Add Children's Books to Your Kids' Hurricane Rita Activity Survival Kit

The FEMA for Kids section of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Web site recommends that children pack their own FEMA Kids Activity Survival Kit to take with them if they have to leave home during a hurricane or other disaster. What's the first thing on the list? It's favorite children's books. Why? In times of uncertainty, familiar things, like favorite books, can have a calming influence. They can help keep children occupied and can be shared with other children.

After Katrina, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) put together "a reading list of books about overcoming disaster and stories of survival for teens." Your teenagers may find these helpful as your family copes with Hurricane Rita and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.