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Tales of Tragedy and Triumph
What: I Survived Books
When: 7 to 10 years old
Why: Exciting, educational, affordable
Where: Amazon
If you’ve grown tired of hearing your kids complain about quarantine or other stay at home restrictions, and they can read, introduce them to the I Survived series of books on Amazon by Lauren Tarshis. Being stuck at home pales in comparison to living through all sorts of disasters and major events.
These books, much like the Magic Tree House series for younger readers, contain stories based on real events, both historical and modern. Some examples include a young boy aboard the Titanic, or an eleven-year-old girl who lives near Mt. St. Helens in 1980. Each book narrates events from the point of view of a kid, and the large text and riveting action help transport readers into the actual events. The books also include extra on-topic information for kids to explore and learn more.
These books feature occasional illustrations and larger text.
You can buy books individually, or in sets of up to ten. All together Tarshis has written 25 books in the series. You can read them in order, but since the characters don’t repeat between books, the order doesn’t make a big difference. That means you can grab one title here and another there and not worry about availability or sticking to any sort of strict order reading particular books.
These books also make great gifts for readers who want to move to chapter books without dense text and multiple main characters. What’s more, with a price point between four and five dollars for brand new books, most kids can afford their own addiction even when they can’t borrow from the library, school, or friends. But beware. Kids aren’t the only ones who may get addicted to these exciting reads. Whether you enjoy the downtime while your kid reads or you sneak a few pages yourself from time to time, these gripping stories engross most readers.
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