“I Survived The California Wildfires, 2018”
by Lauren Tarshis
Scholastic Press, New York, 2020, 139 pages, Grades 4-5.
Climate change is having a major impact on the world. Droughts are becoming more severe and hurricanes are creating more devastation. This summer, the West Coast of the United States suffered from the worst forest fires in the history of the United States. The reasons for these tragic fires are many. Some of these reasons are poor planning but some answers lie elsewhere. Is the world getting hotter and drier? What consequences will this have on the environment?
Lauren Tarshis has written a series of books detailing natural disasters and important historical events. In each book, the main characters are usually pre-teenagers. When they encounter the dire situations, they must learn to act with courage and selflessness. Her recent book, “I Survived: The California Wildfires, 2018” is an exciting account of two children’s choices in the face of a massive forest fire.
Josh Wallace and his mom, Eleanor, fly to California to get some space from awful news in New Jersey. Josh’s dad has been arrested for funneling money from his bank into a fraudulent scheme. Being close to his father makes it particularly painful for Josh. His Aunt Nicole welcomes the exhausted pair into her house in the California forest. Josh’s cousin, Holly, cheerfully greets them as well. The mountain forests are as different from New Jersey as possible.
After several days, Holly begins taking Josh on hikes throughout the surrounding forests. The boy begins to enjoy the beauty of the trees but notices that everything is dry as tinder. He soon meets two fire rangers and is told his observations are accurate. The pair, a helicopter pilot and fire team manager, have just left a nearby blaze. Soon after, the children are walking through the forest and notice that all the animals are running toward them. They then smell smoke. Looking up in horrified amazement, they see embers tumbling down on the dry forest floor. Next, trees start exploding as the fire becomes an inferno.
Holly and Josh run as fast as possible to escape the fire, but burning embers tear into Josh’s flesh. Screaming in pain, he follows Holly to a nearby river. But the trees are burning on the other side of the river as well. They both know that diving into the dangerous river is their only hope. When they jump, Holly is badly injured. Josh can barely move his burned arm and hand. But Holly is now drowning as well as being in danger from the killer fire. Josh must make a decision. Does he save himself or try to rescue the injured Holly? What choice does Josh make?
How have the children helped each other during this brutal fire? Where do the Josh and Holly find courage during this perilous affair? Have you ever felt frightened but know you needed to act with bravery? Did you discover that you had courage? What does Josh learn? Does Josh risk his life to rescue Holly? Who else risks their lives in the blaze? To find out the answers to these and other questions, go to the library and check out “I Survived: The California Wildfires, 2018” by Lauren Tarshis.
The “I Survived” series is an excellent set of books for upper elementary grade school children. The plots are fast and gripping. The characters must make choices based on sacrifice and bravery. So, if you are looking for some compelling reads for pre-teenagers, this is the series for you. The students will enjoy reading the books.
