In the fictional “I Survived Hurricane Katrina,” author of the series, Lauren Tarshis, was able to share what it was like in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005 through a fictional family, the Tuckers. Although her audience leans more towards younger generations, anyone can read about Barry Tucker and his family’s experiences riding out the storm in their house in the Lower Ninth Ward, as well as Barry’s journey when he gets separated from his family as they try to escape the floodwaters. Along with the rest of her “I Survived” series, by using fictional characters, she was able to write about the storm itself and make the Tuckers appeal to the age range of kids who are more likely to read her books. The book is mainly a narrative, but Tarshis adds pictures throughout to show visuals of the effects of Hurricane Katrina to keep her audience engaged. The book’s cover is also a way to maintain engagement and catch their hold because while it may have looked dramatic to them, the situation was common with the high waters. In her style of writing, which Tarshis learned when she first started writing children’s books, she used more pathos than anything as she is trying to establish a connection between Barry Tucker and her readers. Even if many readers don’t feel a connection because they have never experienced a hurricane, Barry’s relationship with Cruz (the “killer” dog) may interest them as well as his relationship with his family and his younger sister, who got sick as the family was trying to evacuate. To add to where else she has gained her writing skills, Tarshis has also held the position of editorial Director of Language Arts for Scholastic’s Classroom Magazine Division. One of the most considerable constraints Tarshis may have faced was making sure not to overlook the effects on people who lived below/close to the poverty line, as many are struggling with the after-effects of Katrina today. This idea can be continued over to the larger conversation about this piece and to why she may have created this story, which not only emphasizes one of the greatest disasters in United States history.

Tarshis, Lauren, and Scott Dawson. I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (#3). Scholastic, 2011.