Quake!: Disaster in San Francisco, 1906 [Hardcover]

Gail Langer Karwoski (Author), Robert Papp (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6–Karwoski's novel conveys very capably the fear, disorientation, and shock of living through a major disaster and coping with the aftermath. On occasion the novel's tone seems more like that of historical novels of a few decades ago, but the protagonist is appealingly unvarnished, alternately sweet and angry, open-eyed both to the destruction at large and the smaller scale unhappiness at home since his mother's death. Jacob's latest argument with his father, over a stray dog he wants to keep, results in him leaving home early the morning of the quake and being separated from his family when disaster strikes. Jacob has the unsettling experience of finding a friend's grandmother dead in the city's ruins, but also–thanks to the dog's heightened senses–the opportunity to save the life of San, a Chinese boy who becomes his fast friend. Jacob, already personally familiar with anti-Semitism, sees through San's eyes how badly the Chinese immigrants are treated. On the other hand, the boys also take part in the community created by the tent cities, in which people who might otherwise never have met begin to live and work together. The hoped-for happy ending materializes, but not before Jacob entertains the strong possibility that he may have to live with San's family if his own cannot be found or–worse–is dead. He also learns that he should not let disagreements stand between him and his loved ones. Quake! combines disaster and family longing for a sturdily constructed and affecting look at the past.–Coop Renner, Fairmeadows Elementary, Duncanville, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. It is 1906, and 13-year-old Jacob Kaufman, who lives in San Francisco with his father and little sister, is outside when a major earthquake shakes the city, cracking streets and toppling buildings. After Jacob and his dog save the life of San, a Chinese boy, the two join together to search for their families and for food and temporary shelter. Though San occasionally faces racial hostility, the boys meet many strangers who help them through the difficult days. In the appended author's note, Karwoski discusses the earthquake, the events and social changes that followed. What actually happened is reflected in the story, which emphasizes the communication and sharing that took place as different groups--the Jews, the Irish, and the Italians--found common bonds in coping with disaster. Prejudice against the Chinese, however, was more resistant to change. Karwoski's research is apparent in the many vivid details of life after the earthquake, but readers will be less concerned with social issues than with the developing stories of the sympathetic characters. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Peachtree Publishers; 1st edition (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561453102
• ISBN-13: 978-1561453108
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,215,149 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gail Langer Karwoski was born in Boston, Massachusetts, has a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, and an M.A. from the University of Minnesota. She and her husband, Chester, moved to Georgia in 1974 and raised two daughters, Leslie and Geneva, and many bossy cats. Gail taught grades 3-12 in public schools until 1998, and she co-wrote her first book (The Tree that Owns Itself) with a teaching colleague because "we needed some good stories to enrich our Georgia unit." Her books are widely read in schools throughout the country and have appeared on state award lists in Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, and more. She has been named Georgia Author of the Year in Juvenile Literature three times. For more info, visit her website: www.gailkarwoski.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Shakingly" Great Book!, January 28, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Quake!: Disaster in San Francisco, 1906 (Hardcover)

I'm in 6th grade and really liked this book. The main character, Jacob Kaufman, was about my age. I couldn't put the book down - even after Mom said lights out! The author made me feel like I was back in time during the earthquake. I really recommend this book - especially for boys. Absolutely NO romantic stuff.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Author Gail Karwoski's QUAKE!, a Disaster Story that Rocks!, June 27, 2004

By 

Donny B. Seagraves "Donny Seagraves, Author" (WINTERVILLE, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Quake!: Disaster in San Francisco, 1906 (Hardcover)

Children's author, Gail Karwoski, of Watkinsville, Georgia, has written another outstanding book of disaster! In QUAKE, Karwoski tells the story of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake through the eyes of two boys, one Jewish and one Chinese. Jacob Kaufman, the Jewish boy who is the viewpoint character, slips out of the wooden boarding house where he lives with his immigrant father and younger sister, Sophie, before daybreak on April 18,1906. The sudden earthquake causes buildings to collapse before his eyes. Fires engulf everything around him. Jacob tries to find his family but nothing is left of their building. With his dog, Quake, by his side, and his newly-found friend, San, Jacob sets off on a journey through chaos to find his family. It's a story of tragedy, of prejudice, especially against the Chinese, of the love of a pet, and of coming of age. This book is one of Karwoski's best yet and is a must read for all young fans of historical fiction.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quake! Disaster in San Francisco, 1906, August 23, 2006

By 

Drama/English teacher "RD" (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quake!: Disaster in San Francisco, 1906 (Paperback)

With stereotypical characters and obvious plotting, QUAKE! seems to warrant a lower score, but, in fact, this is a historical fiction novel that works well for the lower-level reader. I don't think this really belongs on the 6-8 grade Sunshine State reading list at all, but only on the 3-5 grade list.

Full of ethnic working-class characters in olde time San Francisco, QUAKE! tells the story of a boy (and his newly acquired stray dog) as he does what he can to survive and find his family after the devastating disaster of a century ago. Necessarily fast-paced to keep the interest of the younger reader, the story does rely extremely heavily on interspersing actual facts and characters of the disaster to maintain its integrity.

My 8th grade students would probaby be interested in this story more for the historical perspective than the story being told. My daughter (3rd grade) enjoyed it thoroughly.

I would give this 3.5 stars if the Amazon rating system allowed half-points.