The Surge (Storm Runners Series #2)

by Roland Smith

Overview

Master of middle-grade adventure Roland Smith returns with a second installment in this fast-paced action series. Chase and his friends Nicole and Rashawn have just survived Hurricane Emily, the storm of the century, but their troubles are just beginning. Although they've made it to the safety of Nicole's family's farm--the winter home of the Rossi Brothers' Circus--the floodwaters are rising and they need to reach higher ground. The circus's lions have escaped their cages, and a dangerous and unpredictable leopard is also on the loose. Have Chase and his friends lived through a terrifying night only to face a new disaster?

Customer Reviews

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545388320
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	09/01/2011
Series:	Storm Runners Series , #2
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	192,103
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Roland Smith first worked with animals at the Portland Zoo, and he has been involved in animal rescues and conservation work around the world for more than twenty years. He is the author of numerous books for young readers, including JACK'S RUN, ZACH'S LIE, CRYPTID HUNTERS, PEAK, TENTACLES, and the Storm Runners series. He is also the co-author of numerous picture books with his wife, Marie. Roland lives with Marie on a farm south of Portland, Oregon. You can find him online at www.rolandsmith.com.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 6–9—In Storm Runners (Scholastic, 2011), Chase Masters, 13, and his friends Nicole and Rashawn survived the storm of the century, Hurricane Emily. They made it safely to Nicole's family farm, the winter home of the Rossi Brothers Circus. Now, floodwaters are rising and they must get to higher ground. This isn't going to be easy because some lions have escaped their cages, and a leopard is on the loose. Oh, and there is a chained elephant in the barn that could give birth at any moment. The short chapters have headings that designate the time, giving a sense of urgency to the narrative, and they alternate between Chase and his friends and Mr. Masters, who is trying to get to the barn. Readers will want more of this fast-paced, exciting adventure, but will have to wait for the next installment in the series.—Shannon Seglin, Patrick Henry Library, Vienna, VA

School Library Journal

Praise for STORM RUNNERS: THE SURGE
“This slice of natural disaster…offers nary a dull moment. A high-velocity page-turner…” –KIRKUS REVIEWS

From the Publisher

It's been just twelve hours since Chase, Nicole, and Rashawn boarded their school bus, only to narrowly escape death as Hurricane Emily hit. This second volume of the "Storm Runners" trilogy picks up right where the first, Storm Runners, leaves off. Intrepid Chase and his friends have managed to make it to Nicole's family farm, which happens to be the winter home of the Rossi Brothers' Circus. The dark barn they're sheltering in as the hurricane continues to rage also contains a pregnant elephant, due to give birth at any moment. Chase and Nicole volunteer to go outside to get gas to power the lights, despite the rising water and the other circus animals roaming around. These include a dangerous leopard and several lions who have escaped their cages. Meanwhile, Chase's father, John, a storm chaser accompanied by a TV news crew, is desperately trying to reach Chase, and John's adventures are related in alternate chapters. Nonstop action and ever-present danger makes this a sure bet for middle school-aged readers who have read the first volume. It's a swift and exciting read, with appeal to reluctant readers. Reviewer: Paula Rohrlick

Children's Literature - Paula Rohrlick

Family members separated in a Florida hurricane struggle to get back together, but the waters are rising fast and big cats are on the loose in this sequel to Storm Runners (2011).

Taking up the action exactly where the previous episode left off, stranded teenagers Chase and Nicole leave the (supposed) safety of the circus barn to fetch gas for the sputtering generator—only to run into an escaped lion and, later, a very aggressive leopard. Meanwhile, Chase's father and a TV news crew face flooding territory and multiple other serious dangers as they make their way toward the young folks' refuge. Though the characters show a remarkable ability to carry on conversations in normal tones of voice amid howling winds and flying debris, the action never lags. As the two parties draw toward an eventual reunion Smith's habit of switching his very short chapters back and forth on cliffhangers becomes more a suspense builder than the distraction it was in the opener. Nearly devoid of references to previous events and closing on game-changing news that will be sending the central cast on an emergency mission to Mexico in the next episode, this slice of natural disaster isn't exactly freestanding, but it definitely offers nary a dull moment.

A high-velocity page-turner, for all that it's only a segment of a larger arc. (Adventure. 11-13)

Kirkus Reviews