Bibliography:
Simon, Seymour.Super Storms. New York: SeaStar Books. 2002.
ISBN: 1587171384

Plot Summary:

In this book Seymour Simon explores thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes.  Simon explains how they form and why they die out while giving examples of the kind of destruction wrought by each, often referring to specific storms that occurred in the past. The book starts with thunderstorms(which can produce lightening, hail, strong winds and tornadoes) and explains how the process begins while giving great facts and information.  It moves to tornadoes which can begin from a thunderstorm. Finally, the book moves on to the deadliest storm which is the hurricane.  The photos in this book add to the quality and its educational quality.

Critical Analysis:

Seymour Simon's facts and information are easily looked up to verify accuracy. Simon was a science teacher before he became an author and uses his knowledge of the subject to create scientific informational books for children. He has written over 200 hundred science books for children and won many awards. This book is written for younger children ranging from 4-10 with a reading level of 3.9. The photos in this book are amazing. Each picture is an example of the topic Simon is explaining and adds to the story and understanding. Photo credits are given on the copyright page of the book. This book does not  have a table of contents, chapters, or index and lacks any type of organizational technique common to nonfiction books. I would presume it does not have this because it is written for younger children. The information is presented in progression from the beginning of a thunderstorm to closing with information about a hurricane.  Information is presented clearly and precisely for easy understanding. A reader would enjoy reading such an informative book while learning about storms.

Connections:

Earthquakes by Seymour Simon

Volcanoes by Seymour Simon

Weather by Seymour Simon

Violent weather : thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes by Andrew Collins

http://www.seymoursimon.com/

Reviews and Awards:

• The New York State Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature
• The Hope S. Dean Memorial Award from the Boston Public Library
• The Eva L. Gordon Award, presented by the American Nature Society, for his contribution to children's science literature
• The Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for Non-fiction for the body of his work
• Lifetime Achievement Award in Science Literature
• Kansas Reading Association 2001 Picture Book Award
• The 2002 Jeremiah Ludington Memorial Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award
• 1992 National Forum on Children's Science Books Lifetime Achievement Commendation
• New York Time's One of the Years Best Illustrated Children's Books, Certificate of Excellence

Simon uses the same handsome format that he used to introduce the planets to explain storms here on earth. In a simple and direct way he explains the mechanisms that cause thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes to form their tremendous destructive power. The amazing color photos are well chosen and range from an excellent four-panel display of a tornado's progress to full-page photos of storm clouds, lightening strikes, and so on. The type is large and clear, and the information is sufficient for basic reports. While there is no new information here, this beautiful science book from a reliable and prolific author should certainly be considered to augment existing weather collections or to begin a new collection. -School Library Journal

"A succinct, informative essay illuminated by magnificent photographs. The subject is particularly absorbing, as it highlights the natural drama of a commonly experienced phenomenon....The stunning visual portrayal of storms, accompanied by impressive factual data and clear explanations in crisp prose, is truly compelling."--Horn Book.