Eight Days: A Story of Haiti

Written by: Edwidge Danticat and Alix Delinois

First line: When I was pulled from my house, eight days after the earthquake, my family was waiting.

Why you should read this book: Although it's the story of a boy buried in rubble for eight days after the great earthquake in Haiti, this is not a sad story, but rather a joyful tale that paints of a picture of the world that existed before the earthquake. A little boy, asked about his harrowing ordeal, explains how he used his beautiful memories of Haiti to keep his spirits up while he waited for rescue, focusing each day on a lovely image of place and community. In an afterword, Danticat explains how the country of Haiti has been irreparably changed by the earthquake, and the book is her effort to save a vision of a beautiful world that younger children might never know.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You are deathly afraid of earthquakes or being buried alive.