First published 2023
Eleven-year-old Jack lives with his parents in an isolated cabin in Alaska, far from any neighbors. The year is 1964, and Alaska has just become a state. Jack considers himself tough enough to handle the wilderness around him, where grizzly bears and wolves roam and winter temperatures drop to 30 degrees below zero. But on Good Friday, the earth begins to shake. The most powerful earthquake in American history strikes with a magnitude of 9.2. The quaking continues for nearly five minutes. Downtown Anchorage crumbles. Massive tsunamis crash into coastal towns, destroying entire communities. Jack must survive this disaster that will kill 129 people and cause billions in damage. The earthquake will change how scientists understand our planet, but first it will test one boy beyond anything he thought possible.
Genres: survival, historical-fiction, adventure
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: coming-of-age, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Alaska, Anchorage
Period: 1964
144 pages · Paperback · Scholastic Inc.