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Scientists in the Field
Eye of the Storm: NASA, Drones, and the Race to Crack the Hurricane Code
With stunning photos, detailed maps, and infographics, Amy Cherrix takes readers on a trip into the eye of the storm of hurricane danger zones as she chronicles a team of daring NASA scientists looking to discover the future of the hurricane forecast. Ten million Americans live in hurricane danger zones, but how do we know if or when to evacuate? We must predict both when a storm will strike and how strong it will be. A daring NASA earth science mission may have finally found a way to crack this hurricane code. Dr. Scott Braun is the principal investigator for the Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel mission (HS3), which flies repurposed military drone over hurricanes so that scientists can gather data. But the stakes are high and time is running out. In the first Scientists in the Field book entirely about weather, meet the NASA team on the cutting edge of meteorological field science.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published April 25, 2017
12 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 29, 2017
I returned a few books at the library and this one caught my eye. It is aimed at children and I was impressed with the quality of the photographs and the writing. It introduces the scientists and the work they are doing to understand hurricanes through science and drones. I could easily see a young future nerd reading this book and deciding they want to be a scientist too.
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November 28, 2017Summary: This is a book about hurricanes. Many Americans live in areas where hurricanes can happen, but do they know how to evacuate or when? People have to predict when a storm may happen and how strong that storm could be. Dr. Bruan my have just found out just what citizens need to know when it comes to hurricanes. He flies drones over hurricanes so that some scientists can find and gather data. This book also provides students with the ability to meet the NASA team.
Evaluation: This was a really neat book. I loved that you could “meet” the NASA team in the book. This is great for students who love science as well as introducing severe weather.
Teaching point: We could use this book to teach about weather and hurricanes. I could do a read aloud and then pull out information from the text that describes how we can know if we need to evacuate and when.
Evaluation: This was a really neat book. I loved that you could “meet” the NASA team in the book. This is great for students who love science as well as introducing severe weather.
Teaching point: We could use this book to teach about weather and hurricanes. I could do a read aloud and then pull out information from the text that describes how we can know if we need to evacuate and when.
November 18, 2017
Eye of the Storm is about Dr. Braun whom is the investigator for Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel mission. This mission is to fly drones over hurricanes to allow for the scientist to be able to gather data about hurricanes. The book talks more about how millions of Americans live in the terrifying zone of hurricanes and that meteorologist and scientist within the field must predict the right time for them to evacuate. The book allows for readers to meet the NASA team in charge of this mission and determining the weather of this dangerous storm.
This book would be great to have in your classroom for students to scientist in the field and especially with hurricanes and weather which is not saw much. Students can also explore the glossary terms in the back of the book that will help with vocabulary along with the vivid images in the book.
A teaching point for this book would be to use it for introducing in a science class on learning on the affects of climate and weather. The read aloud on this book could be used to introduce the details of hurricanes and how scientist can learn more about them. Students afterward could explore other dangerous storms like hurricanes, tornadoes, mud slides, tsunamis and earthquakes effect the environment and distribution of land.
This book would be great to have in your classroom for students to scientist in the field and especially with hurricanes and weather which is not saw much. Students can also explore the glossary terms in the back of the book that will help with vocabulary along with the vivid images in the book.
A teaching point for this book would be to use it for introducing in a science class on learning on the affects of climate and weather. The read aloud on this book could be used to introduce the details of hurricanes and how scientist can learn more about them. Students afterward could explore other dangerous storms like hurricanes, tornadoes, mud slides, tsunamis and earthquakes effect the environment and distribution of land.
December 13, 2017
I have a whole new understanding of the hurricane forecasts I see on the Weather Channel now. In this book, author Cherrix describes how drones are used to fly above hurricanes and gather data to help predict how strong they will be and what path they will take. These are not the little drones that kids fly for fun, but vehicles the size of small airplanes loaded with scientific instruments. It was fascinating! Cherrix takes the reader through the process of getting the drone ready, launching it, gathering the data, and making the forecast for Tropical Storm Edouard. We hear so much about drones being used in war that it's nice to learn about something good they can be used for. The book begins and ends with some of the recent destructive hurricanes, emphasizing how important this research is. Patent also includes at the end of the book a checklist of hurricane preparedness for both before and after the storm. This book may inspire some readers who enjoy working with drones to enter into the meteorology field. Another highly recommended entry in the Scientists in the Field series.
November 22, 2017
Summary:
This book discusses the many sides of hurricanes. The science behind the formation, the major devastation, and the up-close and personal view of a hurricane in action. Amy Cherrix follows a team of scientists who followed and tracked hurricanes in order to understand them. This book contains extensive knowledge about hurricanes; where they come from, what causes them, and the effects of them on people and the land.
Evaluation:
Cherrix did a great job with piling this book with extensive facts and research. The bibliography in this book shows that the author used knowledgeable and credible sources for her book. The book would be interesting for a variety of ages to dig deeper into. The book contains fast facts, interesting pictures, and an interesting view of hurricanes provided by NASA. The book also contains several diagrams, a glossary, and even a preparation plan for readers to use.
Teaching Idea:
Hurricanes would be an interesting topic to teach within the concept of weather. This book could be used as a resource when teaching about hurricanes. As a lesson activity, I would do a variety of experiments with the students as a way of giving them a better visual of how hurricanes form and move. One experiment is with a bowl, water, and some food coloring. The students pour water into the bowl, stir it, and then add food coloring in order to represent the hurricane. The students could note their observations in their science journals based on what they see happening with the water and food coloring. After this, the "Eye of the Storm" book could be referenced to read about how hurricanes form and show actual photographs taken of hurricanes.
This book discusses the many sides of hurricanes. The science behind the formation, the major devastation, and the up-close and personal view of a hurricane in action. Amy Cherrix follows a team of scientists who followed and tracked hurricanes in order to understand them. This book contains extensive knowledge about hurricanes; where they come from, what causes them, and the effects of them on people and the land.
Evaluation:
Cherrix did a great job with piling this book with extensive facts and research. The bibliography in this book shows that the author used knowledgeable and credible sources for her book. The book would be interesting for a variety of ages to dig deeper into. The book contains fast facts, interesting pictures, and an interesting view of hurricanes provided by NASA. The book also contains several diagrams, a glossary, and even a preparation plan for readers to use.
Teaching Idea:
Hurricanes would be an interesting topic to teach within the concept of weather. This book could be used as a resource when teaching about hurricanes. As a lesson activity, I would do a variety of experiments with the students as a way of giving them a better visual of how hurricanes form and move. One experiment is with a bowl, water, and some food coloring. The students pour water into the bowl, stir it, and then add food coloring in order to represent the hurricane. The students could note their observations in their science journals based on what they see happening with the water and food coloring. After this, the "Eye of the Storm" book could be referenced to read about how hurricanes form and show actual photographs taken of hurricanes.
December 4, 2018
Summary:
This book discusses the effects of a hurricane how new technology is helping prevent last minute evacuation. Dr. Scott Braun, a NASA Research meteorologist uses a new method to predict hurricanes. A military drone called, the Global Hawk is used to fly 70,000 feet above a hurricane and includes various instruments that are used to study the storm. This method is what current research meteorologists are hoping to use to predict future hurricanes. Scientists tested the Global Hawk and gathered data from tropical storm Edouard. According to the text, Global Hawk‘s flight patterns are planned in a lawnmower and butterfly pattern. The book also includes information about Global Hawk’s pilot and the materials the drone is made from.
Evaluation:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the information the author presented about hurricanes. Each picture that was included in the book involve using pity captions that help explain some of the difficult vocabulary used throughout the book. It was definitely apparent that the author did extensive research into this subject matter before writing this book.
Teaching Idea:
This book would be excellent to use during a lesson about erosion or mass wasting to show the dramatic affects that hurricanes have on the Earth’s surface features. Each student will be required to write a journal entry discussing why many hurricanes can cause vast erosion on the land impacted by a hurricane.
This book discusses the effects of a hurricane how new technology is helping prevent last minute evacuation. Dr. Scott Braun, a NASA Research meteorologist uses a new method to predict hurricanes. A military drone called, the Global Hawk is used to fly 70,000 feet above a hurricane and includes various instruments that are used to study the storm. This method is what current research meteorologists are hoping to use to predict future hurricanes. Scientists tested the Global Hawk and gathered data from tropical storm Edouard. According to the text, Global Hawk‘s flight patterns are planned in a lawnmower and butterfly pattern. The book also includes information about Global Hawk’s pilot and the materials the drone is made from.
Evaluation:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the information the author presented about hurricanes. Each picture that was included in the book involve using pity captions that help explain some of the difficult vocabulary used throughout the book. It was definitely apparent that the author did extensive research into this subject matter before writing this book.
Teaching Idea:
This book would be excellent to use during a lesson about erosion or mass wasting to show the dramatic affects that hurricanes have on the Earth’s surface features. Each student will be required to write a journal entry discussing why many hurricanes can cause vast erosion on the land impacted by a hurricane.
October 14, 2019
Summary
This book takes students on the adventure of what Hurricanes are and how they are studied. Dr. Braun and his team are a group of scientists that use various tools such as drones to learn about hurricanes. The book informs the reader on new technology that is being used to predict when a hurricane may form and how to help people that are in the path of hurricanes. The book addresses some of the larger hurricanes that have hit the United States such as Hurricane Sandy.
Evaluation
I would rate this book a 5/5. It contains a lot of information and facts for research. The author uses real pictures to show the reader what type of devastation a hurricane may cause. Another great part of this book is that it is newer. It connects to today’s youth by demonstrating how social media, twitter, plays a role in disaster recovery. This can be found on page 6 of the book. This book is current, insightful, and full of information.
Teaching Idea
One great teaching idea is to provide this book so students could gather research facts. I would use this book at the end of a weather unit. Students may find new and current information from this book to include in their research projects. This book would also be a great part by part read aloud during a weather unit. The teacher would be able to promote discussions within the classroom using the facts and photos from the book.
This book takes students on the adventure of what Hurricanes are and how they are studied. Dr. Braun and his team are a group of scientists that use various tools such as drones to learn about hurricanes. The book informs the reader on new technology that is being used to predict when a hurricane may form and how to help people that are in the path of hurricanes. The book addresses some of the larger hurricanes that have hit the United States such as Hurricane Sandy.
Evaluation
I would rate this book a 5/5. It contains a lot of information and facts for research. The author uses real pictures to show the reader what type of devastation a hurricane may cause. Another great part of this book is that it is newer. It connects to today’s youth by demonstrating how social media, twitter, plays a role in disaster recovery. This can be found on page 6 of the book. This book is current, insightful, and full of information.
Teaching Idea
One great teaching idea is to provide this book so students could gather research facts. I would use this book at the end of a weather unit. Students may find new and current information from this book to include in their research projects. This book would also be a great part by part read aloud during a weather unit. The teacher would be able to promote discussions within the classroom using the facts and photos from the book.
December 3, 2018
Summary:
This book is about Drones that were created to learn more about the eye of a hurricane. They do this by tracking the wind speeds and the directions that the winds are moving. This technology is created to help predict how the storm is moving and how to get people out of the danger zone and into the evacuation zone. The scientists complete this task so that they can help as many people as they can and to collect as much data as they possible can during that time.
Teaching Point:
I think that this would be a great book to use while teaching about hurricanes. I think it would be cool to have the students use their artistic abilities to look at the pictures in the book, since they are so cool looking, and have the students draw what they see. This would allow them to draw while also writing about what they had read about on that page. The page would allow the students to learn information from the text while also interpreting it into their own words.
Evaluation:
I though that this was a great book. I chose it because I love learning about hurricanes or anything about weather and I wanted to find good books to add to my library. I loved being able to learn so much about the drones and how they look into the storms. I learned a lot from this book and I really think that more people should read this book. This is a really interesting topic.
This book is about Drones that were created to learn more about the eye of a hurricane. They do this by tracking the wind speeds and the directions that the winds are moving. This technology is created to help predict how the storm is moving and how to get people out of the danger zone and into the evacuation zone. The scientists complete this task so that they can help as many people as they can and to collect as much data as they possible can during that time.
Teaching Point:
I think that this would be a great book to use while teaching about hurricanes. I think it would be cool to have the students use their artistic abilities to look at the pictures in the book, since they are so cool looking, and have the students draw what they see. This would allow them to draw while also writing about what they had read about on that page. The page would allow the students to learn information from the text while also interpreting it into their own words.
Evaluation:
I though that this was a great book. I chose it because I love learning about hurricanes or anything about weather and I wanted to find good books to add to my library. I loved being able to learn so much about the drones and how they look into the storms. I learned a lot from this book and I really think that more people should read this book. This is a really interesting topic.
September 6, 2024
Aimed at young readers, this picture-laden book is still informative and interesting for adults, IMO. At the onset 2012 Atlantic hurricane season's "Superstorm Sandy" is used to explain why scientific understanding of monster storms is a worthy endeavor that can save lives. The 1970 Bhola cyclone and other examples are given that could have gone differently with modern prediction tech. The US gov't teams, featuring PhD candidates profiled, using sophisticated data gathering dropsondes and a Global Hawk drone to understand how these storms work and form. How does the dust content of the Saharan Air Layer relate to storm intensity? That is one question the team tries to answer in the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season
by studying Hurricane Edouard. They have to overcome mechanical failures and learn the answer may be more subtle and complex than initially thought and their papers may come out 2 or 3 years later after data analysis and review.
by studying Hurricane Edouard. They have to overcome mechanical failures and learn the answer may be more subtle and complex than initially thought and their papers may come out 2 or 3 years later after data analysis and review.
December 4, 2018
Summary: This story dicusses the many factors of hurricanes and the different aspects of tracking and figuring them out. During the story, they book dicusses how Dr. Scott Braun plays apart in the NASA research program Hurrican and Severe Storm Sentinel mission.
Evaluation: This book gives a good look into the deconstructive affects of hurricanes, how their formed, and what we are doing about them. The good talks about all these factors and more, like they present the material in different ways to make it easier to read.
Teacher Tip: As a teacher, I would mainly use this as a read aloud and pick out sertain sections that is important for them to know in the standard. We would hold open dicussions about the different aspects of it and talk about how we could help. After reading the selected parts, I would leave the book on display for students to come and look at it more in their free time.
Evaluation: This book gives a good look into the deconstructive affects of hurricanes, how their formed, and what we are doing about them. The good talks about all these factors and more, like they present the material in different ways to make it easier to read.
Teacher Tip: As a teacher, I would mainly use this as a read aloud and pick out sertain sections that is important for them to know in the standard. We would hold open dicussions about the different aspects of it and talk about how we could help. After reading the selected parts, I would leave the book on display for students to come and look at it more in their free time.
November 14, 2018
Summary
This is a book that talks about hurricanes and the dangers people face when they live in a hurricane danger zone and it tells us steps to take if we are ever in one. We are introduced to Dr. Braun, an investigator for HS3, and this book also walks us through how he gathers data on hurricanes when they are forming. The author also tells us about how drones are used to help scientist identify hurricanes and how they help collect data on them.
Evaluation
I like this book. It was a little intense and I don’t think I would use it with the babies (K-1) but I would most definitely use this book with the older students. I really loved the photographs that were in the book.
Teaching Points
This is a great book to use during a unit about weather and to talk about hurricanes and technology that meteorologist use.
This is a book that talks about hurricanes and the dangers people face when they live in a hurricane danger zone and it tells us steps to take if we are ever in one. We are introduced to Dr. Braun, an investigator for HS3, and this book also walks us through how he gathers data on hurricanes when they are forming. The author also tells us about how drones are used to help scientist identify hurricanes and how they help collect data on them.
Evaluation
I like this book. It was a little intense and I don’t think I would use it with the babies (K-1) but I would most definitely use this book with the older students. I really loved the photographs that were in the book.
Teaching Points
This is a great book to use during a unit about weather and to talk about hurricanes and technology that meteorologist use.
May 17, 2017
This book has several positive features that make it a good nonfiction book: a few informative excerpts that do not interfere with the flow of the story, plenty of color photos that add to the story, a glossary, bibliography, and index. The author lists sources for more information. A feature I like is that there also is a page with tips on how to be prepared for a hurricane.
As far as the writing of the book, I thought the fact that the author lead off with a story about a thirteen year old's experience with Hurricane Sandy, while tragic, served to make the story more personal and interested in learning more about hurricanes, hurricane research, and its importance. Also wrapping up the story with with more accounts of the affects of hurricanes tied it all together nicely.
As far as the writing of the book, I thought the fact that the author lead off with a story about a thirteen year old's experience with Hurricane Sandy, while tragic, served to make the story more personal and interested in learning more about hurricanes, hurricane research, and its importance. Also wrapping up the story with with more accounts of the affects of hurricanes tied it all together nicely.
October 5, 2022
I have been a fan of the Scientists in the Field series for a very long time. This book is interesting to browse, but so very filled with scientific information for the budding scientist who will read it cover to cover. The photos throughout are engaging and the captioned illustrations alongside these powerful photographs are spectacular.
I love the thinking about children and their school work when they explain the work of scientists: note taking, record keeping, using keyboards to fly the equipment, problem solving, and working together are strongly supported in this book. Eye of the Storm certainly gives us a taste of why Meteorologists work with other scientists closely to better learn about the hurricanes that hit our and other nation's shores.
I love the thinking about children and their school work when they explain the work of scientists: note taking, record keeping, using keyboards to fly the equipment, problem solving, and working together are strongly supported in this book. Eye of the Storm certainly gives us a taste of why Meteorologists work with other scientists closely to better learn about the hurricanes that hit our and other nation's shores.
September 7, 2017
Starting out any science book with a compelling story is the perfect way to suck me in and make me want to read more. This book began with the story of Angela, a young teenage girl who ended up drowning during Hurricane Sandy. The book went on to explain how scientists are trying to predict the intensity of hurricanes but also why they do what they do. There was a bit of political history, too, on other hurricanes and cyclones that changed (and divided) countries, and ended with a list of safety tips for surviving severe storms and hurricanes. Certainly an interesting read after hearing about Hurricane Harvey and wondering where else Hurricane Irma will land.
October 28, 2017
Eye of the Storm gives readers information about how stores, primarily hurricanes are tracked. It informs readers what causes hurricanes and what damage they can cause. This book could be very relevant to students today, as there have been a lot of major hurricanes during the recent hurricane season.
Evaluation: This book has very nice pictures, which can help the students understand. It also includes tweets, which younger children may find cool because Twitter is something that they may see their older siblings use. It highlights recent storms, which will help students build connections to the book. Finally, it has a lot of non-fiction text features such as a glossary, table of contents, and index. However, this book does have A LOT of words. Students may see this as intimidating and may be afraid to select this book, because it would be timely to read.
Teaching Point: I would definitely not read this whole book to my class. It is too long for that. However, I think that I would use parts of this book to introduce weather, primarily hurricanes, to my students.
Evaluation: This book has very nice pictures, which can help the students understand. It also includes tweets, which younger children may find cool because Twitter is something that they may see their older siblings use. It highlights recent storms, which will help students build connections to the book. Finally, it has a lot of non-fiction text features such as a glossary, table of contents, and index. However, this book does have A LOT of words. Students may see this as intimidating and may be afraid to select this book, because it would be timely to read.
Teaching Point: I would definitely not read this whole book to my class. It is too long for that. However, I think that I would use parts of this book to introduce weather, primarily hurricanes, to my students.
April 30, 2018
Scientist in the Field = always a winner.
Maybe because my knowledge of meteorology is weaker than other areas of science, I found this book to actually go over my head a couple of times. But, any student who is interested in weather will love it.
I love the tie in to Wallops - and the idea of flying a drone over a hurricane to collect data.
Recommend for your weather nerds in upper elementary and middle school who are also fans of awesome new technology.
Maybe because my knowledge of meteorology is weaker than other areas of science, I found this book to actually go over my head a couple of times. But, any student who is interested in weather will love it.
I love the tie in to Wallops - and the idea of flying a drone over a hurricane to collect data.
Recommend for your weather nerds in upper elementary and middle school who are also fans of awesome new technology.
December 31, 2020
I thought this was a relatively short and very informative work about using drones to collect data on hurricanes. Cherrix conveys both the immense human impact of hurricanes and the incredibly interesting work NASA is doing with the drone. I also thought Cherrix adequately conveyed the ethical issues of drone development and use.
April 30, 2021
Another good entry into the Scientists in the Field series. This particular book tended to be acronym heavy which had me looking back to remember what each acronym stood for. It was also a bit on the technical side, so prepare for that. I appreciated the final chapter with descriptions of devastating storms that helped change the field.
May 19, 2025
The parts of this book focused on the field campaign are the strongest. It does a really good job showing all the different pieces and the many different kinds of work that go into this.
I know the rest is trying to convey the impact of tropical cyclones and why this work matters, but starting with Sandy is a particularly weird choice for that.
I know the rest is trying to convey the impact of tropical cyclones and why this work matters, but starting with Sandy is a particularly weird choice for that.
May 9, 2017
This fascinating middle grade non-fiction book brings the world of hurricanes to life with dynamic prose and super-cool photography. Ms. Cherrix explains hurricanes from the personal, historical, political, and scientific perspective. Kids or anybody will learn a lot from this fantastic resource!
July 24, 2017
I was disappointed with the lack of diversity in this book, particularly in the roles of the scientists & those that are helping during the crisis. Unfortunately, the majority of people needing help were not Caucasian, but of different races & ethnicities.
September 5, 2017
Historic hurricanes have ravaged the United States in recent years. While the text lightly explores the human impact it mainly focuses on the how hurricanes form. The book focuses the scientific aspects of hurricanes and how scientists are studying them to learn more them.
May 17, 2017
very good information. extras were well placed and did not interrupt the flow of the narrative.
April 7, 2019
fairly technical
November 27, 2020
3.5
The human stories in the book were preferred to the scientific side and exploration of these deadly storms.
The human stories in the book were preferred to the scientific side and exploration of these deadly storms.
February 4, 2022
It was fine. We learned, but it was not our favorite in the series. More technical at times than necessary.
April 27, 2025
This book is pretty good, it talks about how scientists measure hurricanes.
October 3, 2025
Cherrix takes readers through a drone mission with NASA, introducing the kind of people involved and the duties they carry out during the mission, what kind of data they are hoping to find, and why it is important to better understand hurricanes.
This is a well-written intro to hurricanes (aka typhoons/cyclones) and why we are trying to better understand them. Cherrix does a good job of bridging the gap between a very tech-based mission to the humans it hopes to help. Along the way, it is also a good overview of all the different kinds of meteorologically-related jobs that are out there. It's a sobering look at how harmful hurricanes can be, but also a hopeful look at what scientists are doing to try to prevent future lost lives. It seemed like a timely read as both the US and South Asia are getting pounded by powerful storms this weekend. Recommended for those who want to better understand what survivors of hurricanes/typhoons go through and those interested in meteorology.
Notes on content: Lives lost to hurricanes, including some powerful personal stories and some photos of destruction and dead animals are included (nothing super gory, some bloated cows are the worst thing).
This is a well-written intro to hurricanes (aka typhoons/cyclones) and why we are trying to better understand them. Cherrix does a good job of bridging the gap between a very tech-based mission to the humans it hopes to help. Along the way, it is also a good overview of all the different kinds of meteorologically-related jobs that are out there. It's a sobering look at how harmful hurricanes can be, but also a hopeful look at what scientists are doing to try to prevent future lost lives. It seemed like a timely read as both the US and South Asia are getting pounded by powerful storms this weekend. Recommended for those who want to better understand what survivors of hurricanes/typhoons go through and those interested in meteorology.
Notes on content: Lives lost to hurricanes, including some powerful personal stories and some photos of destruction and dead animals are included (nothing super gory, some bloated cows are the worst thing).
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews