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Severe and Unusual Weather: An Uplifting Middle Grade Story About Tornado Mysteries and Friendship for Kids
In this poignant novel, a young girl leaves her troubled home and, while investigating a destructive tornado with the class outcast, learns the importance of letting her guard down. A must-read for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly, Dan Gemeinhart, and Corey Ann Haydu.
Nadine has rules for surviving as the new
Keep your head down.Mind your own business.Don’t stick your neck out for anyone. Especially not for Francis Pepper, the boy everyone in school picks on.Nadine just wants to get through the rest of the year without any trouble. She knows that once her mom is out of rehab, it’ll be back to the unpredictable in Chicago.
But when she’s paired with Francis for a project about Centralia, Illinois, her new hometown, she’s drawn to his story. Francis was born the exact day that a tornado, the Great Tornado of the New Millennium (GTNM), destroyed the area. The cyclone even killed his mom. Then Nadine finds a mysterious book that contains instructions for channeling weather. Before she can blink, she and Francis are caught in the swirling whispers and lies that surround the GTNM.
Try as they might, they can’t figure out two Who would want to summon a tornado to Centralia? And why would they want to hurt Francis’s family?
Nadine has rules for surviving as the new
Keep your head down.Mind your own business.Don’t stick your neck out for anyone. Especially not for Francis Pepper, the boy everyone in school picks on.Nadine just wants to get through the rest of the year without any trouble. She knows that once her mom is out of rehab, it’ll be back to the unpredictable in Chicago.
But when she’s paired with Francis for a project about Centralia, Illinois, her new hometown, she’s drawn to his story. Francis was born the exact day that a tornado, the Great Tornado of the New Millennium (GTNM), destroyed the area. The cyclone even killed his mom. Then Nadine finds a mysterious book that contains instructions for channeling weather. Before she can blink, she and Francis are caught in the swirling whispers and lies that surround the GTNM.
Try as they might, they can’t figure out two Who would want to summon a tornado to Centralia? And why would they want to hurt Francis’s family?
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 13, 2025
2 people are currently reading
2618 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 9, 2025
✰ 3.25 stars ✰
A middle grade read that touches upon forgiveness and friendship and memory that unfolds in a strange twist of cataclysmic climatic events that unravel truths laid buried for far too long. 🙏🏻
Twelve-year-old Nadine Dawson has seen her fair share of disappointment and struggles. Safe to say that her no-nonsense attitude that doesn't take crap from anyone, be it her classmates or annoying townsfolk who look down on her simply because of the reason why she had to move back to Illinois in the wake of her mother going to rehab for substance abuse, isn't going to fly by her Bible-loving Grandmother - who I actually liked with how she was able to share Proverb verses on the fly that were words of wisdom for her granddaughter, albeit her reluctance in admitting so. 🙂↕️
Upon returning to the scene of the crime - literally - it became more than just becoming friends with her next-door-neighbor Francis, a wisp of a boy that is severely bullied by his classmates and who owns a 'huge heart he so stupidly wore on his sleeve.' 😟 I was appalled at the grotesque limits the author went to demean him I felt sick at that point, and I don't blame Nadine for going ballistic on everyone.
“You can love us, you can hate us, you can even pretend we don’t exist.
Just don’t ever pity us.”
it showed real gumption and true friendship between the two, with some hints of a little more touchy-feeling... the author has written YA books more, i believe, so that bedroom scene where she placed a gentle hand on his back - it was soft, but tender, and i liked that little comforting touch. because they have a shared understanding of loss. 🫂 They forged a deep friendship as they worked together on their science project investigating the Great Tornado of the New Millennium that struck Centralia nearly twelve years ago, claiming lives, including Francis' mother, they uncover a whole web of secrets and history and magic left unspoken of. 🥺
It was all pretty wild, and a little confusing, but in a strange way, it took Tornado Boy and New Girl: what a team to weather the storm of Severe and Unusual Weather to reveal the facts of history left hidden for so long. It brought closure to hearts stuck in loneliness and unshed grief. It paved the way for a sense of unity and commitment to those struggling to move on from the destruction left in the wake of such a disastrous tornado.
“All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free.”
There was empathy to the writing, too. Nadine's attitude was troubled, but kinda fair to me. She was upset with her mother, frustrated by Francis' anxiety, and furious with those who seemed to think they could get away with the tragedy imposed... 😢 She was a strong-willed force of nature on her own; she grew to appreciate Francis' kindness and his innate goodness, even tho, she knew that it was something she sorely lacked, and yet, she went out of her way to get justice.
It is sad still that the mindset of kids in middle grade still cannot accept that boys and girls can be friends without it hinting at being in a romantic relationship. the taunts never get old, and yet, it seems so old-fashioned, now. Maybe it's a western thing, because I studied in a co-ed system, and we were interacting with boys, left and right, without suggesting otherwise of dating or what not. even though, being a Muslim country, you would think that just hanging out with them would be frowned upon more... the mind boggles.... 🤷🏻♀️
“I thought of time as ... Something that just is. When in fact, time is a concept that we ourselves created—and that now rules us.”
I could have done without the magical realism bit; but I guess, to have a real villain, you needed to have it set against a backdrop of something surreal, something uncontrollable really, save when magic is at your fingertips. 🌪️ So, to have certain portions of the narrative dedicated to the explanations and facts of tornadoes was an interesting touch. I thought the creation behind it was also morbidly amusing, give or take your sense of humor... 🫤
The ending happened a bit too sudden for me; like, it shouldn't have simultaneously resolved the instant the skies cleared, the sun shined, the clouds parted and Nadine's worries and fears were washed away so swiftly. As much as it was a poignant, much-needed moment for Francis, I didn't think it should have been such a nicely tied-on-bow kind of ending. or maybe after all that heartache and senseless loss of grief, this was the way to lay the heart to rest... ❤️🩹
“HASTE, TRAVELER: THE SUN IS SINKING NOW:
HE SHALL RETURN AGAIN, BUT NEVER THOU.
THUS THE GLORY OF THE WORLD PASSES AWAY.
I WASTED TIME,
AND NOW DOTH TIME WASTE ME.”
A middle grade read that touches upon forgiveness and friendship and memory that unfolds in a strange twist of cataclysmic climatic events that unravel truths laid buried for far too long. 🙏🏻
Twelve-year-old Nadine Dawson has seen her fair share of disappointment and struggles. Safe to say that her no-nonsense attitude that doesn't take crap from anyone, be it her classmates or annoying townsfolk who look down on her simply because of the reason why she had to move back to Illinois in the wake of her mother going to rehab for substance abuse, isn't going to fly by her Bible-loving Grandmother - who I actually liked with how she was able to share Proverb verses on the fly that were words of wisdom for her granddaughter, albeit her reluctance in admitting so. 🙂↕️
Upon returning to the scene of the crime - literally - it became more than just becoming friends with her next-door-neighbor Francis, a wisp of a boy that is severely bullied by his classmates and who owns a 'huge heart he so stupidly wore on his sleeve.' 😟 I was appalled at the grotesque limits the author went to demean him I felt sick at that point, and I don't blame Nadine for going ballistic on everyone.
“You can love us, you can hate us, you can even pretend we don’t exist.
Just don’t ever pity us.”
it showed real gumption and true friendship between the two, with some hints of a little more touchy-feeling... the author has written YA books more, i believe, so that bedroom scene where she placed a gentle hand on his back - it was soft, but tender, and i liked that little comforting touch. because they have a shared understanding of loss. 🫂 They forged a deep friendship as they worked together on their science project investigating the Great Tornado of the New Millennium that struck Centralia nearly twelve years ago, claiming lives, including Francis' mother, they uncover a whole web of secrets and history and magic left unspoken of. 🥺
It was all pretty wild, and a little confusing, but in a strange way, it took Tornado Boy and New Girl: what a team to weather the storm of Severe and Unusual Weather to reveal the facts of history left hidden for so long. It brought closure to hearts stuck in loneliness and unshed grief. It paved the way for a sense of unity and commitment to those struggling to move on from the destruction left in the wake of such a disastrous tornado.
“All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free.”
There was empathy to the writing, too. Nadine's attitude was troubled, but kinda fair to me. She was upset with her mother, frustrated by Francis' anxiety, and furious with those who seemed to think they could get away with the tragedy imposed... 😢 She was a strong-willed force of nature on her own; she grew to appreciate Francis' kindness and his innate goodness, even tho, she knew that it was something she sorely lacked, and yet, she went out of her way to get justice.
It is sad still that the mindset of kids in middle grade still cannot accept that boys and girls can be friends without it hinting at being in a romantic relationship. the taunts never get old, and yet, it seems so old-fashioned, now. Maybe it's a western thing, because I studied in a co-ed system, and we were interacting with boys, left and right, without suggesting otherwise of dating or what not. even though, being a Muslim country, you would think that just hanging out with them would be frowned upon more... the mind boggles.... 🤷🏻♀️
“I thought of time as ... Something that just is. When in fact, time is a concept that we ourselves created—and that now rules us.”
I could have done without the magical realism bit; but I guess, to have a real villain, you needed to have it set against a backdrop of something surreal, something uncontrollable really, save when magic is at your fingertips. 🌪️ So, to have certain portions of the narrative dedicated to the explanations and facts of tornadoes was an interesting touch. I thought the creation behind it was also morbidly amusing, give or take your sense of humor... 🫤
The ending happened a bit too sudden for me; like, it shouldn't have simultaneously resolved the instant the skies cleared, the sun shined, the clouds parted and Nadine's worries and fears were washed away so swiftly. As much as it was a poignant, much-needed moment for Francis, I didn't think it should have been such a nicely tied-on-bow kind of ending. or maybe after all that heartache and senseless loss of grief, this was the way to lay the heart to rest... ❤️🩹
October 15, 2023
Excited about this one :)
June 5, 2025
Some real world information mixed in with some magical realism topped with overreaching government officials.
July 30, 2025
Such a lovely story: so true, so beautiful! Perfect for intermediate and middle schoolers!
July 6, 2025
I love a middle grade novel written for actual middle graders: a little friendship, a little trauma, some shitty adults, some supportive adults, a big exciting finish, and all of it miraculously accomplished in fewer than 300 pgs.
December 22, 2025
Nadine was scooped up by her grandmother whom she doesn't know very well and transported from Chicago to small town Centralia while her mom is in rehab. She doesn't plan to make friends, just to eke out her time until she can go home. She especially doesn't plan to make friends, especially with next-door neighbor Francis Pepper who is exactly the type of person everyone bullies. However, Nadine also can't stand to let bullies get away with their bad deeds. Soon she is partnered with Francis for a local history project, that, if it could win a competition, would provide a plot of land for Francis to honor his mother who lost her life in a tornado event before Francis has turned one year old. Along the way and with the help of a former USMC image interpreter and analyst and Linda Scoville, the disgraced former chief meteorologist of the Central and Southern Illinois Weather Bureau, the person who failed to predict the F4 tornado, and against the vehement objections of the mayor, Nadine and Francis stumble upon some sensitive information that changes the entire picture of what happened on the day of the tornado. Unfortunately, not all bullies are kids, so Francis and Nadine need to stand up to some adults, too. How they solve the mystery of the tornado and honor Francis's mother makes for an absorbing story with believable and relatable characters that will have readers looking for ways that they, too, can be quiet, and maybe not so quiet, heroes.
March 8, 2025
~~Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!~
3.5/5 stars rounded down!
What a cute read!
One thing I've always loved about Foley's writing is her ability to tackle the hard stuff, especially in middle grade. And it's no exception here. We're dealing with a lot throughout the book, such as drug addiction and death via weather disaster, but it all naturally comes together in a coherent matter. It's one of my favorite things about Foley's books.
Nadine and Francis' friendship is really cute, too. Their dynamic was very enjoyable, and I loved the adult friends they had/gained in the story. All of them have their quirks, but they're grounded enough to be believable and bot be too silly.
The one thing that dragged this book down a lot was the magical realism (i.e., the cause of the tornado). It came up suddenly and completely contradicted the consistent message the book had ("Tornadoes aren't a good or bad thing. They just are.") because the person who caused the tornado had evil intentions, therefore the tornado was a bad thing! It just didn't make any sense.
Overall, despite the book having all the staples I've come to expect from Foley, the magical realism element really dragged it down.
3.5/5 stars rounded down!
What a cute read!
One thing I've always loved about Foley's writing is her ability to tackle the hard stuff, especially in middle grade. And it's no exception here. We're dealing with a lot throughout the book, such as drug addiction and death via weather disaster, but it all naturally comes together in a coherent matter. It's one of my favorite things about Foley's books.
Nadine and Francis' friendship is really cute, too. Their dynamic was very enjoyable, and I loved the adult friends they had/gained in the story. All of them have their quirks, but they're grounded enough to be believable and bot be too silly.
The one thing that dragged this book down a lot was the magical realism (i.e., the cause of the tornado). It came up suddenly and completely contradicted the consistent message the book had ("Tornadoes aren't a good or bad thing. They just are.") because the person who caused the tornado had evil intentions, therefore the tornado was a bad thing! It just didn't make any sense.
Overall, despite the book having all the staples I've come to expect from Foley, the magical realism element really dragged it down.
September 17, 2025
It's April and Nadine is new to her middle school in Centralia, Illinois, which feels like another world, compared to her home in Chicago. All she wants is to finish the school year with no drama. Nadine is living with her grandmother while her mother is in rehab. Her hope of a quiet end to the school year goes out the window when she ends up paired with Francis Pepper, also known as Tornado Boy, for a school project. Before long Nadine and Francis uncover a bit of magic that may explain the tornado that swept in years ago, out of nowhere, claiming the life of Francis's mother and several other citizens of Centralia. Nadine's difficult childhood has made her both resilient and perceptive and readers will appreciate her poignant observations of middle school social culture. Foley explores grief, regret, family ties, friendship, as well as power and greed. Readers will cheer for Nadine as she makes difficult decisions to stand up for what's right. Perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Ingrid Law.
Recommended for readers in grades 4-7.
Recommended for readers in grades 4-7.
January 20, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Quirky tale about Nadine, who has moved to Centralia for the summer while her mother is in rehab. Her grandmother has lived in the town a long time, so is able to shed light on the Great Tornado of the New Millenium that occurred the year that she and most of her classmates were born. One of these classmates, Francis, lost his mother in the tornado. She was crushed by her home, and sheltered Francis, who was rescued several days later. Other students call him "Tornado Boy" and say he is cursed. When Nadine and Francis work together on a class project, they learn more secrets about their town. This would be a good choice for readers who like the books of Ingrid Law or Natlie Lloyd.
Quirky tale about Nadine, who has moved to Centralia for the summer while her mother is in rehab. Her grandmother has lived in the town a long time, so is able to shed light on the Great Tornado of the New Millenium that occurred the year that she and most of her classmates were born. One of these classmates, Francis, lost his mother in the tornado. She was crushed by her home, and sheltered Francis, who was rescued several days later. Other students call him "Tornado Boy" and say he is cursed. When Nadine and Francis work together on a class project, they learn more secrets about their town. This would be a good choice for readers who like the books of Ingrid Law or Natlie Lloyd.
July 12, 2025
Enjoyable and unexpected. Really, this is a story about bullies and friends. It would be a fun read aloud in a fourth grade classroom. With the news about the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas and the severe weather throughout the country, it felt timely, yet not. Since it’s really about scammers and corrupt government, it was a bit of a miss-match. It seemed true to rural Illinois. It being a book for an audience that seems highly disgruntled with our culture, it aptly addresses its audience. City folk are drug addicts and neglectful and rural mayors are corrupt and bullying. It’s a tricky message.
July 26, 2025
My first book from this author. The story and the characters were surprisingly good. At first I thought it was a typical new girl in town kind of story, but it was genuinely well thought out and executed.
The friendship between our 2 main protagonists was also developed nicely and naturally. At no point did it feel forced or overdramatic. The side characters were also fleshed out enough.
The only gripe I have with this book is that the supernatural twist was not really necessary, the story would have worked great without it as well. Also the said supernatural twist was not explained or explored fully.
Other than that, a great story for the fans of this genre.
The friendship between our 2 main protagonists was also developed nicely and naturally. At no point did it feel forced or overdramatic. The side characters were also fleshed out enough.
The only gripe I have with this book is that the supernatural twist was not really necessary, the story would have worked great without it as well. Also the said supernatural twist was not explained or explored fully.
Other than that, a great story for the fans of this genre.
August 5, 2025
After trouble at home, twelve-year-old Nadine is sent to a small town to live with her grandmother. At her new school, she is paired with Francis Pepper, a constant target of bullying, for a history project - which leads them to discover a magical secret from the past and a true friendship.
Two of my favorite middle school books of all time are Something Wicked This Way Comes and Because of Winn-Dixie. This book has a bit of both, and I couldn’t put it down.
Two of my favorite middle school books of all time are Something Wicked This Way Comes and Because of Winn-Dixie. This book has a bit of both, and I couldn’t put it down.
June 9, 2025
"I like this book because I love weather and I think that it's fun to see real facts and a little magic in a book!" -Cadee, age 13
July 4, 2025
i most enjoyed the friendship that developed between Nadine and Francis. Grandma was persistent in her faith and her love and dedication for both children.
July 9, 2025
Solid middle grade
July 21, 2025
Solid middle grade. The supernatural element was unnecessary.
January 7, 2026
It’s April, and Nadine has just landed in a small Centralia, Illinois middle school that feels far away from her life in Chicago. Living with her grandmother while her mom is in rehab, Nadine is hoping to keep her head down and survive the rest of the school year without any drama. That plan quickly falls apart when she’s paired with Francis Pepper, aka Tornado Boy, and the two stumble onto a book hidden behind a false book cover that hints of magic tied to the deadly GTNM tornado that changed Centralia forever. The story thoughtfully explores grief, family, friendship, and the choices people make when power and greed get involved. There is a bit of a fantasy/magical element that surprised me! I think young weather-enthusiasts as well as kids who become "the new kid" will enjoy this novel.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews