Scholastic If You... Series, If You Lived at The Time of The Great San Francisco Earthquake

by Ellen Levine, Richard Williams (Illustrator), Pat Grant Porter (Illustrator)

Transport young students to significant historical moments Meets Common Core standards. Lets students explore what it would have been like to live at the time of the great San Francisco earthquake. Recommended for 2nd grade. Ages 7 to 10 years.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Childrens, American History, Picture Books, Juvenile, School

64 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Ellen Levine's books have won many awards and honors, including the Jane Addams Peace Award. Although she enjoys writing both fiction and nonfiction, most of Ellen's books for young readers have been nonfiction. "Writing nonfiction lets me in behind the scenes of the story. I enjoy learning new things and meeting new people, even if they lived 200 years ago."

Ellen Levine was born in New York City. She received her B.A. degree in Politics from Brandeis University, graduating Magna cum laude. She has a Master's degree in political science from the University of Chicago and a Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law. She has worked in film and television, taught adults and immigrant teenagers in special education and ESL programs, and served a law clerkship with Chief Judge Joseph Lord, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. A former staff attorney with a public interest law group, Levine now devotes her time to writing, lecturing, and teaching. She is on the faculty of Vermont College's MFA program in writing for Children and Young Adults.

Ellen Levine divides her time between New York City and Salem, New York.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating historical facts presented in a manner that should appeal to youngsters. I found it to be informative and entertaining. Wish our library had more of this series.

[melydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure of the appropriate audience for this book., On the one hand, it's clearly written for children, but it's describing a very tragic event, and by trying to make it child-friendly, it feels almost as if it's trivializing what these people went through. The little anecdotes of reunions and heroism are nice, though, and I suppose there are some kids who would find some of the silly stories funny. On the other hand, as an adult, it's so broad as to be dull. The little vignettes are fine but I came away still without a handle on the true extent of the damage, both geographically and temporally. I guess if your kid really wants to read about natural disasters and you don't want anything too graphic, this might be a good choice.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

this would be a good read aloud, not a great one.

one smallish problem i had w/this the book is only about s.f. that's what the title says so i can't complain,but in the mention of how far the quake was felt showing it would be better. santa rosa had more destruction percentage wise and the san jose jail fell, that would give teachers a really good explanation of the size of major quakes.

i thing i loved, to find out what it felt like the book says to jump up and down for fifty seconds. perfect!

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book because of the descriptions. It really helps you imagine what the earthquake was like. It answers many questions you may have had ("What did the earthquake sound like?" "Were there any warnings that an earthquake was coming?" "How did animals act when the quake hit?") and some you might not have thought of ("Could you cook in your house after the earthquake?" "Were any babies born during the earthquake?"). I wish the book had a map showing the extent of the earthquake, and more information about what causes earthquakes and why this particular quake was so big.

"If You Lived at the Time of the Great San Francisco Earthquake" is reading level Q. I recommend it for 2nd to 5th graders as a read aloud and to upper elementary and middle schoolers to read on their own, plus anyone else who wants to learn about this historical event.

[Imani ♥ ☮ · Rating 3 out of 5]

One day, I read this book at a Borders in Hyde Park, Chicago(*tear*). I got mostly through it but then I had to leave and I didn't get a chance to buy it. It was a bit crucial to make this a part of my 'If You Lived...' collection. But for the longest time, I couldn't find it at my local Borders and it made me upset. Note, this was also before I even knew Goodreads existed.

But then I found it eventually. And of course, it wasn't nearly as spectacular and I had dreamed it would be when I was desperately searching for it.

But hey, what can you do? I still liked this book quite a bit and for someone writing about the San Fran earthquake, this is a good, quick reference.

[Emily Lorkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good book at the end. It told you how people lived. How bad the quake was. Who saw it. But it was amazing how the people lived. The couldnt use their stove even if it was still standing. Because The quake had happened in 1906 and back then they had stoves that were connected to chimneys. and most peoples chimneys had fallin off when the quake happened. The people werent allowed to use their stove until an inspector came. So the people built a fire to make food instead.

[Moe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to see what life was like after a earthquake. Like having to cook on garbage cans, and seeing tons of broken empty houses as you walk by. It is great that people helped by giving money, because now San Francisco looks like there hasn't been a earthquake at all.

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If You Lived At the Time of The Great San Francisco Earthquake" is a great informational book. The reader is able to see what life was like during and after the earthquake. I would love to share this book with my students. It is informal, but easy to understand.

[Literacy Group]

In 1906, San Francisco was the biggest city on the west coast. That year, on April 18, the city was hit by a huge earthquake. This book describes what it was like to experience this disaster and the aftermath.

Grade preschool - kindergarten
Heather

[Ashley Storms · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with great information about the Great San Francisco Earthquake. Students can put themselves in that time, and write about what they would do or feel. Recommended for intermediate students.

[Jacque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mattea read this book aloud to me. We took a break, so it took a long time. She loved it. She liked that it had history, but it was interesting. I also enjoyed it and love any book that helps my kids be excited about learning history.

[Terry Manning]

informational book about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake -- good information and then it also creates discussion opportunities with challenging readers to think about what things they'd want to save from their homes

[Bexbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

my grandmother lived through this earthquake, and this little book gave me a glimpse of what she and her family lived through.

[Bobbi Skipper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though the book was informational, I can't see myself using it in a class. The illustrations were fictional and that took away from the text.

[Samra · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty good but long winded

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am reading my way through this series with my first graders this year. They enjoy the books, but they tend to be a little dry in their presentation of the material. They definitely don't fall under the "living book" category. We wish they included more illustrations and more personal stories instead of so many generalities, but they are a good way to get a foundation of knowledge when it comes to different events in history. This particular book had a different illustrator than the first one we read, and we enjoyed the illustrations far more in this one.

[Linda Lyden · Rating 4 out of 5]

The description of all the various things that occurred during that time was great. It made you realize what a very difficult times is was for everyone. My ancestors grew up there during a horrible and scary time. They did cook outside and prepare the food what little they had. Some of my mother’s aunt and uncles were children at the time, so they were very scared as to where to go and where would they sleep. Luckily. they all lived to be adults and have a good life.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good regional primary history. Provides a clear sense of American life during early Industrialization and the development of San Francisco. It's fun too.

[Mas5thgrade2012 · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was great because it gives so much deatial
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