TORNADOES

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Simon, Seymour. 1999. TORNADOES. New York, New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc. ISBN 068814673

PLOT SUMMARY
This is a nonfiction, an informational, book about tornadoes. This book provides factual information about tornadoes such as other names for them, what they look like, origin of the word, a vivid description of what exactly a tornado looks like and is formed, and how meterologists determine the strength of a tornado which translates into the amount of damage a tornado can cause once it touches the ground. Also, Simon gives information about the destruction tornadoes can cause and some true stories about the worst storms that have been recorded in the history of the United States as of the writing of the book. The later pages of the book give information about common myths about tornadoes and what to do to try and prevent becoming a tragedy of a tornado.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Simon does a great job giving factual information about tornadoes in a way that does not scare children but also does not sugar-coat the facts either. Simon states that "you don't have to worry too much in advance about tornadoes, but finding out when they are coming and knowing what to do is certain to help you if one strikes." Simon also organizes the information in a logical, sequential order. This is evidenced by the fact that he starts with discussing tornadoes in general to the specifics about the different types and the destruction each of the five types can cause.

The illustrations are double page spreads that capture the essence of the text that accompanies them. One example of this is when Simon is describing what meterologists do when tracking potential tornadoes. The reader can see clearly in the color photographs the computer technology used during tornado season. The photograph shows in detail what meterologists are looking at and for when using computers to help them in keeping the public informed about a potential tornado.

Simon is also a master when it comes to satisfying a desire about wanting to know more about tornadoes and also leaves the reader wanting to learn more about weather. He also provides many new vocabulary words for the reader to add to his knowledge base. For example, tornadoes can have many names such as "dust devils, twisters, whirlwinds, waterspouts, and cyclones." Whatever the age or knowledge base of the reader he/she will surely come away from reading this book having a new appreciation for tornadoes.

REVIEW EXCERPT

Booklist:" Incredible full-color photographs and diagrams, clearly portraying the different formations and devastating power of the windstorms, complement the text perfectly."

CONNECTIONS

Students can write a summary of what they learned from the book. They can also write about any experiences they may have had with a tornado.
The students can read or the teacher can read some other books related to weather such as:
Mogil, H. EXTREME WEATHER: UNDERSTANDING THE SCIENCE OF HURRICANES, TORNADOES, FLOODS, HEAT WAVES, SNOW STORMS, GLOBAL WARMING AND OTHER ATMOSPHERIC DISTURBANCES. ISBN 1579127436

Grace, Catherince O'Neill. FORCES OF NATURE: THE AWESOME POWER OF VOLCANOES, EARTHQUAKES, AND TORNADOES. ISBN 0792263286
Onish, Liane WIND AND WEATHER: CLIMATES, CLOUDS, SNOW, TORNADOES, AND HOW WEATHER IS PREDICTED. ISBN 0590476467