The Amarillo Public Library (APL) announced an October surprise for young and old at the City of Amarillo Lunch & Learn session on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the City of Amarillo Municipal Building.
Stacy Clopton, the library system’s PR / Programming Director, said, “We’re doing a special event at the Amarillo Civic Center Grand Plaza with author Lauren Tarshis, the author of the incredibly popular ‘I Survived’ series for young people. Her latest book, which is the 25th book in the series, is of particular interest to our region because it is focused on Black Sunday and the Dust Bowl. This will be a free event, partnered with Burrowing Owl book store.”
Tarshis will be at the Grand Plaza at Amarillo Civic Center Complex at 5:30 p.m., with the program starting at 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 23. Burrowing Owl Books will be on hand with copies of the “I Survived,” books available for purchase and signing.
“It will be a great opportunity to meet an author who is so popular with young readers and learn about our history as well,” Clopton said. “People will also have the option to purchase a book and also get it signed. Tarshis does a tremendous amount of research for all of her books, and it includes a lot of nonfiction information, along with the novels she writes so well.”
”I Survived the Dust Bowl, 1935,” is a thrilling story of an 11-year-old boy who risks his life to save his family and friends during the worst storm of the Dust Bowl era, known as Black Sunday. The infamous Dust Bowl era of the 1930s was the worst environmental disaster in American history, killing hundreds and forcing thousands of refugees to flee the southern High Plains area to escape starvation and sickness at a time when people lived off the land for survival, according to information provided by APL.
Tarshis has been writing the New York Times-bestselling series for 15 years. Each book in the series, starting with 2010’s “I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic,” tells the story of young people and their resilience and strength in the midst of unimaginable disasters. Material provided by APL notes that while the “I Survived” books are fiction, Tarshis conducts exhaustive research on each topic, and the books include a section of nonfiction background matter with more facts and photos about the real-life event.