A boy and his dog navigate dangerous rubble, prejudices, and survival in this riveting fictional account of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.

It’s before daybreak in San Francisco on April 18, 1906. Mourning the loss of his mother, thirteen-year-old Jacob Kaufman slips out of the cramped boarding house where he lives with his immigrant father and little sister Rosie. Why couldn’t Papa just let him keep the stray dog—the one thing that has made him happy in months? But he forgets all his frustrations when the ground beneath his feet begins to rumble.

Buildings collapse, and the street splits wide open as Jacob runs for safety from a devastating earthquake. With just his dog, he embarks on a perilous search for shelter, food and water, and missing loved ones while grappling with his Jewish traditions and fighting prejudices against a new Chinese friend.

In Gail Langer Karwoski’s stirring fictional account of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, young readers will relive the drama of the actual event and its devastating aftermath. An author’s note carefully separates fact from fiction, giving young readers a glimpse into one of the worst earthquakes in modern history.

Also available from Gail Langer Karwoski:
Seaman: The Dog Who Explored the West with Lewis & Clark
Surviving Jamestown: The Adventures of Young Sam Collier

Awards:

Young Adult Top Forty ―Pennsylvania School Librarians Association
Sunshine State Young Reader’s Award (Nominee, Grades 3-8) ―FAME
Volunteer State Book Awards (Master List, Grades 4-6) ―Tennessee Association of School Librarians
Kansas State Reading Circle Recommended Reading List (Starred, Primary) ―Kansas National Education Association
Massachusetts Children’s Book Award (Master List) ―Salem State College
Nevada Young Readers’ Award, Young Reader Category (Nominee) ―Nevada Library Association
Land of Enchantment Book Awards (Master List) ―New Mexico Library Association, New Mexico Council of IRA
Rhode Island Children’s Book Award (Nominee) ―Rhode Island IRA Chapter, RILA, REIMA
Notable Children’s Books of Jewish Content: The Best of the Bunch (Older Readers) ―Association of Jewish Libraries
Maxwell Medal (Children’s) ―Dog Writers of America