The Great Storm: The Hurricane Diary of J. T. King, Galveston, Texas, 1900 (Lone Star Journals)

More than a century later, the Galveston hurricane of 1900 is still the largest natural disaster in American history. Pounding most of the historic island city to rubble, and claiming perhaps as many as eight thousand lives, the storm stranded Galveston’s stunned survivors without a bridge to the mainland. When the bridge was rebuilt, amazingly in eleven days, only the most stalwart—like fictive young diarist J. T. King—would choose to stay. Before the storm, J. T. is a normal, active teenager, swimming, riding his bike, and getting into scrapes with his best friend, Ippy. Though J. T. sleeps on a rickety cot in the pantry of his grandmother’s boardinghouse, life at the corner of Q1/2 and 25th Streets is as secure as the sturdy old house itself. But when the hurricane hits, brave and compassionate J. T. is poised to weather and record for all time the greatest storm any American has ever survived. Extensive primary-source research forms the backbone of J. T.’s thrilling authentic and richly detailed diary. The historical appendix, complete with photos and map, is invaluable to young readers and teachers alike.