Other editions of book Day of the Cyclone

Ella is surprised by her birthday gift from her father: a Brownie camera and the advice to seek pictures of things that ‘don’t belong’. This is how Ella first notices Billy, a boy at her school. They become good friends, although Ella is sure Billy is keeping something from her.Ella soon realizes there are others to whom the ‘don’t belong’ tag applies. They include herself! Helping out at her mother’s IODE group, Ella finds out about women’s rights – or the lack of them. When Ella’s mother’s purse is raided, suspicion falls on Billy. Then, just as Ella is learning more about both her mother and her mysterious friend, the cyclone arrives, and it’s the substandard housing of the poor that’s worst-hit. How can Ella, armed only with her camera, help her friend?Praise for Ice Storm: “Draper covers the terror and impact of the storm. She also weaves in a subtle environmental message about overreliance on electricity…an unusual story of survival.” – Kirkus ReviewsPraise for Graveyard of the Sea: “the author makes the setting of her Newfoundland tale as satisfying as the smell of seafood chowder”; “readers are…sensually and emotionally embedded in 12-year-old Murphy’s life in the outport” – Canadian Children’s Book News

June 1912: Ella is surprised by her birthday gift from her mother, a Brownie camera and the advice to seek pictures of things that "don't belong." This is how Ella first notices Billy, a boy at her school who seems out of place. They become good friends, although Ella is sure Billy is keeping something from her. Ella soon realizes there are others to whom the "don't belong" tag applies. They include herself! Helping out at a tea for the women's rights group to which her mother belongs, Ella finds out about her place in society—or the lack of it. But there is someone else who is even more out of place, a stranger who pretends to be something he isn't, and he's up to no good. When Ella's mother's purse is raided, suspicion falls wrongly on Billy. Just as Ella is learning more about herself, her mother and her mysterious friend, the tornado (known then as a cyclone) arrives, bringing devastation to the city. It's the substandard housing of the poor that's worst-hit. But the storm also reveals a few hidden secrets. Can Ella, armed only with her camera and its evidence, help her friend? Based on the story of a real 1912 tornado.

It's the summer of 1912 in Regina, Saskatchewan, and Ella Barclay is bored with her life. Things look up when she receives a camera for her birthday. A camera! "To make a great picture," says her father, "you must look for the story." Looking for the story leads Ella to Billy Forsythe, the new boy at school. He's a liar, and maybe a thief. He sure makes life interesting. But can Ella trust him? Soon enough, a few lies count for nothing. When the worst tornado in history strikes, the question is – who will survive? Awards:Winner: Saskatchewan Book Awards, Publishing in Education 2013Silver Medallist, Moonbeam Awards, 2012Finalist: Diamond Willow Readers' Choice Award, 2014 Reviews:"Penny Draper's latest instalment in the highly entertaining and educational Disaster Strikes! series tells the story of the deadliest tornado in Canadian history, which killed 28 people and left more than 2,500 homeless when it swept through Regina on June 30, 1912. Draper's exciting coming-of-age story, featuring a relatable protagonist and set against the backdrop of an historic moment in danger of fading from consciousness, strikes the perfect balance between enthralling and informative." Quill and Quire, February 23, 2012 Penny Draper has the voice of a storyteller, and like all good stories, Day of the Cyclone cries to be read out loud. Not only do the voices of the characters ring true, but the voice of the narrator also clearly rings through. Keith Foster, SPG Review, October 10, 2012