StormRunners

Smith, R. (2011). //Storm runners.// New York, NY: Scholastic.


 * Summary:** After being struck by lightning, Chase's father has become infatuated with weather. He teaches Chase how to survive the worst of the worst storms and the two are prepared for anything at any given moment. When a hurricane that Chase's father has been following suddenly changes course dramatically, Chase has to help himself and his friends stay alive until his father can find them.


 * Grade Level:** 5-8
 * Reading Level:** 4.5

//Storm Runners// would be a great companion to the weather unit in science. It presents a look at how tough weather can be and what it takes to survive in severe weather. Being landlocked and not having experienced hurricanes, students may miss some pieces, but it also presents a portrait of what it is like to survive in such a storm.
 * Curriculum Connections:**

Chase, 13, has been taught to be a survivor. He carries a go bag that contains supplies to keep him warm, dry, and fed for three days. He knows to look for high ground in storms and which rooms are safest. He carries a satellite phone in case the landlines are down and the cell phone signals fail. His father is in the disaster business and taught him all of this and more. He travels the country with Tomás, his assistant, and Chase. After a disaster strikes, they provide construction services in Florida to help residents rebuild. The men drop Chase off at Tomás's brother's house before heading for Saint Petersburg, in preparation for Hurricane Emily. Chase is at school, 40 miles away from where his father predicts the storm will hit land, when it changes course unexpectedly, and he needs to use all of the survival techniques he knows to get himself and two friends to safety after their bus rolls into a lake full of alligators. This is an exciting, quick read, with chapters alternating between Chase and his father, who is trying to find him. Weather reports and a lot of survival tips and facts are included. Readers will feel engaged with Chase and his friends in their struggles to survive. However, it seems a set-up for the second book rather than a complete novel.—Erik Carlson, White Plains Public Library, NY
 * School Library Journal 2011 Review: (from Mackin)**