Severe and Unusual Weather

Severe and Unusual Weather

$19.99

In this poignant novel, a young girl leaves her troubled home and, while investigating a destructive tornado with the class outcast, learns the importance of letting her guard down. A must-read for...

In this poignant novel, a young girl leaves her troubled home and, while investigating a destructive tornado with the class outcast, learns the importance of letting her guard down. A must-read for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly, Dan Gemeinhart, and Corey Ann Haydu. 

Nadine has rules for surviving as the new kid:

  1. Keep your head down.
  2. Mind your own business.
  3. Don’t stick your neck out for anyone. Especially not for Francis Pepper, the boy everyone in school picks on.

Nadine just wants to get through the rest of the year without any tro... Read More

Add to Cart
In this poignant novel, a young girl leaves her troubled home and, while investigating a destructive tornado with the class outcast, learns the importance of letting her guard down. A must-read for...

In this poignant novel, a young girl leaves her troubled home and, while investigating a destructive tornado with the class outcast, learns the importance of letting her guard down. A must-read for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly, Dan Gemeinhart, and Corey Ann Haydu. 

Nadine has rules for surviving as the new kid:

  1. Keep your head down.
  2. Mind your own business.
  3. Don’t stick your neck out for anyone. Especially not for Francis Pepper, the boy everyone in school picks on.

Nadine just wants to get through the rest of the year without any tro... Read More

Description

In this poignant novel, a young girl leaves her troubled home and, while investigating a destructive tornado with the class outcast, learns the importance of letting her guard down. A must-read for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly, Dan Gemeinhart, and Corey Ann Haydu. 

Nadine has rules for surviving as the new kid:

  1. Keep your head down.
  2. Mind your own business.
  3. Don’t stick your neck out for anyone. Especially not for Francis Pepper, the boy everyone in school picks on.

Nadine just wants to get through the rest of the year without any trouble. She knows that once her mom is out of rehab, it’ll be back to the unpredictable in Chicago.

But when she’s paired with Francis for a project about Centralia, Illinois, her new hometown, she’s drawn to his story. Francis was born the exact day that a tornado, the Great Tornado of the New Millennium (GTNM), destroyed the area. The cyclone even killed his mom. Then Nadine finds a mysterious book that contains instructions for channeling weather. Before she can blink, she and Francis are caught in the swirling whispers and lies that surround the GTNM.

Try as they might, they can’t figure out two things: Who would want to summon a tornado to Centralia? And why would they want to hurt Francis’s family?

Details
  • Pages: 272
  • Publisher: HarperCollins
  • Imprint: Quill Tree Books
  • Publication Date: 13th May 2025
  • Trim Size: 5.5 x 8.25 in
  • ISBN: 9780063207783
Reviews

"A gripping story of loss and connection." — Kirkus Reviews

"Foley elevates this quiet exploration of healing after trauma and finding one’s place to belong by gradually incorporating magical twists and sinister undertones. Each new variable is unveiled with a thoughtfulness that ensures the grounded themes surrounding grief and bullying remain the focus of this feel-good adventure." — Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

Jessie Ann Foley is the Printz Honor–winning author of the YA novels The Carnival at Bray (also a Morris Award finalist), Neighborhood Girls, Sorry for Your Loss, and You Know I’m No Good. For middle graders, she has written Breda's Island and Severe and Unusual Weather. Her work has been named to best-of lists by Kirkus Reviews, ALA Booklist, YALSA, Entertainment Weekly, and many other outlets and has been featured on school and library recommended reading lists all across the United States. Jessie lives with her family in Chicago, where she was born and raised. You can visit her online at jessieannfoley.com.

In this poignant novel, a young girl leaves her troubled home and, while investigating a destructive tornado with the class outcast, learns the importance of letting her guard down. A must-read for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly, Dan Gemeinhart, and Corey Ann Haydu. 

Nadine has rules for surviving as the new kid:

  1. Keep your head down.
  2. Mind your own business.
  3. Don’t stick your neck out for anyone. Especially not for Francis Pepper, the boy everyone in school picks on.

Nadine just wants to get through the rest of the year without any trouble. She knows that once her mom is out of rehab, it’ll be back to the unpredictable in Chicago.

But when she’s paired with Francis for a project about Centralia, Illinois, her new hometown, she’s drawn to his story. Francis was born the exact day that a tornado, the Great Tornado of the New Millennium (GTNM), destroyed the area. The cyclone even killed his mom. Then Nadine finds a mysterious book that contains instructions for channeling weather. Before she can blink, she and Francis are caught in the swirling whispers and lies that surround the GTNM.

Try as they might, they can’t figure out two things: Who would want to summon a tornado to Centralia? And why would they want to hurt Francis’s family?

  • Pages: 272
  • Publisher: HarperCollins
  • Imprint: Quill Tree Books
  • Publication Date: 13th May 2025
  • Trim Size: 5.5 x 8.25 in
  • ISBN: 9780063207783

"A gripping story of loss and connection." — Kirkus Reviews

"Foley elevates this quiet exploration of healing after trauma and finding one’s place to belong by gradually incorporating magical twists and sinister undertones. Each new variable is unveiled with a thoughtfulness that ensures the grounded themes surrounding grief and bullying remain the focus of this feel-good adventure." — Publishers Weekly

Jessie Ann Foley is the Printz Honor–winning author of the YA novels The Carnival at Bray (also a Morris Award finalist), Neighborhood Girls, Sorry for Your Loss, and You Know I’m No Good. For middle graders, she has written Breda's Island and Severe and Unusual Weather. Her work has been named to best-of lists by Kirkus Reviews, ALA Booklist, YALSA, Entertainment Weekly, and many other outlets and has been featured on school and library recommended reading lists all across the United States. Jessie lives with her family in Chicago, where she was born and raised. You can visit her online at jessieannfoley.com.