disasters

"This book chronicles maintenance-related accidents caused by individual, corporate, or governmental negligence and brings the industry's current state of affairs into sharp focus. The author, a former aviation engineer, examines how failures of the smallest of parts have brought down airliners, explaining sometimes esoteric mechanical issues for readers with no technical background. Vividly describing the terror of accidents and close calls, the author then follows the painstaking investigations to determine causes. He focuses on maintenance errors, which rank as one of the top three causes of airline accidents, and points to the factors that have led to an alarming situation-- continued reduction of licensed mechanics, the shutting down of maintenance bases in the United States, and the outsourcing of maintenance to lowballing contractors. Outsourcing has forced thousands of licensed mechanics into retirement or different careers. For those mechanics still employed in the United States, the ever-present threat to their jobs does nothing to cultivate loyalty to an employer and devotion to a task. The Federal Aviation Administration, which should be overseeing quality control, is caught in a conflicted dual role--charged with regulating safety on the one hand and assuring the fiscal stability of airlines on the other. This disturbing wakeup call for improved airline safety standards highlights the critical importance of attention to detail. Porter recommends that the numbers and job security of airline mechanics be increased and that they be vested with an authority level akin to medical professionals"--.

"When a teacher asks her class what one thing they would save in an emergency, some students know the answer right away. Others come to their decisions more slowly. And some change their minds when they hear their classmates' responses. A lively dialog ignites as the students discover unexpected facets of one another--and themselves"--Provided by publisher.

"On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam built to create a man-made lake for America's wealthiest businessmen collapsed, unleashing twenty million tons of water onto the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, below; told in the voices of six children and many others this is the story of the ordinary people of the town, their losses and their survival--and of the bitter aftermath when those for whom the dam was built denied all responsibility for the shoddy dam and the unnatural disaster which it caused"--Provided by publisher.

"Thirteen-year-old Jamie's plane is just taking off when something goes terribly wrong. The lights go out, communications halts and the engine stops. After a bumpy landing, Jamie realizes it's not just his flight. All the other planes have been grounded too. And every car on the road has stopped in its tracks. And no one's cell phone is working. Technology has shut down, and no one knows why. Soon, it becomes clear that this disaster is anything but local, and people begin to panic. Jamie is now stranded 1,200 miles away from home and the world is in chaos. With the help of the plane's flight crew, a group of fellow passengers and a rescued dog named Godzilla, Jamie must make the long, perilous journey home"--Provided by publisher.

Twelve-year-old Paulina is delivering bread to her new friend Fabia's home when the air begins to fill with smoke and ash. Mount Vesuvius is erupting! Fabia's father leaves to help fellow Pompeii residents evacuate, telling the girls to make their way to the port where they can board boats to escape. But Paulina cannot leave her family behind. The two girls make their way through the city, helping others where they can. Will they escape the volcano disaster and be reunited with their loved ones? In graphic novel format.

"A powerful rumination on how we can draw on historical examples of "survivor power" to understand the upheaval and death caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and collectively heal"--.

"History is the most dangerous place on earth. In each chapter of [this book], [the author] explores how to survive one of history's greatest threats: getting eaten by dinosaurs, being destroyed by the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, succumbing to the lava flows of Pompeii, being devoured by the Donner Party, drowning during the sinking of the Titanic, falling prey to the Black Death, and more. Using hindsight and modern science to estimate everything from how fast you'd need to run to outpace a T. rex to the advantages of different body types in surviving the Donner Party tragedy, [he] gives you a detailed battle plan for survival, helping you learn about the era at the same time"--Provided by publisher.

Looks at some of the most dangerous locations in the world, including amusement parks, space, and landfills.

When the electricity goes out, twelve-year-old Eddie and his friends set out to investigate what is going on when they make the startling discovery that they are the only ones left in their neighborhood--and perhaps the only people left anywhere.

Readers will discover the science behind tornadoes and learn how first responders aid in the coping, healing, and rebuilding of the affected communities post-disaster. Focused on 21st Century content, the SEL- (social-emotional learning) and inquiry-based sidebars encourage young readers to think, create, guess, and ask questions. Includes a table of contents, glossary, index, author biography, bibliography, and sidebars.