The title itself sums it up perfectly that what the books are about. ‘I Survived’ is a book series of 20 books so far that will take you on an adventure of history’s most terrifying and thrilling moments. The author of this series is Lauren Tarshis who has spent years dedicated to these books to provide you with an absolutely interesting set of books for your kids.
Sometimes we look back in time and wonder about the worst moments in history that took away the lives of too many people. We reimagine those moments and think how great it would have been if you were to save the world if you were the heroin that very moment and prevented so much destruction. Well, being a hero and saving the world is a fantasy of all of us right?
‘I Survived’ books in order by Lauren Tarshis will give you that chance. It features all those terrifying moments of history who changed the course of our past and is still very much alive in our memories. Each book by the author is based on one of these terrifying incidents and you get to relive them through a kid’s eye who lived to tell the tale.
From the sinking of the titanic to California wildfires, this book is about those horrible incidents who not changed many lives altogether and unfortunately also took many lives away. Lauren Tarshis provides an interesting take on these unfortunate events in the form of a book series that you will enjoy along with your kids.
1. I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
Publishing Year: 2010
The fictional series by author Lauren Tarshis that is based on most terrifying events in history brought to life includes the Sinking of the Titanic in 1912. As we are all already aware that it was one of the most unfortunate events that happened in history that took away the lives of too many people and caused too much damage. But now you get to see this event from the eyes of George, a ten-year-old who survived the terrible accident to tell the tale.
George Calder is the leading character of the book who is boarding the Titanic along with his little sister, Phoebe and his aunt Daisy to get to the end of the ocean. The place is really exciting and for someone who is never been on a ship together, it is definitely a definable experience.
The kids are roaming around here and there and exploring everything on the Titanic. In the meantime, George ventures into the first-class storage cabin. It was at that moment when he feels the terrible boom that shook the entire ship. At first, he gets really confused about what is happening around him, then he sees water is coming from everywhere. The whole thing changes his life forever.
The ten-year-old boy and his little sister survive this horrific incident, but how? and what are the challenges that they had to face to come out of that sinking ship alive? Guess you will just have to find out yourself by reading this book.
2. I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916
Publishing Year: 2010
The news of Great White Shark in New Jersey in the year 1916 surely stunned everyone. It didn’t take too long for the bloodthirsty animal to become the talk of the town. The whole place is terrorized by this Great White Shark who is been attacking the swimmers along the Jersey shore. But what happens when a little boy who is just 10 years old comes directly in front of it, he sure is a dead meat, you would imagine, but no, the exact opposite happens, but how?
Chet Roscow, a ten-year-old boy is having the best time of his life in Elm Hill. His uncle has also offered him a job at the local diner and his summertime is going too perfect with his three great friends who never leaves his side. But it seems like things were going too smooth with Roscow and that is why it was interrupted by the news of the Great White Shark.
Chet is convinced that there is no such creature as the Great White Shark and decides to visit the creek himself where the shark is supposed to be. He is alarmed when he sees something in the creek and in no time he finds himself face-to-face with death, which is the Great White Shark. But wait…. how did he tackle the shark? Well, you will have to read the book for that.
3. I Survived Hurricane Katrina. 2005
Publishing Year: 2011
The storm of the century, Hurricane Katrina has left everyone baffled in the year 2005 and did a lot of destruction as well as claimed many lives. The horrors of that incident are brought vividly to life through this book. And you will get to live it through Barry’s eyes.
Barry with his pet dog and family is all set to evacuate before the dangerous Hurricane Katrina hits their home in New Orleans. But they can’t because Barry’s little sister is terribly sick and his family is forced to stay home and care for her and wait for the storm.
Things were going better than anyone has predicted in Barry’s family but everything starts to get worse when Hurricane Katrina takes a destructive turn and floodwaters take Barry away from his home. His whole world has turned upside down and he is alone in the storm, will he be able to survive the storm of the century? and if yes, then how will such a little kid would do it? I guess you will only find out after reading the book.
4. I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941
Publishing Year: 2011
Many decades later, the author Lauren Tarshis has attempted to relive the horrific events of the bombing of Pearl Harbor through a little kid’s eye. The bombing goes down in history as one of the most terrifying incidents that ever happened in the world and it is presented to you vividly through this action-packed book.
Danny Canes is just an 11-year-old boy and he is spending some good time on his favorite beach in Hawaii but guess the good time for him didn’t last long as he is completely torn apart when World War II hits the United States. Will he be able to get home safely despite the bombing or will he be stuck between all the destruction, smoke, and war?
5. I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906
Publishing Year: 2012
The San Francisco Earthquake that made the year 1906 unforgettable for all of us. I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake is a real page-turner that will make give you an account of what happened during the natural calamity on a personal level with the help of Leo’s story. The ten-year-old kid newly moved to San Francisco and he is loving it there.
He is exploring the city and facing new challenges in the hilly areas. Everything about San Francisco seems amusing to Leo and the fast-paced life of the city is fascinating to him. But the spring season changes everything and his world is turned upside down, literally. The earthquake at San Francisco made the city crumble and burn to the ground. Leo is totally terrified and thinks that he won’t last but his journey is worth reading in this enthralling book.
6. I Survived the Attacks of September 11th, 2001
Publishing Year: 2012
9/11 goes down in history as one of the darkest days this world has ever witnessed. The event that shocked everyone. The book proved to be a powerful addition to the gripping series of I Survived books. A little boy named Lucas witnessed everything so closely and he will share his experience in this book in a pretty detailed manner.
Lucas is a big football fan and he absolutely adores his uncle Benny who is his dad’s best friend. Uncle Benny and his dad work at the fire department. Uncle Benny is basically his coach and teaches him the football. One time Lucas’s parents decide that he should not play football anymore because it is too dangerous for him.
This led to Lucas taking a train the next morning to talk to his Uncle Benny. So instead of taking the school bus, he hops on the train to visit Uncle Benny’s house. But as he visits the place, his life is changed completely and he knows nothing will ever be the same again.
7. I Survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863
Publishing Year: 2012
The Battle of Gettysburg, which goes down in history as one of the bloodiest battles in American history is brought to life in this new addition to the ‘I Survived’ Series. In the year 1863, a kid named Thomas and his little sister named Birdie were born and raised in a farm as slaves and now they have fled the place and started following the north star to seek freedom.
On their way, they cross paths with a Union soldier, and the encounter changes everything for the kids. The soldier brings them back to the regiment and the experience changes, they feel like they are home now. Now as the army is marching on the way, they are not alone to find their way to the north.
But suddenly the battle gets announced and all the men are called to Pennsylvania. The journey of Thomas has been filled with struggle so far and now when he was so close to freedom, he gets faced with a war, and does he have what it takes to survive the war?
8. I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011
Publishing Year: 2013
One of the most epic disasters of all time, the Japanese Tsunami that claimed so many lives and did endless destruction that the Japanese took years and years to recover from. Ben, is just a boy whose dad died recently and in the memory of his dad, Ben has decided to visit his dad’s hometown.
Visiting his dad’s hometown was painful enough for him already but now he is terrified as the ocean waters are raised and are headed to their village. The whole family of Ben has swept away, and he is drawn in a totally different direction away from his family. Now he is alone, a million miles away from his home, stranded in an unfamiliar country. Now how he will escape this horrible situation and return safely to his family? Read the book to find out.
9. I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944
Publishing Year: 2014
The Nazi invasion that made us witness one of the darkest eras in history is brought to life with this amazing gripping story. When the father is taken away by the Nazis, kids Max Rosen and Zena are having difficulty in continuing their life. The duo of this daring siblings is ready to take every risk to escape the situation.
They have fled their captive area and ran into the nearby forest escaping the nazi soldiers. A Jewish resistance fighter tries to keep them safe by bringing them to a safe camp. But everything is unsafe around them as soon as the nazis start dropping bombs. But the important question remains, who will die and who will survive in this horrific Nazi invasion.
10. I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79
Publishing Year: 2014
The book comes with a tagline ‘The beast beneath the mountain is restless’ and to justify this tagline the author has created one of the most terrifying tales inspired by real events. People are not afraid of the beast, they are unbothered when the land beneath their feet starts trembling because they know that the beast under the mountain Vesuvius will go back to sleep again.
But that is not assuring for Marcus because he is really afraid. He knows something is going to be terribly wrong soon and even his father agrees with him. His father doesn’t believe in this imaginary beast created by the citizens, he is a man of science and believes in logical thinking.
The belief of all the citizens is exploded into a cloud of fiery ash as the rocks are falling from the sky like rain and now they have nowhere to go, nowhere to escape. Now Marcus is at a dead end, but does he have to courage to escape the epic destruction of Pompeii or will he also be buried with the city?
11. I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871
Publishing Year: 2015
‘Could an entire city really burn to the ground?’ The big city of Chicago has fascinated everyone, but Oscar never wanted to come to Chicago, in fact he is already hating going there. But well, he has to come to the big city and just then the city witnesses a terrible fire about which nobody has a freaking idea how it all began.
In this uncertainty about the fire, one thing is certain, that is the city is in huge danger and it is about to explode. The fire has become this ferocious beast that will burn everything in its path and even an army of firemen are unable to control it. And now what is left to see is, how Oscar will manage to escape the situation safely.
12. I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011
Publishing Year: 2015
A Tornado in Joplin is all set to destroy everything in its what and probably will also end the curiosity of little Dexter who always wanted to see a tornado. For years, there was something about Tornados that always fascinated Dexter and him along with his older brother Jeremy used to watch the famous show by Dr. Norman Rays, who host Tornado Mysteries.
Now Dex knows too much about Tornado but will he know what to do when a real one hits his town? Well, I guess we will only find out that in this book.
13. I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937
Publishing Year: 2016
The New York Times Bestseller novelist is back again with another one of her brilliant addition to the series ‘I Survived’. This latest addition will take you on an adventure of Hindenburg. An airship whose disaster was no less than the Titanic’s.
The greatest flying machine ever built is about to crash…. the tagline of the book itself gives us the horrors of what’s about to happen. Hugo Ballard, who is just eleven years old is about to witness the horrific event in history. Boarding the Hindenburg was always a dream for Hugo but even in his wildest dreams he wouldn’t have imagined it burning into flames.
Hindenburg is consumed by fire and the entire ship is covered in flames. The disaster that lasted for a mere 32 seconds changed everything in less than a minute and destroyed everything. The little kid on the other hand is separated from his family and is trying to escape flames. But will he be successful?
14. I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980
Publishing Year: 2016
Mount St. Helens, one of the most beautiful mountains in America was located at Washington State. The mountain that seems so peaceful from a distance is the bearer of an explosive past. But his past is over a century old, so nobody really cares. However, what they don’t know is, history sometimes repeats itself and in the case of Mt. St. Helens, it certainly will.
The pressure below the ground has been building for a century and any time now America is going to witness terrifying fury. Jessie Marlowe is just eleven years old and he has pretty good knowledge about mountains but even she couldn’t tell what is about to happen now. On May 10th, 1980, the whole United States is about to witness the deadliest volcanic eruption in history.
The adventures of Jessie is not going to be less than any of the action heroes because she will she will have to escape the clouds of poisonous gas, landslides of rock, glacier ice, white-hot debris and boiling rivers altogether. With so much going on, It must have been quite an experience for Jessie and she will tell you how did she survive it.
15. I Survived the American Revolution, 1776
Publishing Year: 2017
Lauren Tarshis’s groundbreaking work of the ‘I Survived’ series has an interesting addition to the tales of the American Revolution. Nathaniel Fox has never imagined himself to be in the middle of the revolution. The British soldiers were everywhere and people were fighting for their lives in the blood-soaked battle-field.
The eleven years old boy is unaware of the war between America and England. He lives with his cruel uncle who makes him work day and night. When he flees the horrible plays, he is headed towards New York City but he finds himself into the heart of the Revolutionary War, which is the biggest battle yet.
16. I Survived the Children’s Blizzard, 1888
Publishing Year: 2018
The Deadliest blizzards in American history, the storm of 1888 hit the Midwest in America without a warning. And soon the whole place is going to be buried in ten feet of snow. We can not even imagine the kind of destruction the blizzard is going to cause, it will claim hundreds of lives, thousands would be lost and what will left is terrified people with nothing in their hands.
John Hale, is just an Eleven-year-old boy who has already survived Dakota winter which was brutal but does he has what it takes to survive the deadliest blizzard. He finds himself in between this destructive storm and he has no way of returning home safely, the blinding snow and wind is crushing him like a hammer, would he be able to escape this deadly situation?
17. I Survived the Attacks of the Grizzlies 1967
Publishing Year: 2018
The New York Times bestselling series has yet another gripping addition to it. It gives you the bird view of the attacks of grizzlies in 1967. Glacier National Park in Montana has the most population of grizzly bears in the world but nobody knew these bears are capable of killing humans.
Eleven Years old Melody Vega has always been amused with the Glacier National Park so he visited the place with her family every year. She found peace at the Glacier but if only she only knew that this year will not bring her peace but her life is going to be turned upside down.
She is about to be a part of history’s most tragic events when the terror of grizzlies will take over the entire town. But will Melody will escape from terror or she will become the lunch of this horrible grizzly bear.
18. I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944
Publishng Year: 2019
The Battle of D-Day that changed the course of World War II is soon going to be witnessed by eleven years old Paul. The French village in which the little boy lives in has been controlled by Nazis for many years. Paul’s life is already falling apart, with his best friend missing and scarcity of food.
Paul is currently helpless and doesn’t know what should be done. But when he finds the American paratrooper near his house, he gets to know that the allies have the plans to crush the Nazis and end this exploitation but that wouldn’t be possible without Paul’s help.
But the little kid who just wanted to help make things better finds himself in the middle of the largest invasion in the entire course of history. Now everything relies on him, will he make the situation right or will this invasion take his life?
19. I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919
Publishing Year: 2019
What happened a century ago, still has its lingering effects in existence. A deadly and strange disaster where a killer wave of molasses destroyed the neighborhood in Boston. Carmen with her Papa moved to Boston from Italy. They really seem to be enjoying Boston but the struggle of the big city is definitely real but not more than what they are about to experience.
An ugly tank that is filled with sticky brown molasses rises up over the neighborhood. No one in their wildest dream would have thought that the ugly tank will explode leaving the tsunami of molasses into the streets. Now Carmen with her Papa is caught in the middle of this flood and so far there is no way to escape, will she find her way?
Conclusion
‘I Survived’ series by the author Lauren Tarshis proved to be groundbreaking work that gives us a birds-eye view of the most horrifying events in history. These moments not only caused a lot of destruction in the past but are also remembered as the darkest moments that terrified a lot of people.
Get to experience something so terrifying so closely is a curse, and these kids in the books will tell you how it’s like to have one. You will get to relive, sinking of the titanic, nazi invasion, Japanese tsunami, and all those horrifying moments through a kid who lived to tell the tale.
But how such little kids survived such dangerous encounters? And how did to manage to escape despite all the destruction and being separated from their families? You will find that out when you read the book. And these thrilling books will not let you put it down until you know it. I hope you enjoyed it, Do let us know in the comment section how you liked this article.
