From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5–Ingram describes the wave that struck Hawaii after an earthquake hit off the coast of Alaska. With no warning system in place, more than 150 people died. The author emphasizes the value of the Pacific Tsunami Warning System for the Pacific Coast of the United States, Hawaii, and Japan, although during a second tsunami to hit Hilo in 1960, warnings were mostly ignored by the local population. Why such a system was not in place in the Indian Ocean region is not discussed. The book is illustrated with full-color photographs on every page. For young readers seeking information on natural disasters, this is an adequate choice. However, it is unfortunate that the publishers feel the need to sensationalize what are already catastrophic situations with terminology such as X-treme, terror, and killer, and chapter headings such as, No One Left Alive.
–Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
