Philbrick, W. R. (2014). Zane and the hurricane: A story of Katrina. Houston, TX: The Blue Sky Press. For Ages: 10-14

Personal Response: This book is a true page turner. It depicts a 12 year old boy who gets caught by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans while visiting his grandmother for the first time. The boy, Zane has many adventures with his new friends (Mr. Tru and Malvina) that rescued him. The story was particularly interesting to me because I lived through this hurricane and experienced Hurricane Rita two weeks after Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans. So, we all have our personal stories and Zane's story is a colorful one. And his new friends each had stories of their own as well. 

Literary Response: The setting of the story is so horribly vivid. I can feel Zane's anxiety as he chased after his dog Bandy, as he saw the water rising in his grandmother's house and when he felt that he would never see his mother again. I can understand why his old grandmother did not chase after him when he was lost on the highway. This historically fictitious book conjured up memories that I had suppressed. But as I read, I experienced the tragedy all over again - only this time I saw things through Zane's eyes and through his story.