I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011

The first book in the I Survived series was published in 2010, and the series now has 21 titles. Each book is a stand-alone that follows the same formula: It is told from the perspective of an 11-year-old main character who is trapped in a historical disaster. Two plot lines converge in the novels: the story of the historical event and the story of the protagonist. The novels begin at the height of the crisis, then rewind to follow the main character up to the point of crisis and through its aftermath. Historical events covered include the Battle of Gettysburg, the sinking of the Titanic, the 9/11 attacks, and more.

The author of the series, Lauren Tarshis, also created Scholastic’s Storyworks magazine for children in grades 3-6. Tarshis has said that the idea for the I Survived series came from her experiences both as a reader and from her work with Storyworks. The first books she most connected to as a reader were those about historical events and disasters, and Storyworks’ most successful articles were nonfiction that narrated impactful historical events. Letters from young readers indicated that they were drawn to the human element, the impact on children caught in these events.

An element of the series that has resonated with teachers and students is the combination of action and emotion. Tackling historical disasters for young readers requires a delicate balance between realism and children’s emotional capacities. Tarshis has sought to strike this balance by making each book about resilience and children discovering their inner strength so that they can experience hope and optimism even in the darkest moments.