AUDIO BOOK: ACTION/ADVENTURE (ages 11-15)
Brief Description: Chase and his dad are on their own after the deaths of his mother and sister. When Chase's dad is struck by lightning picking up power tools that Chase left in the yard, and he survives, their lives change forever...again. A contractor, John Masters decides to become a "storm runner" - the guys head to wherever a natural disaster is imminent and "help" folks shore up against the impending storm; when the storm's over, John helps the owners rebuild, and that's not for free. So the guys are heading into Category 5 Hurricane Emily in Florida. Chase has been trained to survive in a myriad of situations and to trust his instincts, but against his better judgment, he boards a school bus when he knows the storm will hit the small town of Palm Breeze, Florida. His prediction is spot on when Emily bears down on his little town while his Dad is further south. This doomed bus ride lands Chase and two classmates in some serious trouble when Emily finally makes landfall.
Awards: None
Personal Opinion: I'm a weather nut, so this book was engaging and action-packed; tween guys will like the fast pace and excitement that the story offers. What I didn't realize is that the reader has to read The Surge, the next in the series to be released in September, to find out what happens next as Mr. Smith leaves the reader hanging on a thread at the book's end. I liked these two characters, and the secondary characters, for that matter - they were convincing, quirky, and evoked sympathy. The pacing is perfect, keeping the reader completely engrossed in the story. With carefully planted foreshadowing, we learn that the farm where Chase is staying could see serious trouble if electricity is lost; the farm is the winter home of a circus of animals. At the book's end, freed circus animals up the ante in this hurricane of danger.
Curriculum/Programming: Storm Runners would be great as a supplement to a science class dealing with meteorology. Also, the book illustrates survival skills and thus would be excellent as a program focusing on utilizing boy scout skills in serious and life-threatening situations.
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