Tara and the Towering Wave: An Indian Ocean Tsunami Survival Story

By Cristina Oxtra, Francesca Ficorilli and Jane Pica

When her mother announces a holiday vacation to Thailand, Tara isn't thrilled. She'd rather stay home with her friends, but Mom is determined they use the girls' trip to explore their Thai heritage. Tara is reluctant to travel so far from home, especially to a country she doesn't feel connected to. But then disaster strikes. The day after Christmas, a massive tsunami sweeps through Phuket, Thailand. Tara's resort vacation suddenly becomes a fight to survive - and find her mother in the wreckage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: Aug 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781515888802

Cristina Oxtra

Cristina Oxtra is a Filipino American author. She earned an MFA in creative writing for children and young adults at Hamline University and a BA in journalism. She received the Loft Literary Center 2019-2020 Mirrors & Windows Fellowship for indigenous writers and writers of color. A former journalist and educator, Cristina is also a military veteran and public relations professional. She enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, baking, training in Tae Kwon Do, watching supernatural and paranormal TV shows, and going to comic cons. Her website is at www.cristinaoxtra.com.

Book preview

��Pdbook_preview_excerpt.htmlmX͎�6|�.w��`�cL<^{��Ĉk�HI�DE�I�e������I�꣤��Iw���W��������><��U���u�=��9�~�'�Ճ�&z�m�ک;�!f:��T�q��i�n�ߛƌ���+��˗?n?���5�֨0E5�E�!���רzJ�ҫ�w�\JY/�U��(��l�``�U9�:�b`Ըe|��7�Rm�}o}/�p���4���d���`Δh������e��3,��'s�Qg��U�OF��)�?g"n��~��3"�hT�G�,��) �McQ��Y�a�q�к�G�
�O(,-j�L!��=�wD�T j��
i��/b�|kl6#W��7#n>0|�*g��:�ptF5ar{�6�.�O��F{L O���'ƀ����w���H�:���:LY�֟��z���Uj n!�h�!��t�.%�7���_o#i�.��O�PG�M�>�Ii7�elGü�l�@�q��A̜�mE��������2�\��mG?k������ϒ�sh��k1�S�""���
gF�CV}X��0y�!�3we�ޤ#��[�T��+��ʈr&�w��\�=#�^��N���&�3���Nm�g����.�ŷ�%������`����`�d�Ɲ���@g �Q;�]�����[ֺ���LG$f#Z�-I�Ϝ��� Q��f�= ��@ٺb]yo�7����!����덽p�&�Ap��� :�l��x�B�L�x���o�
��4���/|��"�Ҁv��kq�)���n�.1ƙ��>�� ]4�DB��P���1� ߕJ6g�^$#��`H0�q���d��$Z“�9
h�j�7
�8�_5f����HGѮa#e�i��]]/��)��LÔ��8p�ʸ�0�;���$�/�;20\���+�p$\f��B�r� �n�3�T��t妾׽��������DW�Ʀ�\���ŭ��7ᇅs�[���aD����.��9���4w:��tq�պ1tz2�e� q�F�$z�!i����)p-I䵖ġ�0��=� ���u�ؘ�cP�JTC�����[Z3�r(���HD���^������|�p�:y�R�"l5M��N(���I�R�W���
S�#���N����˙oi�.�^���n�30,{�3��T�'v��M!��N�kw6CN��� ��K��M ���D�-���&o��� �F^�����C%�ic��rYaֲO�TX�� T� ����:yY0�Zz� FŁ�W��9lH����7Eq��B|Ot�IJ\,_B]m?&
:�x�)b��$\&t}�X@�=BK�B�C|'��r��!"����]�l���Te=7�X��$C�r�-Z��m����d ���"� M,z��� v�࿈B��+�yӖ_“̦h�W�q}�j� �Ҧ\ϖۙ���/�g;�-�nO���J��{�Y @V��}w)SЂ�hr�~��g�l3�9�~�)TOS� �s4�4���n�_�ĺ� "%����oU VT3hŷ�&k4���}�v�@C���v����nS_���?+��3O��:����2�QC=��^�[�S����w\4)����,rͿ��S��Y@6�����.��1=n�+ !�z�0��F!hZ�˗��M��������h�� D�w#��m���}���e��X�۽}���Z[���5��[�.�1���3������ ����+���^-�� 0Jf�qjH�HUm���N��<�D�b��8��(ϓg1Wy�{q�>����A��\��MƝ��81�����rz՚�k�(��>*h�n�|���^�v�;���]�AM1Z����S�a/.����*����tA03�V5!�T��z��+��8<�b9)�"����v�uP��B�K=�Y|.?��H(0���M��������

Reviews for Tara and the Towering Wave

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's hard to pull something positive out of the tragedy of the 2004 tsunami that killed 250,000 people, but Cristina Oxtra manages to leave her characters with a sense of purpose and connection to the many other people who suffered in its aftermath. They become caretakers and fundraisers as part of trying to make sense of their own survival. She draws on her own family history of immigration from the Philippines when creating Tara and her mother's Thai back story -- grandparents who emigrated to the US, worked hard, did not pass the language down and have children who are just starting to explore their ancestors' country. Holds together well, tells a good story of identity and survival, leaves you wanting to know more -- great combination.