Home > Reading Comprehension > book reviews > Night of the Twisters

Book Review: Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman

Title & Author:Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman Harper Trophy, 1984.

Length:153 pages; no illustrations.

Print size: Typical "children's fiction paperback" font - larger than small print but not childish.

Other readability issues: This story is told in the first person, with a lot of dialogue (which means an encouraging amount of "white space" on many pages, but requires the student to "listen" as s/he reads to change the voice).

Summary: Dan and Arthur are at home with Dan's baby brother when a series of tornadoes strikes. Fast-paced, every time you think "okay, they're out of danger," ... the next danger jumps out. Based on the 1980 disaster in Nebraska, this is a good story for boys who generally don't *like* fiction, and lends itself well to learning about dealing with weather-related crises.

Typical words: Here are some typical words from the stories; it would be wise to see how many of these your students can read before expecting them to read independently.