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Tsunami: The True Story of an April Fools' Day Disaster
Describes a tsunami which struck Hawaii on April 1st, 1946 and provides additional facts about the causes of tsunamis and the difficulties scientists encounter in developing an early warning system.
- GenresNonfictionScience
64 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2006
About the author
Gail Langer Karwoski
42 books20 followersGail Langer Karwoski writes historical novels and nonfiction for kids in grades 3-9, as well as “green” picture books. Curiosity inspires her choice of topics and research helps her books grow. Her titles have won lots of awards and are enjoyed in classrooms and libraries around the country.
Recently, she has added books for grownups to her bibliography. She wrote a memoir for two remarkable gay friends, who succeeded, against the odds, in getting married in 1971, decades before gay marriage was legal in the U.S. It’s called The Wedding Heard ‘Round the World; America’s First Gay Marriage.
She is now at work on a cozy mystery series that features a group of funny and energetic older women who paint watercolors. Book One of the Watercolor Mysteries is A Brush With Murder. Book two is Skeleton in the Art Closet. Reading them is like going on an adventure with delightful, quirky friends.
When she isn’t clicking away on her keyboard, you can find this former teacher visiting schools and libraries. Gail’s lively programs inspire kids to read, discover, and write. She often talks with book clubs and about her lighthearted mysteries. She lives near Athens, Georgia, with her university-professor husband and extroverted cat. Gail has 2 grownup daughters and the cutest grandchildren on Planet Earth.
Recently, she has added books for grownups to her bibliography. She wrote a memoir for two remarkable gay friends, who succeeded, against the odds, in getting married in 1971, decades before gay marriage was legal in the U.S. It’s called The Wedding Heard ‘Round the World; America’s First Gay Marriage.
She is now at work on a cozy mystery series that features a group of funny and energetic older women who paint watercolors. Book One of the Watercolor Mysteries is A Brush With Murder. Book two is Skeleton in the Art Closet. Reading them is like going on an adventure with delightful, quirky friends.
When she isn’t clicking away on her keyboard, you can find this former teacher visiting schools and libraries. Gail’s lively programs inspire kids to read, discover, and write. She often talks with book clubs and about her lighthearted mysteries. She lives near Athens, Georgia, with her university-professor husband and extroverted cat. Gail has 2 grownup daughters and the cutest grandchildren on Planet Earth.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 8, 2022
When an April Fools' day joke is not funny - It was 1946 and an earthquake off the Aleutian Islands of Alaska had generated tsunami waves that struck the coast of the island of Hawaii early that Monday morning as children were gathering at school. . . . before it moved on to devastate the city of Hilo. Total of 159 died in Hawaii alone.
The author managed to not only research the news stories in Hawaii and interview some of the survivors but provide history on additional tsunamis that have struck the islands of Hawaii. Telling of the massive historic records that Japan have kept over the centuries regarding quakes and tsunamis. The ring of fire and tectonic plates and the different types of quakes - some of which are likely to generate tsunami waves and which are not. The Christmas 2004 tsunami off the coast of Sumatra and the thousands that died across the Indian Ocean - many bodies never found as they were swept out to sea. Of the danger lurking off the Pacific Northwest and the Cascadia fault. The development of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and how it works. How to prepare for a tsunami alert if you live in such an area and to especially be aware of what one sounds like and where to evacuate to if you are vacationing in one. Hint: don't go down to the beach and record a video. It is likely the last uploaded video you will ever do.
I had heard of the disaster in Hilo in 1960 but was unaware of this one. This is an easy book to read with more of a focus on preparing to flee if the individual encounters the strange circumstance of the ocean receding away from the beach. Even gave a small blurb about Tilly Smith who warned - and saved - dozens of people on a Thai beach when she recognized what was happening in 2004. At the time, she was 10 at the time and had just learned about tsunamis in her geography class.
2022-096
The author managed to not only research the news stories in Hawaii and interview some of the survivors but provide history on additional tsunamis that have struck the islands of Hawaii. Telling of the massive historic records that Japan have kept over the centuries regarding quakes and tsunamis. The ring of fire and tectonic plates and the different types of quakes - some of which are likely to generate tsunami waves and which are not. The Christmas 2004 tsunami off the coast of Sumatra and the thousands that died across the Indian Ocean - many bodies never found as they were swept out to sea. Of the danger lurking off the Pacific Northwest and the Cascadia fault. The development of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and how it works. How to prepare for a tsunami alert if you live in such an area and to especially be aware of what one sounds like and where to evacuate to if you are vacationing in one. Hint: don't go down to the beach and record a video. It is likely the last uploaded video you will ever do.
I had heard of the disaster in Hilo in 1960 but was unaware of this one. This is an easy book to read with more of a focus on preparing to flee if the individual encounters the strange circumstance of the ocean receding away from the beach. Even gave a small blurb about Tilly Smith who warned - and saved - dozens of people on a Thai beach when she recognized what was happening in 2004. At the time, she was 10 at the time and had just learned about tsunamis in her geography class.
2022-096
May 3, 2022
This very good informational book about tsunamis anchors its story around the April Fools Day tsunami that struck the Hawaiian islands, killing 159 people, mostly in Hilo and Laupahoehoe. I've been to the site of the former village of Laupahoehoe and even on a calm day, the sea is strong. I can't imagine the terror of a wall of water bearing down not once, not twice but three times. Talks about other historical tsunamis, the development of warning systems, and the science behind why tsunamis form. Keeps it on a human level by having many first person accounts of the disaster.
December 2, 2019
After reading this book, I think this book has good information about tsunamis. I learned ways to predict tsunamis. For example, if a tide is going into the ocean unusually, that might be a sign that a tsunami will come soon. I was interested to read this book because I have watched a movie about a tsunami and saw many people losing their lives. I didn’t want that to happen to me, so I decided to read this book to learn more about tsunamis. This book can be connected to the real-life because after reading this book, people can predict and survive tsunamis. I think the writing is very effective because like it was mentioned in the book, people should know about tsunamis even though they don’t live near coastal areas. Those people might experience tsunamis on their vacation to places like Hawaii, or there might be a mega-tsunami that will cover the entire coastline and charge towards inland. The strength of this book is that it has many different information about tsunamis from different perspectives. However, it could have explained more ways to avoid tsunamis like where to escape when tsunamis come. I would recommend this book to my friends because it would be better for people to know about these life-threatening disasters so that they can survive from them if they face these situations. If this book was part of a series, I would read the series because the series books would have information about other natural disasters like earthquakes and floods. The more you know your enemy, easier it would get to defeat them. I should always be prepared for anything that can happen to me.
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October 2, 2024"VVVEERRRYYY TTTRRRAAAGGGIIICCC!" -Cadee, age 12
August 12, 2008
Sangat fascinated sama buku ini, sehingga saya memutuskan untuk membuat book report instead of review :D xixi..
Deadly history
Menceritakan sejarah tsunami yang telah menjadi bagian sejarah Hawaii sejak tahun 1800-an. Tapi Hawaii bukan satu-satunya tempat yang mengalami bencana tsunami, negara lain seperti Indonesia juga pernah mengalami bencana alam tersebut.
Apa penyebab Tsunami?
Menurut para ilmuwan, penyebab tsunami adalah gempa bumi yang dahsyat di bawah laut. Lalu apa penyebab gempa bumi di dasar laut? Seperti halnya telur ayam yang dilindungi oleh cangkang, bumi dilapisi oleh bebatuan. Nah, bebatuan ini kalau retak / pecah menjadi belahan-belahan besar yang disebut plates. Meskipun terlihat solid, plates ini sebenernya bergerak lho, jadi ketika dua atau lebih plates berbenturan, terjadilah si gempa itu. Serem juga ya?
Seberapa sering tsunami terjadi?
Now, this is a good question. Di buku ini dijelaskan kalau diseluruh dunia, sekitar 100 tsunami terjadi tiap tahunnya, namun tidak semuanya menyebabkan kerusakan yang hebat. Rata-rata yang menyebabkan kerusakan hebat tuh sekitar 20 tsunami lah. Banyak juga ya?
A gift of Tsunami
Hadiah dari tsunami? Bercanda loe? Nggak kok, ini terjadi di sebuah desa kecil di India, nama desanya Mahabalipuram. Nah, setelah tsunami 'menyapu' daerah tersebut, ada sebuah temple yang didiriin sekitar 200th yl, dan pasir-pasir yang menutupi bangunan tersebut tersapu dan justru menonjolkan pahatan hewan² yang pernah dibuat oleh nenek moyang mereka. Bagi mereka ini 'a gift of the the tsunami'. Hmm.. ok.
Jadi inget kejadian tsunami di Aceh, terus terang membaca fakta ilmiah, sejarah, dan kesaksian orang-orang yang selamat dari bencana tersebut membuat merinding. Gimana nggak, bencana besar tersebut pernah melanda kampung halamanku dan menghilangkan sepupuku dan keluarganya ketengah laut. That's not a gift for me. Semoga tsunami nggak terjadi lagi di negeriku tertjintah Indonesia Raya.
Mega tsunami
Ilmuwan mencatat bencana tsunami yang pernah terjadi di masa pra-sejarah yang menghasilkan ombak setinggi gedung-gedung pencakar langit di kota-kota sekarang. Ini disebut Mega-Tsunami. Gile, tsunami setinggi gedung Empire State di US, gimana jadinya dunia? Dan itu terjadi 110,000 tahun yg lalu di Hawaii. Wow! Dan penyebabnya nih, biasanya karena 'secuil' bagian dari gunung berapi 'copot' dan jatuh ke laut. Secuil doang bisa menyebabkan mega-tsunami, gimana kalo tu gunung semuanya ambruk?
Trus kapan mega-tsunami itu akan terjadi lagi? apakah bisa dideteksi sejak dini? Di buku ini sih dibilangnya: nobody knows. Mungkin mega-tsunami terjadi lagi kalo udah jadwalnya malaikat Israfil meniup sangkakala ya?
Deadly history
Menceritakan sejarah tsunami yang telah menjadi bagian sejarah Hawaii sejak tahun 1800-an. Tapi Hawaii bukan satu-satunya tempat yang mengalami bencana tsunami, negara lain seperti Indonesia juga pernah mengalami bencana alam tersebut.
Apa penyebab Tsunami?
Menurut para ilmuwan, penyebab tsunami adalah gempa bumi yang dahsyat di bawah laut. Lalu apa penyebab gempa bumi di dasar laut? Seperti halnya telur ayam yang dilindungi oleh cangkang, bumi dilapisi oleh bebatuan. Nah, bebatuan ini kalau retak / pecah menjadi belahan-belahan besar yang disebut plates. Meskipun terlihat solid, plates ini sebenernya bergerak lho, jadi ketika dua atau lebih plates berbenturan, terjadilah si gempa itu. Serem juga ya?
Seberapa sering tsunami terjadi?
Now, this is a good question. Di buku ini dijelaskan kalau diseluruh dunia, sekitar 100 tsunami terjadi tiap tahunnya, namun tidak semuanya menyebabkan kerusakan yang hebat. Rata-rata yang menyebabkan kerusakan hebat tuh sekitar 20 tsunami lah. Banyak juga ya?
A gift of Tsunami
Hadiah dari tsunami? Bercanda loe? Nggak kok, ini terjadi di sebuah desa kecil di India, nama desanya Mahabalipuram. Nah, setelah tsunami 'menyapu' daerah tersebut, ada sebuah temple yang didiriin sekitar 200th yl, dan pasir-pasir yang menutupi bangunan tersebut tersapu dan justru menonjolkan pahatan hewan² yang pernah dibuat oleh nenek moyang mereka. Bagi mereka ini 'a gift of the the tsunami'. Hmm.. ok.
Jadi inget kejadian tsunami di Aceh, terus terang membaca fakta ilmiah, sejarah, dan kesaksian orang-orang yang selamat dari bencana tersebut membuat merinding. Gimana nggak, bencana besar tersebut pernah melanda kampung halamanku dan menghilangkan sepupuku dan keluarganya ketengah laut. That's not a gift for me. Semoga tsunami nggak terjadi lagi di negeriku tertjintah Indonesia Raya.
Mega tsunami
Ilmuwan mencatat bencana tsunami yang pernah terjadi di masa pra-sejarah yang menghasilkan ombak setinggi gedung-gedung pencakar langit di kota-kota sekarang. Ini disebut Mega-Tsunami. Gile, tsunami setinggi gedung Empire State di US, gimana jadinya dunia? Dan itu terjadi 110,000 tahun yg lalu di Hawaii. Wow! Dan penyebabnya nih, biasanya karena 'secuil' bagian dari gunung berapi 'copot' dan jatuh ke laut. Secuil doang bisa menyebabkan mega-tsunami, gimana kalo tu gunung semuanya ambruk?
Trus kapan mega-tsunami itu akan terjadi lagi? apakah bisa dideteksi sejak dini? Di buku ini sih dibilangnya: nobody knows. Mungkin mega-tsunami terjadi lagi kalo udah jadwalnya malaikat Israfil meniup sangkakala ya?
April 9, 2009
Awesome science tie-in. The story really grabs the reader because it is simple and was an actual event that we don't hear very much about. A grandfather shares the story of when a powerful tsunami hit his island and carried away many school children, including his brother. Good book!
October 26, 2012
i love this book i can read it over and over ive been reading this since i was 10
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October 22, 2014b0f25759-8399-4885-adda-77d4a4876d85
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews