I Survived the Great Molasses Flood 1919 by Lauren Tarshis

Some disasters are so strange they sound made up. But this one? Absolutely real.

Boston, 1919. A massive metal tank looms over the crowded North End, sloshing with sticky brown molasses. It’s always leaked. Nobody worried much about it. Until the day it burst apart, sending a towering wave of molasses roaring through the streets.

This is the world young Carmen finds herself in, four years after she and Papa left Italy for a new life in America. When the flood hits, she must fight for survival, and for the life she and her father worked so hard to build.

Adapted from Lauren Tarshis’s New York Times bestselling I Survived series, this graphic novel edition brings one of history’s oddest catastrophes to vivid, heart-pounding life. Text adapted by Georgia Ball, with striking artwork by Karen De La Vega.

It’s a perfect pick for young readers (ages 8-12) who love the graphic novel format, and a wonderful discovery for longtime I Survived fans who want to see their favorite series illustrated. The high-action storytelling keeps pages turning, while the historical detail sneaks in real learning along the way.

Bonus for the curious: a nonfiction section at the back packed with facts and photos about the real Great Molasses Flood.

We’re big fans of this series here at the shop. It’s the kind of book that pulls reluctant readers right in, and keeps eager ones up past bedtime.

Nestled among the salt air and creaky floorboards, this one’s waiting for its next young adventurer. Come browse a while.

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