Customer Reviews

Terrible Storm

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two young men with completely different ideas of what makes for a great life, live out each other's best times during a blizzard.
we see two different styles surviving a raging blizzard and it's aftermath, until they meet each other on the way to their own homes.later their experiences become part of family lore.
illustrations are vivid and humorous and enhance Hurst's tale. wonderful for kg-4th graders.l

Many years ago in Westfield, Massachusetts two boys grew up together. When they grew up and had families they ended up with some of the same grandchildren, one of whom wrote this story. Grandpa Otis (Walt) was a jolly sort of fellow who was happiest when he was in a crowd of people and even happier when he was the center of attention. Grandpa Clark (Fred) was a quiet sort of person who loved being around his cats and making things like birdhouses. This was where his comfort zone lay. When Walt and Fred were old men, they used to sit on the porch and reminisce about the past. Then one day they were talking about "the terrible storm." It was the great blizzard of 1888.

It was a warm day in March, but as everyone knows there can be some terrible storms during that month. They talked about where they were and what they were doing when it hit around the middle of the morning. It came up very fast and the ferocity began to build as the day wore on. "Ey-ah. Came quick when it came all right." The winds began to blow and the horses began to get nervous. They both had to seek shelter as they couldn't get home in a blizzard. Walt, the gregarious boy, got stuck in a barn and Fred, the quiet boy, got stuck in with a load of people who loved to talk up a storm. Well, isn't that the way things go? "Terrible storm, Fred." "Worse one ever, Walt."

This book gives new meaning to the phrase, "different strokes for different folks." This was a story that got even more hilarious by each turn of the page and each snowflake that swirled around the two boys. I read this one to an adult who burst into laughter the further I got into the book. This is one of those books that both children and adults alike will get a kick out of. Ey-ah, if you haven't read this one, you just might have to scout out a copy!