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“With only two days’ warning, 15-year-old Salvador Gómez-Cólon and his family prepared for the onslaught of Hurricane Maria in 2017. The destruction to Puerto Rico was unprecedented and unremitting. In response to the desolation around him, Gómez-Cólon started a campaign called Light and Hope, distributing solar lamps and hand-powered washing machines to people without power and running water. His descriptions of the storm and its emotional impact evoke urgency and immediacy, all while written in a style highly accessible to a wide range of readers.”

– School Library Journal, Starred Review

Hurricane: My Story of Resilience (I, Witness)

Written by Salvador Gómez-Colón
Published by Norton Young Readers

A young man shares how he combated Puerto Rico’s public health emergency after Hurricane Maria.

Suffering heavy damage in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017, Puerto Rican communities lacked access to clean water and electricity. Salvador Gómez-Colón couldn’t ignore the basic needs of his homeland, and knew that nongovernmental organizations and larger foreign philanthropies could only do so much. With unstoppable energy and a deep knowledge of local culture, Salvador founded Light and Hope for Puerto Rico and raised more than $100,000 to purchase and distribute solar-powered lamps and hand-powered washing machines to households in need.

With a voice that is both accessible and engaging, Salvador recalls living through the catastrophic storm and grappling with the destruction it left behind. Hurricane brings forward a captivating first-person account of strength, resilience, and determination, and heralds the start of a new series of compelling narrative nonfiction by young people, for young people.

Look for the Spanish version, Huracán: Mi Historia de Resiliencia (I, Witness).

Primary ISBN: 9781324016656
Publication Date: October 2021
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook
Middle Grade, Age 08 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: Puerto Rico

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Home Country

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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Engagement Materials:

I, WITNESS Series Introduction

Source: Norton Young Readers