Zane and the Hurricane

Zane's father died before he was born in a car accident, so he's only known his mother's side of the family in New Hampshire.  All that changes when his mother discovers a long lost relative in New Orleans, Louisiana.  She's not just any relative though; she's his great aunt Trissy who raised his father.  She's very old, and she wants to meet Zane.

Zane only agrees to go if he can bring his dog, Bandy, so the two set off reluctantly for New Orleans.  Things are going so awful until a few days after his arrival when news of Hurricane Katrina arrives.  In their efforts to escape, Zane is separated from Miss Trissy.

Now Zane must survive the worst storm he's ever experienced, but what happens after the storm is even worse.  Plus, he's on his own in a city filled with danger.  The once beautiful city is now full of filthy water, dead bodies, and violence, and it seems like no one is willing to help.

Zane is lucky to find two other survivors who are willing to share early on, and the three companions set off looking for dry land and shelter, but it seems there is very little compassion left for the poor bedraggled companions.

Rodman Philbrick's new book is a powerful story of survival and the importance of compassion.  This book is a great entry to the Hurricane Katrina disaster for readers of all ages.  Highly recommended.

The video below shows the day by day development of the storm.  If you want to see more storm footage and the devastating effects, there is plenty of video available on the internet.