The year is 2011, and an earthquake has just hit Tohoku, Japan. Twelve-year-old Rei is sitting in class, thinking about the argument she just had with her best friend, when the quake strikes. After six long minutes of rumbling, the class can finally leave their school and gather outside. There, they hear the tsunami alarm, warning them to get to higher land! Can Rei and her classmates win their race to safety, and what will they leave behind?

Susan Griner is a Japanese American author of children's fiction. She has written short stories and poetry for both Cricket and Babybug magazines. Her latest middle grade novel, Shy Ways, is based on her life as a Japanese American growing up in the south. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two daughters. You can contact her at www.susangriner.com.