Summer is winding down in Houston and kids are enjoying the last part of summer before school starts, including playing soccer at the local rec club. Soccer is on the minds of Cody and Yasir, two boys competing for team captain.  Mona is also at the field, but only because she is babysitting her little brother Omar while their parents are away. The kids try to focus on soccer, but the weather reports of tropical storm Harvey are becoming more concerning to those living in the low-lying areas of Houston.  When Harvey makes landfall, Yasir, Cody, and Mona are driven from their homes and find themselves forced to survive the storm together.  Cody, Yasir, and Mona were not friends before the storm, but they know their survival depends on them becoming a team.  The situation is life or death, and the three older kids are able to help each other work through their fears, one step at a time.

Readers who enjoy realistic fiction with strong characters will enjoy this book.  There is depth and growth to these protagonists.  Mona and Yasir build their confidence and leadership skills and Cody decides to turn over a new leaf, leaving behind his bullying behaviors and disdain for foreigners that he inherited from his father. The chapters are relatively short and are told from the perspective of one of the older kids.  Mixed in throughout the book are weather reports that are based on real weather reports Houstonians would have heard at the time.  Readers might also enjoy learning about flood myths from different religions and cultures that are woven into the text throughout the novel.  This book would be a great addition to libraries serving students in 4^th-7^th grade.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library