It is the summer holidays and Dan and his friend Arthur have just spent a beautiful afternoon swimming. The boys are in grade seven, are just at the beginning of adolescence, and life seems free and easy, but already the weather is turning as the rain clouds scoot overhead. Hour by hour the circumstances get worse, but the boys remain largely unaware of the oncoming disaster. Will the boys, or their families, be hurt? How will they cope in the face of terrible disaster?
This is a classic tale of survival. It is based on a real disaster that happened in Grand Island, Nebraska on June 4, 1980. The book is competently written and has a very realistic atmosphere, engaging the reader in the fast paced train of events, and making us care about the fate of the characters. The values of self-reliance, level-headedness and ingenuity are emphasized as a natural consequence of the plot without any preachiness or moralizing. The book is now twenty years old and has dated a little, such as the long gone TV programs the boys watch. Most of the story, however, is timeless. Twisters will virtually forever remain the same frightening threat to human survival. This book is certainly well worth reading and is a cut above the average thriller written for teens.
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Summary:
Real life survival
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Comment:
It is the summer holidays and Dan and his friend Arthur have just spent a beautiful afternoon swimming. The boys are in grade seven, are just at the beginning of adolescence, and life seems free and easy, but already the weather is turning as the rain clouds scoot overhead. Hour by hour the circumstances get worse, but the boys remain largely unaware of the oncoming disaster. Will the boys, or their families, be hurt? How will they cope in the face of terrible disaster?
This is a classic tale of survival. It is based on a real disaster that happened in Grand Island, Nebraska on June 4, 1980. The book is competently written and has a very realistic atmosphere, engaging the reader in the fast paced train of events, and making us care about the fate of the characters. The values of self-reliance, level-headedness and ingenuity are emphasized as a natural consequence of the plot without any preachiness or moralizing. The book is now twenty years old and has dated a little, such as the long gone TV programs the boys watch. Most of the story, however, is timeless. Twisters will virtually forever remain the same frightening threat to human survival. This book is certainly well worth reading and is a cut above the average thriller written for teens.
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Summary:
Still a great read, 20 years later!
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Comment:
I first read this book not long after it was published. I was about the same age as the kids in the book. I hadn't read it since, but for some strange reason, I picked it up off my shelf last night and read it cover to cover. I remembered so many details of the story so vividly. Twenty years after I first read it, I was surprised to find the book was still a page-turner and my heart was racing when the tornado finally hit. Even though it has scary parts, it has a great message throughout the book about looking out for your family and neighbors, and how the people you love are more important than any possessions.
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Summary:
Night of the twisters
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Comment:
The book takes place on a Saturday in April the characters are Dan Hatch, Dan's mom, Dan's dad, Dan's grandma, Ryan, Arthur, and Stacey. The piont of view is first peron the theme of the story is living through a disaster and the conflict is when the tornado hit. There was a tornado warning and Dan's mom was worried that Ms. Smiley wouldn't be watching the news or she wouldn't be able to hear it because her hearing aid might be off so Dan's mom went to Ms. Smiley's house to make sure she was okay. While she was gone the tornado siren went off and Dan had Arthur go to the basement while he got his baby brother Ryan. When the torndao was through Dan realized how much his baby brother meant to him and also he realized that he saved his life.
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Summary:
Fantastic book for Middle Schoolers
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Comment:
This novel is about a boy and his friends and family that survive seven tornados in their town of Grand Island, Nebraska. Dan, his friend Arthur and his little brother Ryan wait out the tornados in the shower stall in Dan's basement. When the storm is over, they desperately seek to find their families and shelter. In the end, the novel explains how they survived after the storm. The themes are of family, community and survival.
This novel explains storms in great detail. The use of sensory details is tremendous. I have been through a tornado, heard the sirens, and felt what the character felt. It was dead on. The characterization and the changes in Dan from beginning to end are/can be a focus in the classroom. The novel can provide the students with a book rich in details and character development. It moves at a fast pace and is a page-turner. The vocabulary is not very challenging, I believe, but the words that are unfamiliar will be easy to find among context clues due to strong interest of the story. This book could also help emphasize character education as far as perseverance and selflessness.
The novel is completely accurate. I felt like I was in the tornado. I have been through a tornado and lived in an area where the sirens came on. Reading this book, put me right back there. It is obvious the author has been through a tornado or did their research. It is believable for most people; some find the devastation hard to believe if they have never seen what Mother Nature can do. I believe, in light of Hurricane Katrina, that students will believe the author's details in this novel. It is easy to see everything through Dan's eyes whether you are male, female, or any race. It is about him and the storm.
I did not find anything controversial in this novel. It is appropriate for 7th grade, maybe even 6th grade. The book is a fairly easy read with some vocabulary that can be pointed out as unfamiliar. The thing about this novel is that it is completely entertaining. They can actually get into this book and can focus on the sensory details and characterization of Dan and Arthur. They will not agonize over the details but embrace them. GREAT literary merit and a fantastic, interesting read. I LOVED it!
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