The Disaster Days

By Rebecca Behrens

Stranded by an earthquake, a young babysitter must lead two kids to safety on an isolated island.

4.1/5 Goodreads · 897 ratings

296 pages· 63,444 words· Est. 9 hour read

$16.99Save 7%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Hannah Steele, a confident babysitter on a serene island, faces her worst nightmare when a sudden earthquake strikes. With the house damaged, power out, and no way to contact the outside world, Hannah must protect her young charges, Zoe and Oscar. As the bridge and ferry are blocked, leaving them isolated, Hannah's leadership is tested. Can she navigate the chaos and keep everyone safe as the situation spirals? This gripping tale of survival and responsibility will keep you on the edge of your seat, wondering if Hannah can rise to the challenge in their darkest hours.

From the publisher

Hatchet meets The Babysitters Club in this epic and thrilling survival story about pushing oneself to the limit in the face of a crisis.We were all alone, in a shaken and shattered house, in the dark. And I was in charge.Hannah Steele loves living on Pelling, a tiny island near Seattle. She’s always felt totally safe there.So when she’s asked to babysit after school one day, it’s no big deal. Zoe and Oscar are her next-door neighbors, and Hannah just took a babysitting class, which she’s pretty sure makes her an expert. She isn’t even worried that she left her inhaler at home.Then the shaking begins.The terrifying earthquake only lasts four minutes, but it changes everything–damaging the house, knocking out the power, and making cell service nonexistent. Even worse, the ferry and the bridge connecting the kids to help–and their parents–are both blocked, which means they’re stranded alone. And Hannah’s in charge as things go from bad to worse.Praise for The Disaster Days: “A realistic, engrossing survival story that’s perfect for aspiring babysitters and fans of John Macfarlane’s Stormstruck!, Sherry Shahan’s Ice Island, or Wesley King’s A World Below.”–School Library Journal”The strength of this steadily paced novel that stretches over four days of a scary disaster scenario is that Hannah doesn’t figure everything out; she stumbles, doubts, and struggles throughout it all.”–The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books”Fans of survival thrillers in the vein of Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet will enjoy this tense, honest tale of bravery…an excellent (and refreshingly not didactic) teaching tool on natural-disaster preparedness.”–Booklist”The relentless progression of a variety of disaster scenarios will keep readers turning pages…equally suspenseful and informative.”–School Library Connection”Behrens uses immersive details and situations effectively viewed from Hannah’s perspective to create a suspenseful, vivid story filled with lessons about responsibility and overcoming adversity.”–Publishers WeeklyThe Disaster Days is a perfect…gift for preteen survival story fansearthquake fiction chapter book for tween girls ages 11-14survivalist fiction book for middle grade girlssummer reading book for preteenspreteen gift for girls

At a glance