I Survived the California Wildfires, 2018

In the 20th installment of the popular I Survived series, readers follow 11-year-old Josh, who has recently moved from New Jersey to rural Northern California with his mother due to "life-changing challenges." Struggling to adapt to his new environment, Josh begins to bond with his cousins. However, their lives are thrown into chaos when they find themselves directly in the path of the devastating 2018 California wildfires, the deadliest in a century. This book masterfully blends historical disaster with a personal coming-of-age story, as Josh must not only fight for survival against the raging inferno but also confront the emotional "family issues burning him up inside." It's a fast-paced, suspenseful read that offers a glimpse into a real historical event while exploring themes of resilience, family, and finding hope after trauma.

The people of Northern California were used to living with the threat of wildfires. But nothing could have prepared them for the devastating 2018 fire season, the deadliest in 100 years and the most destructive in history. In the 20th I Survived book, readers join eleven-year-old Josh as he leaves his New Jersey home for the rural northern California town where his cousins live. Still reeling from the life-changing challenges that propelled him and his mother across the country, Josh struggles to adapt to a more rustic, down-to-earth lifestyle that couldn't be more different from the one he is used to. Josh and his cousin bond over tacos and reptiles and jokes, but on a trip into the nearby forest, they suddenly find themselves in the path of a fast-moving firestorm, a super-heated monster that will soon lay waste to millions of acres of wilderness and -- possibly -- their town. Josh needs to confront the family issues burning him up inside, but first he'll have to survive the flames blazing all around him.