It is before daybreak in San Francisco on April 18, 1906. Jacob Kaufman slips out of the wooden boarding house where he lives with his immigrant father and little sister Rosie, and suddenly the ground beneath his feet begins to rumble.

Buildings collapse, and the street splits wide open as Jacob runs to find safety from a devastating earthquake. Fires engulf the city. He returns home hoping to find his father and sister, but there is nothing left of the building but a pile of sticks. Jacob and his dog join the throng of other people searching for shelter, food, fresh water, and loved ones who are missing.

In Gail Langer Karwoski’s stirring fictional account of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, young readers will relive the drama of the actual event and its devastating aftermath. An Author’s Note carefully separates fact from fiction, giving young readers a glimpse into one of the worst earthquakes in modern history.