Have you ever read a book that is so grasping, you just can't put it down?
For me, that book is Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman. It is a fictionalized account of the Grand Island, NE tornado outbreak of June 1980. The book tells of how twelve-year-old Dan Hutch, his friend Arthur, and Dan's baby brother Ryan survive a violent tornado in Dan's basement.
Upon reading the back cover of Night of the Twisters, I noticed that the target audience for the book is ages 8-11. That is how you know when an author is great: when they can write a book on a third grade level that appeals to readers of all ages. That is the type of writer I long to be. While I do want to write at the level expected of me, I know that my vocabulary is not as vast as some, and I will probably never have William Shakespeare's eloquence. I want my writing to be accepted and understood by as many audiences as possible.
So, adults and teenagers of the world, I challenge you to go to your local library, a bookstore, or even that stack of books you haven't read since elementary school, and pick up a book by Dr. Seuss or Judy Bloom, or Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman. Relive your childhood, and be totally gripped by a simple story that even a child could love.
