Tornadoes

Gr 4-7-Two lively accounts chronicling the powerful forces of nature that humans have dealt with throughout history. Keller begins with the Great Flood of 1997 and describes the various causes and types of floods. She includes personal accounts by survivors of such disasters and safety measures to observe. Rose describes weather conditions conducive to tornado formation, classifications of tornadoes and wind storms, intensity of wind force, tracking and forecasting, personal accounts, and safety precautions. The chapters follow a logical sequence with fact boxes added to clarify concepts or to infuse interesting trivia into the narrative. The scientific principles behind floods and tornadoes are described using descriptive metaphors and simple, well-written explanations of the phenomena. Eight pages of color photographs are included in the center of each book showing the devastation of flood waters and various forms of funnel clouds. These titles update Dennis Fradin's "Disaster!" series (Children's) as they include the El Nino-induced weather phenomenon of 1997-98, as well as related Web sites.-Elizabeth Stumpf, Clearfield Middle School, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.