Today is Mardi Gras day, the end of a very special season of
celebration in New Orleans, so it seemed like the perfect time to write a
review of an amazing middle-grade novel I just finished,
Zane and the Hurricane by award-winning author Rodman Philbrick. As you
might have guessed, this is a novel about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath,
and I was completely engrossed in its emotionally powerful story from beginning
to end.
Twelve-year old Zane Dupree lives in New Hampshire with his
mom and his dog Bandit (Bandy for short). Zane’s mom discovers a long-lost
relative living in New Orleans, Zane’s great-grandmother, known as Miss Trissy,
who raised his father when he was a boy. Zane’s dad died before he was born, so
Zane never knew him, but his mom really wants him to know his
great-grandmother. Zane agrees to
go visit Miss Trissy, if he can bring Bandy along. His timing is terrible,
though, because just as he arrives in hot and humid New Orleans, a tropical
depression that was supposed to die out turns into a huge storm named Katrina.
Zane meets Miss Trissy in the first few chapters, and the
rest of the novel focuses on what happens during and after Katrina. Miss Trissy
lives in the Ninth Ward, which took the worst brunt of the flooding and damage
after the levees broke. If you saw any news at all about Katrina, you know that
Zane’s story is a difficult one, filled with fear and tragedy. It’s not all
horrible; the novel includes instances of courage, friendship, and generosity
alongside the bad things.
We used to live in New Orleans, so we watched the news of
Katrina with even more horror than most Americans as we saw parts of our
beloved city destroyed. I found this novel to be very realistic and true to New
Orleans’ true character and spirit, both the good and the bad. The author did a
fabulous job of describing the city and its people and making you feel like you
were really there. The bulk of the novel occurs during the storm and the
flooding afterward so there is a lot of tension and suspense, as the reader
goes along with Zane through the terror and uncertainty of those first days
that forever changed New Orleans and the surrounding areas.
Philbrick includes plenty of factual information about
Katrina, including maps, a timeline, and real facts that were used as the basis
for certain events in the story. All of it – the fiction and the facts – made
me want to learn more. This is an emotional story that packs a powerful punch
and stays with you long after you read the last page.
192
pages, The Blue Sky Press (an imprint of Scholastic)
Scholastic Audio
Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in
return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced
by my relationship with the publisher or author.
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Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible.
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can buy the book through
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Or
you can order Zane and the Hurricane from Book Depository, with
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