Earthquakes (Smithsonian-science)

Since I had read so many of Simon's books, I decided to go further into study of the earth. The earthquake book was very well written and easy to understand if you don't want to go into total tech talk.

As a teacher, any book by Seymour Simon is a welcome addition to my library, especially now that informational text/nonfiction is being stressed on Common Core.

This is a good book to illustrate what can happen during an earthquake...something that might help if a person found themselves in a similar situation.

I loved the book 5 stars prefect I busted . Love it so much yay well it is totally awesome

great book

I purchased this book as apart of a 4th grade Literacy curriculum. It is convenient to present via SMART board to the class.

These Seymour Simon (Smithsonian) books are a joke. $7 dollars for a book that is thinner than most magazines. Ridiculous, your paying for the Smithsonian name only. I bought a few of these books at the same time and I have regretted wasting my money since they have come in. The people who give good reviews are either too easily impressed or just don't know what a good book is. Buyer Beware!

Seymour Simon's 1991 book gives an excellent and terse overview of the important ideas about earthquakes. With key terms defined simply but accurately, all accentuated by large color photographic depictions of the effects of earthquakes, Simon explains the pertinent information: what causes earthquakes, what happens during an earthquake, and the different types of earthquakes. The book can be read from cover to cover, or bit by bit; each two-page spread stands fairly solidly on its own. The impact of the damage earthquakes can inflict is immediately apparent when the book opens with a stunning photograph of the way an earthquake turned "railroad tracks into twisted ribbons of steel." The most amazing photo in the book shows the way a wooden fence was "broken and offset eight feet" by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Simon takes what could be a very frightening concept for a young child and explains it in such a way as to make earthquakes more logical and less arbitrary. The final page of the book might be the best place for a nervous child to start reading, as Simon gives some suggestions of what to do during an earthquake. The book closes with the calming reassurance that the chances of being hurt in an earthquake are very slim. This book does not include a great deal of detail, but I think it does a good job of what it is intended to do: introduce a child to the subject of earthquakes. The photographs are my favorite part.