Tsunamis

Children's Literature

Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning "harbor wave." Generated by earthquakes, volcanoes or landslides that occur underwater, tsunamis are huge, deep waves that can travel at speeds up to six hundred miles per hour in the open ocean and wreak havoc on costal communities. In a collection of essays by various authors, this book examines several topics related to tsunamis, including the nature of tsunamis, a look at a major tsunami zone in South America, and work by the U.S. Geological Survey to reduce the risk of tsunamis in the United States. Besides essays on modern disasters, the book includes accounts of a tsunami that occurred during the Civil War, killing twenty-five thousand people, and the 1883 tsunami in Krakatau. The essays were not compiled to persuade readers to adopt a specific opinion, and as such, different essays present different points of view. The concluding chapters include an explanation of modern tsunami warning systems and a look at the work of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. With a bibliography and an index, this compilation of essays offers advanced middle school students, high school and even college students a great resource when studying tsunamis throughout world history. This book is part of the "Great Disasters" series. 2003, Greenhaven Press/The Gale Group, Ages 12 up.
—Rebecca Watson