SEYMOUR – New York Times bestselling author Lauren Tarshis, whose “I Survived” book series has sold more than 30 million copies, visited students at Bungay Elementary School March 23.
The “I Survived” books are tales of historical fiction, written for elementary and middle school students. The books highlight historical disasters, ranging from the sinking of the Titanic to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. They are told through the eyes of a young person fighting for survival against all odds.
The series has received critical acclaim for positive messaging and are viewed as great entry points for reluctant readers. Tarshis, who lives in Connecticut, was invited to the school by the Bungay School Parent Teacher Association.
She spoke to students in the third, fourth, and fifth grade about how the books come together, and touched upon her researching and writing process.
She also gave the students a sneak peek of her next book, the 26th in the series. It is called “I Survived The Night Of The Lions 2025.” It is scheduled to publish in September.
For “I Survived the Night of the Lions,” Tarshis traveled some 8,000 miles to Botswana, in southern Africa. And just like her fictional character Dylan, she too, got to witness some of nature’s most magnificent creatures.
Bungay fourth-grade twin brothers Alexander and Charles Sirowich, both 9, said they are huge fans of the “I Survived” series.
“I love all of the “I Survived” books, they’re so good,” said Alexander. “My favorite is “I Survived the Shark Attacks, 1916.” The main character Chet gets most of his leg bitten off. I like it because it shows perseverance in Chet, he never gave up. And he got the injury trying to save his friend.”
Charlie’s favorite in the series is “I Survived the Titanic, 1912.”
“I was fairly new to the Titanic history and what it was all about,” Charlie said. “Lauren’s book shows what happened and how the disaster affected many people. It’s based off kids our age, so it’s easy for us to imagine ourselves in the story. It’s fiction combined with historical facts. The books are fun and they teach us about the world. I can read one in about 10 minutes.”
Third-grader Aubree Olivetti, 8, said her favorite book is “I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919,” and said she liked learning about how Tarshis does her research before writing her books.
Fifth grader Ethan Lauderowicz, 10, said he’s always been fascinated by the Titanic, and Tarshis’ book on the ill-fated ship was one of his favorites.
“I like the adventure of it,” Ethan said. “I also really liked how she gave us a sneak peek of her next book that’s not even out yet.”
The “I Survived” series is published by Scholastic, where Tarshis worked in editorial leadership roles for more than 30 years.