The city of Galveston, Texas, was booming. Perched on an island off the southern coast of Texas, Galveston had been founded in the 1830s. By 1900, it was Texas's richest and most important city. Boats loaded up with American cotton and wheat steamed from Galveston to countries around the world. Arriving ships were crowded with immigrants. The streets, paved with crushed oyster shells, sparkled like they'd been sprinkled with diamonds. True, this glittering city was prone to flooding. But just a few years before, a weather forecaster had said the idea of a hurricane striking Galveston was absurd. So when a storm started brewing on September 8, 1900, no one believed it would be any worse than previous storms. They gathered on the beach to cheer on the wild waves. But what started as entertainment soon turned into a nightmare as those wild waves crashed into the city. By morning, hundreds of homes were destroyed. Eight thousand people were dead. The city had all but disappeared,

"It's 1900, and Charlie feels lucky to live in Galvestion, Texas. Sure, there are storms sometimes, [b]ut nobody worries about hurricanes. Even a famous weather expert says it's impossible for a strong hurricane to strike Galveston. Which is why few people worry on the morning of September 8, when a big storm starts to brew. But Charlie watches with growing horror as monster waves rise up from the sea, as the wind starts to scream . . . Will Charlie find a way to survive the storm of the century?" -- Adapted from cover.

Interest age level: 7-10.

Interest grade level: 2-5.

Accelerated Reader,MG,4,2