late summer and eary fall is often a bad time for hurricanes. In 1900 Galveston, Texas, was practically flattened by a powerful hurricane on September 8th. Very few buildings were left untouched and between 6,000 and 12,000 people died. You can find out more about this tragic event on Wikipedia.
Several excellent children's books have been written about this event and I have
been lucky enough to be able to review two of them. Both are featured on the Through the Looking Glass Book Review website on the 1900 Galveston hurricane page. One of these titles in particular greatly moved me. In Dark Water Rising by Marian Hale we get to meet Seth, a teenage boy who has only recently moved to Galveston. Seth is just beginning to get used to his changed circumstances when the hurricane hits and everything is turned upside down. In just a few days Seth's life is changed forever.What is interesting about this book is that though it is written about a particular historic disaster, Seth's experiences and the emotional upheavals he goes through are relevant for any tragic event. People around the world who have experienced or heard about a natural disaster will immediately see that Seth's words are universal.
Marian Hale has also written another superb book called The truth about sparrows, which explores the experiences that a young girl has while living in the south during the Great Depression.
