Tara and the Towering Wave: An Indian Ocean Tsunami Survival Story

by Cristina Oxtra, Francesca Ficorilli (Illustrator)

Overview

When her mother announces a holiday vacation to Thailand, Tara isn't thrilled. She'd rather stay home with her friends, but Mom is determined they use the girls' trip to explore their Thai heritage. Tara is reluctant to travel so far from home, especially to a country she doesn't feel connected to. But then disaster strikes. The day after Christmas, a massive tsunami sweeps through Phuket, Thailand. Tara's resort vacation suddenly becomes a fight to survive - and find her mother in the wreckage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496599117
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	08/01/2020
Series:	Girls Survive Series
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Cristina Oxtra is a Filipino American author. She earned an MFA in creative writing for children and young adults at Hamline University and a BA in journalism. She received the Loft Literary Center 2019-2020 Mirrors & Windows Fellowship for indigenous writers and writers of color. A former journalist and educator, Cristina is also a military veteran and public relations professional. She enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, baking, training in Tae Kwon Do, watching supernatural and paranormal TV shows, and going to comic cons. Her website is at www.cristinaoxtra.com.

Francesca Ficorilli was born and lives in Rome, Italy. Francesca knew that she wanted to be an artist since she was a child. She was encouraged by ther love for animation and her mother's passion for fine arts, which she passed down to Francesca. After earning a degree in animation, she started workign as a freelance animator and illustrator. She finds inspirations for her illustrations in every corner of the world.

Jane is a Filipina illustrator based in the United Arab Emirates. She began her journey as an artist for children’s illustration with The Bright Agency in 2019 and has worked with various notable clients such as Macmillan, Scholastic, and Penguin Random House. She enjoys creating story-driven visuals and characters that radiate personality through expressive lines and motions.

Interviews

History made personal by experiencing it through a fictional character. Survival stories are perennial favorites. Focus of female main characters allows girls to see themselves (and boys to see girls) as integral parts of history.

Editorial Reviews

When Tara's mother announces they're traveling to Thailand to explore their Thai heritage, Tara is annoyed: she'd rather be home with her friends over Christmas. Plus, it's a long way to travel for a country she doesn't feel any connection to! But Tara gets overruled, and soon she's staying with her mother in Phuket. But the day after Christmas, disaster strikes: a massive tsunami sweeps through the resort, destroying everything in its path. Tara will have to fight to survive as she struggles to find her mother — and hopes that she's alive. This nail-biting story from the Girls Survive series brings the 2004 earthquake and tsunami to vivid life, and includes backmatter with an overview on the disaster, photos, maps, and more.

A Mighty Girl - Katherine