Remembering Hurricane Katrina: 15 Moving Books for Kids of All Ages
by Devon A. Corneal
Disasters have a way of crystalizing time, ensuring we forever remember where we were when they occur. I remember being in elementary school art class when the Challenger exploded, law school tax class on the morning of 9/11, and a far safer New Jersey beach when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in August 2005. Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast ten years ago this month, doing particularly brutal damage to the Big Easy, and while the passing years may have blunted the fear and uncertainty of that time, the memories for many remain crystal clear.
To honor and remember those who struggled through the storm, we’ve compiled books that help explain what happened, question the choices we make when our worlds fall apart, and celebrate the resiliency of the communities that lived through that extraordinary period in our national history.
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Picture Books
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Over in the Wetlands: A Hurricane-on-the-Bayou Story
Buy from:Both people and animals were devastated by Katrina, although we often forget about the effect severe storms have on our non-human friends. Read through these pages to discover how animals prepare for a hurricane and what they find when they emerge after the storm.
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A Storm Called Katrina
Buy from:When disaster strikes, there is little time to save all the possessions we’ve acquired. In A Storm Called Katrina, Louis Daniel has time to save only his cornet as he and his family flee the rising waters and take refuge in the Superdome. As conditions worsen and Louis’s father fails to return from a mission to find food and water, Louis must find his dad with nothing but his horn to help.
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Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival
Buy from:Animal stories from Katrina are both heart-wrenching and inspiring. The true story of how Bobbi the dog and Bob Cat survived Hurricane Katrina together is not to be missed.
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Eight Dolphins of Katrina: A True Tale of Survival
Buy from:When Katrina toppled buildings and caused the electricity to fail, the aquariums of the Gulf Coast were devastated. Yet eight incredible dolphins and their dedicated trainers and caretakers survived by sticking together and never giving up on each other. This is an uplifting and unbelievable story that elementary school children will want to hear again and again.
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Marvelous Cornelius
Buy from:Gather round to hear the story of Cornelius Washington, a humble sanitation worker from New Orleans, who spends his days entertaining children and adults alike, while keeping the streets of his beloved city clean. The Marvelous Cornelius refuses to be beaten by Hurricane Katrina and bands together with residents and volunteers from around the country to make the streets sparkle again. Inspired by a real man, this story is part fact, part fiction, and all heart.
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A Place Where Hurricanes Happen
Buy from:Children process trauma, grief, fear, and anger differently than adults, and in A Place Where Hurricanes Happen, Renee Watson gives children of New Orleans who lived through Katrina the opportunity to express those emotions in free verse. Beautifully illustrated and captivating, this book is a wonderful jumping off point to begin a discussion with young readers about the events surrounding the storm.
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Middle Grade
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What Was Hurricane Katrina?
Buy from:The What Was...? series does a fantastic job of explaining complicated historical events for kids and What Was Hurricane Katrina? is no exception. Here, children can learn about the path of the storm, the damage it did, the rescue efforts, and how the citizens of New Orleans survived in its wake.
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Another Kind of Hurricane
People’s lives connect in the most incredible of ways. This story tells how two boys find their way to each other and a way out of their respective grief when their lives intersect in New Orleans after Katrina. Zavion travels to New Orleans to repay a debt, while Henry makes his way to the shattered city to retrieve the marble he shared with the friend he recently lost. This is a story about friendship and loss and how we learn to heal.
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Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere
Buy from:Turning ten should just be about birthday cake and presents and fun. But when Armani Curtis turns ten, she doesn’t just get another candle on her cake — she gets Hurricane Katrina. In an instant, Armani learns that getting older also means facing the darker side of life.
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Saint Louis Armstrong Beach
Buy from:Saint Louis Armstrong Beach has a very long name, a love of music, and beloved dog named Shadow. Saint won’t leave Shadow, even when that means staying in New Orleans as Katrina hits, and the two find themselves stranded in an elderly neighbor’s attic as the levees break. This story of loyalty and determination highlights the particular kind of bravery that arises when people need us.
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Tweens and Teens
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Ninth Ward
Buy from:Tween readers will be engrossed by this book’s blend of magical realism and the realities of a massive hurricane. When Lanesha’s caretaker Mama Ya-Ya predicts Hurricane Katrina, Lanesha and Mama Ya-Ya must prepare not only for the storm, but also for whatever may follow.
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Hurricane Song
Buy from:Miles only recently came to live with his father in New Orleans, and their relationship is rocky. Miles loves football while his dad loves jazz. When Hurricane Katrina hits the city, the two take refuge in the Superdome and the events that transpire there will change their lives forever.
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Zane and the Hurricane
Buy from:Boys and their dogs are popular topics for post-Katrina stories, but this one from Rodman Philbrick blends both the facts of the storm with the heroism and horror the city residents faced afterwards in a way that is engaging and accessible for tweens and teens.
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Zeitoun
Buy from:When successful housepainter and Syrian immigrant Abdulrahman Zeitoun remained in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, he expected a fierce storm. He stayed to protect his business, and as the waters rose and then receded, stayed to help his neighbors and friends recover from the disaster. Then one day, he disappeared. As his frantic family tried desperately to find him, Zeitoun found himself in the morass of the U.S. immigration system and the ad hoc law enforcement system at work in the battered city. A horrifying look at the chaos and uncertainty the often follows natural disasters, as well as a meditation and on prejudice, biases, and immigration issues, this book was written for adults, but is a must-read for high-school students as well.
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Five Days at Memorial
Buy from:Also written for adults, Sheri Fink’s Five Days at Memorial is a powerful narrative that will captivate adolescent readers. Fink examines five days at Memorial Medical Center and the life and death decisions medical professionals made in the wake of the hurricane. A masterpiece of reporting, fair-mindedness, and excellent writing, this books challenges our basic beliefs about how we prepare for and react to crises.
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