The great storm
Lisa Waller Rogers
The great storm
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
The Hurricane Diary of J.T. King, Galveston, Texas, 1900
by Lisa Waller Rogers
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Waves crash wildly as the sky darkens over Galveston. A teenage boy clutches his diary, jotting down every terrifying moment of the hurricane tearing through his town. Suddenly, a desperate shout cuts through the storm—what will happen next?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This historical fiction novel follows a teenage boy's diary entries during the catastrophic 1900 hurricane in Galveston, Texas. It depicts the storm's impact and the subsequent rescue efforts, offering readers insight into survival and community response during a natural disaster. Suitable for middle-grade readers, the book handles themes of disaster and interpersonal relations with age-appropriate sensitivity.
Why we rated The great storm 9ME
The great storm is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 154 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The great storm works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate The great storm as 9ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, The great storm explores survival, disaster relief, friendship, and historical — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about survival, disaster relief, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0896724786
- Pages
- 154
- Publisher
- Texas Tech University Press
- Published
- 2002
- Type
- Fiction