I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011

Dex is an 11-year-old boy with a stable suburban life. He feels connected to and safe in his home of Joplin, Missouri, riding his bicycle around his neighborhood and supporting his young neighbors’ lemonade stand. He is struggling with changes in an old friendship, but he is close with his family, and he has a beloved dog. Dex also has an interest in tornadoes, finding them both frightening and fascinating. When he is given an opportunity to accompany Dr. Gage, a well-known storm chaser who happens to be a college friend of his father’s, Dex jumps at the chance to learn more about tornadoes and to see one in action. However, he does not fully understand what he is getting himself into.

An important part of Dex’s narrative arc is developing experiential knowledge about catastrophic events and finding his own hidden strengths and abilities. Initially, the danger of tornadoes is abstract. When Dex is first confronted with the potential danger during a lightning strike in Kansas, he is relieved to leave the storm behind. However, when the storm takes an unexpected turn, leaving Dr. Gage gravely injured, Dex must rise to the occasion, drawing on his courage and knowledge to save the man who kept Dex safe during the height of the storm.