Nonfiction Book About Hurricanes
Inside Hurricanes is an excellent book for middle grade readers, as well as teens and adults, who are interested in detailed information about hurricanes in an easy-to-digest format. This nonfiction book by award-winning nonfiction author Mary Kay Carson is particularly effective because of its unusual format.Inside Hurricanes: Design and Format
The 10" x 9", 48-page book is Flexibound and includes 10 fold-out pages. The fold-out pages provide space for sequential diagrams, large photographs, illustrated tables and maps, as well as before and after photos showing the impact of hurricanes. Each time the reader folds out a page, more information about hurricanes is revealed.Inside Hurricanes: General Information
The book is divided into topical sections:- Hurricane's Coming! sets the scene with dramatic photographs.
- Where and When Do Hurricanes Happen? answers the question with a combination of photos, maps and text in a large horizontal fold-out.
- Why and How Do Hurricanes Happen? includes a diagram of "Hurricane Ingredients," a weather photo of Hurricane Katrina as it was heading towards Louisiana and Mississippi, and, in a vertical foldout, photos from space showing the four stages in the development of hurricanes, with descriptions of Stage 1: Tropical Disturbance, Stage 2: Tropical Depression, Stage 3: Tropical Storm and Stage 4: Hurricane. It also includes a large diagram titled Hurricane Anatomy that shows the inside of a storm. The author also provides information on the impact that scientists think the Earth's changing climate will have on the number and strength of hurricanes in the future.
Inside Hurricanes: More Specifics and First-Person Accounts
- How Bad Is It? Sizing Up Hurricanes has an interesting section on hurricane names and what it takes to get a name retired, as well as an illustrated foldout chart of hurricane categories 1-5 and what can be expected at each level in terms of wind speeds, atmospheric pressure, storm surge and damage.
- The Hurricanes to Remember section puts a human face on the impact of hurricanes, with first person "I Was There!" accounts, along with descriptions and photos of the following major hurricanes: 1900 Galveston, Texas Hurricane, Hurricane Andrew in Southern Florida in 1992, Hurricane Mitch in 1998 in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Slavador; and Hurricane Katrina in souteastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, and southwestern Alabama in 2005.
- Storm Scientists in Action covers tracking the storm, prediciting the path of the hurricane, hurricane hunting and studying hurricanes from space. It even includes an I Was There! account of a NOAA Hurricane Hunters crew whose plane was trapped in the eye of Hurricane Hugo.
- Hurricane Safety covers the difference between a Tropical Storm Watch/Hurricane Watch and a Tropical Storm Warning/Hurricane Warning and what to do in each instance. It also includes information about putting together a hurricane kit, developing a family plan and a checklist.
Inside Hurricanes: Additional Resources
A vertical foldout includes brief definitions of Hurricane Tracker Words to Know, a short Bibliography, Source Notes for the quotations throughout the book and a Find Out More section that includes hurricane-related Web sites, DVDs and books. There is also a one-page index.As you prepare for a hurricane, you may also find the following About.com resources helpful: Hurricane Preparation and Safety and Make a Hurricane Kit. For more books about hurricanes, see my Recommended Children's Books About Hurricanes list.
Inside Hurricanes: Author Mary Kay Carson
Mary Kay Carson is an award-winning author of nonfiction books for children. The topics she covers have included wildlife, weather, space, nature and history. Her 30+ books include: Inside Tornadoes, Exploring the Solar System, The Wright Brothers for Kids, Weather Projects for Young Scientists and The Bat Scientists, which is part of the excellent Scientists in the Field series. (Sources: Inside Hurricanes and marykaycarson.com)Inside Hurricanes: My Recommendation
Although the publisher recommends the book for ages 8 to 12, I think it will also appeal to teens and adults. I found the combination of diagrams, photos, charts and text to be very effective in providing information about hurricanes in an easy-to-understand way. The addition of the first person accounts gave personal meaning to the information about hurricanes. (Sterling, 2010. ISBN: 978402777806)