Saint Louis Armstrong Beach

Wonderful childrens' book that gives kids an idea of what Hurricane Katrina felt like from the perspective of a 12 year old Black boy in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, a historically and musically significant neighborhood that, according to Wikipedia, sustained mild-moderate damage from the ravages of Katrina. This middle school level adventure-in-the-midst-of-disaster is kept light without feeling too light for the subject matter. It's a suspenseful page turner and a quick read.The boy, Saint Louis Armstrong Beach, is equally devoted to his dog and his clarinet. With his dog nearby, he plays on street corners and saves his money for a new clarinet and his dream education at Julliard.A planner for all contingencies, Saint is ready for the hurricane with a collar and leash for his free-spirited dog. But the dog is not especially cooperative with being protected and lends the suspense to the story. Saint also heroically (realistically) helps some vulnerable adults along the way, while his parents do the same at the hospital where his mom is a dedicated social worker. It's a very vivid depiction of how the community can be the most important means of survival in situations where there is no one else to help.Saint's voice and the dialogue between himself and the people who love him flow off the page like warm butter. Comic moments arise. The characters are well-realized and highly loveable, especially the adult musicians Saint hangs out with.The book did leave me with a question on behalf of young readers. Saint is warned in a dream not to go to the Superdome, the "shelter of last resort" but we never learn from the narrative why that was a bad place to go. Outside the book's bounds, we know from news reports that it was a terrifying place for those who were forced to go, especially for children and that would be a much darker story than this tale, but a brief description of the chaos there would have been nice for educational value and for the sake of that small loose end.My 12 year old son found this book in his school library and he loved it too. Reading is often a chore for him but not so with this book! He says it gave him shivers.

The story was good but I was surprised as my daughter showed me several bad words as she kept finding them. I wish authors of youth books could express emotion without the foul language.

My 12 year old loved this book. I was very surprised, because he usually reads Percy Jackson-type books--super powered kids saving the world--but he couldn't put this down and he actually talked to me about it afterward. Highly recommend. It's also pretty short, which can be good or bad. My son is a fast reader so he was done with it in a couple of days, so I could count that as a downside in my case, but length is not really something I can objectively grade on, just thought I would mention it.

Even though the kids now weren't around to remember Hurricane Katrina, with all of the recent hurricanes in the news, it gives this story new relevancy! The "voices" in the story ring true! I am reading it to three 5th grade classes, so I'm reading the same chapters from it 3 times a week, but it's so good I don't get tired reading it!!

I loved the novel which takes place in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina and written through the eyes of a boy named Saint Louis Beach. Very engaging and another book hard to put down.

saint and his dog are great friends and almost inseparable until a monster hits hard and the fate of two lives rests in the hands of one boy......... Happy Reading this book has tragedy, love, comedy and, more it took over my mind and I couldn't put the book down.

Our ten year old son LOVED this book! He is a reluctant reader...unless he has a book he loves...and then he won't put it down. This is a book he didn't want to end. Both my husband and I read it and thoroughly enjoyed it. A great book for reluctant readers and enthusiasts alike. Can't rate it highly enough!

Living in the panhandle of Florida and experiencing first hand Hurricane Ivan in 2004, this is a true to life story about a boy and his dog surviving Hurricane Katrina in 2005. My ten year old recommended it to me.