Ivy Ruckman

Inspired by an actual event in Nebraska in 1980, when multiple twisters ravaged one town in a meteorological anomaly, 12-year-old Dan Hatch must protect his baby brother and tornado-newbie best friend Arthur, as both of his parents are gone when the tornado comes.

I read this book when I was younger, but only remembered a few details. I really enjoyed it even as an adult. It's realistic to how kids were back in those days, off riding their bikes or swimming in the local water hole during the show more summer, especially in a smaller town like this. No cell phones, no video games, and then they went home in the evening to watch Happy Days, which is a little before my time, but I still appreciate the overall feel the author paints of life in the early 80s, when this book was written and set. I also thought that, while the descriptions of the devastation caused by the storm aren't necessarily vast and detailed, they felt realistic to someone like me who's never been in a tornado but has seen the aftermath in pictures or videos. And most likely toned down due to being a book for kids.

There were not a whole lot of characters, but I liked the ones that were around much. Dan's feelings about his little brother throughout were pretty real for a kid his age who had been an only child until the age of 12. Arthur provided an interesting foil in multiple ways. The elderly neighbor Mrs. Smiley and her part in the story made me smile (no pun intended). My only complaint is that I would have liked to know how Officer Kelly ended up. But overall, the book was an exciting, suspenseful read that I think would be great for kids around age 10-12. show less

This exciting tale, based on a real, devastating event, is thrilling from beginning to end. Twelve-year-old Danny and his best friend, Arthur, get caught at Danny’s home when the tornado strikes. They take Danny’s baby brother to the basement, but get trapped there. Arthur’s fourteen-year-old sister comes to look for them, and helps them out of the basement. But as bad as that was, worse things are to come. This book is good on so many levels. The characters are well developed and true show more to their age. There is a strong female character. There are loving relationships between family members, and strong friendships with the kids themselves and with adults and kids. Though written for children, it is certainly a book adults can appreciate. show less

Book Summary from Goodreads (goodreads.com)
When a tornado watch is issued one Tuesday evening in June, twelve-year-old Dan Hatch and his best friend, Arthur, don't think much of it. After all, tornado warnings are a way of life during the summer in Grand Island, Nebraska. But soon enough, the wind begins to howl, and the lights and telephone stop working. Then the emergency siren starts to wail. Dan, his baby brother, and Arthur have only seconds to get to the basement before the monstrous show more twister is on top of them. Little do they know that even if they do survive the storm, their ordeal will have only just begun. . . .
This short book is a very fast paced read. I was on the edge of my seat through almost the entire book because I wanted to know how it would all end. I had to force myself to slow down so I didn’t miss any details. Adults often pick out books that kids “should” read. I’ve often heard this title mentioned as one of those “should read” books. Most of the time, “should read” books are not very entertaining for children, but Night of the Twisters is an exception. Based on a true event from June of 1980, this book gives readers a sense of what it is like to go through a natural disaster. This is an excellent book to use in connection with a unit on weather. I would also like to children compare and contrast this book with the opening scenes from the movie: The Wizard of Oz.

Recommended for 3rd grade and up.

Mrs. Archer’s rating: 5 of 5 show less

Rob&Sara.com is one of the better written "penpal" type books I've read in awhile. Authors P.J. Petersen and Ivy Ruckman wrote this book by exchanging emails in real life as RobCruise66 and Sara4348 (exact numbers may be off since I've already returned the book and cannot reference). Rob and Sara are two teens who meet through a teen poetry message board. The two develop a friendship and ultimately a romantic relationship, but the authors take their time and let things blossom naturally. I show more appreciate that this was a "clean" read-no cuss words or sexual innuendos. I know that teens these days do cuss and have sex, but Rob and Sara by no means sounded "square" or made up. Quite the contrary, and I hope Petersen and Ruckman co-author more books in the future. show less